Excellencies, ladies and
gentlemen,
I wish to thank the co-chairs for
hosting today’s conference. With this important gathering, we reaffirm our
support of multilateralism and global solidarity.
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Denmark shares the UN
Secretary General’s commitment to conflict prevention in our efforts to bring
peace and sustainable development worldwide.
COVID-19
has emphasized this priority. The pandemic exposed the vulnerabilities in our
societies – inequality, structural weaknesses in health systems and social
protection.
Addressing
these challenges is instrumental in
building resilient societies and in building back better and greener.
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Denmark
is proud to have played an active role in the founding of the UN Peacebuilding
Architecture 15 years ago.
Prevention
and peacebuilding remains our best strategy for upholding the UN Charter’s
promise to save future generations from the devastations of war.
This
requires sustainable and predictable financing for peacebuilding. We cannot
wait for the eruption of armed conflict or humanitarian crisis before we act. The
cost of waiting is always greater – in human lives first, but also in
financial terms.
***
In
addition to funding, we must focus on three priorities:
First,
a leap in funding must be followed by a stronger emphasis on impact and results. We owe this to the victims of instability and
conflict. And it is critical in our mission to mobilise additional funds.
Second,
effective conflict prevention and peacebuilding require us to work together. The SG’s reform agenda is critical for bringing
greater coherence across the UN’s three pillars. However, the UN must become
better at working with external partners. In this regard, we welcome the
partnership between the UN and the World Bank. We must also work closely with
national and local stakeholders. We must include them from the beginning to
achieve sustainable peace.
Third,
the Fund must continue to play a frontier role in advancing key policy
priorities. We are pleased to
see the Fund positioning itself at the forefront of delivering on the women,
peace and security agenda. And we fully support the growing number of projects
involving a climate-security or human rights focus.
***
In
closing, let me reaffirm Denmark’s strong political and financial commitment
to the Peacebuilding Fund. We will even make a new financial increase in our multiannual contribution. We
have heard the SG’s call for increased contribution. I hope that others
have too. Thank you.