Joint Nordic statement at Informal Consultation on Summit of the Future Ch. 2

Check Against Delivery

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the Nordic Countries, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and my own country Denmark.

We are deeply concerned about the multitude of threats to international peace, security and development. We must mobilize to ensure a Pact for the Future that offers ambitious, yet realistic responses.

The Nordics commit to engaging actively with concrete and operational contributions in the process. Partnerships and cross-regional cooperation will be critical. The nature of the security challenges we face today demand of us that we recommit to multilateral solutions. The Summit of the Future offers the best opportunity to do so.

First, we wish to emphasize the importance of prevention and peacebuilding, and a strong human-rights based approach. The UN system needs to adjust its systems and tools. We must prioritize climate-sensitive and integrated approaches. We hope the Pact for the Future can be a catalyst for renewed action to implement the WPS and YPS agendas as well as accountability for these. Sustainable peace is within reach only with the full, equal, and meaningful inclusion of women, and with full, effective and meaningful participation of youth.

We also need to integrate climate sensitivity across all efforts to advance peace and security. We must develop the evidence base to provide context-specific advice on conflict dynamics and peacebuilding to UN climate programming in conflict-affected countries; include language on climate, peace and security in mission mandates; and increase the deployment of climate, peace and security advisors.

We encourage partnerships, and importantly with regional and civil society organisations, to underpin locally-led and inclusive approaches to peacebuilding, as well as the protection of civic space. A reinforced Peacebuilding Commission can strengthen support to national and regional infrastructures for peace and prevention, such as national prevention strategies. Predictable, flexible and sustained financing for peacebuilding is key, including through assessed contributions to the Peacebuilding Fund and support to the Resident Coordinator system.

Second, the UN and its peace and security architecture needs to be fit for purpose and work together in a coherent way, from Security Council reform and democratizing Council working methods, to GA revitalization, and better leveraging the PBC. Each of these fora has a vital role to play in the maintenance of international peace and security. Peacekeeping is and should remain an important part of the UN’s peace and security toolkit. A critical element will be to ensure a better match between mandates, funding and resources, including capabilities, in a way that maximises flexibility and adaptiveness to each particular situation. There is a need to further anchor political processes and peacebuilding at the heart of peacekeeping operations and strengthen coordination across the UN system, also at country level.

Enhanced cooperation between the UN and regional organizations, including the AU, is key. We welcome the A3 initiative on a framework resolution to ensure adequate, flexible and sustainable funding for AU-led Peace Support Operations. We support financing of operations via UN assessed contributions on a case-by-case basis, in compliance with relevant agreed standards and mechanisms, including the AU human rights compliance framework.

The global community must also continue to strengthen the architecture for arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation as an essential element of the rules-based order and recommit to a world without nuclear weapons. The Pact should call on all states to join and implement the Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. The Pact should also pave the way for future disarmament and arms control agreements and call for steps to increase transparency and confidence-building.

Better solutions for peace and stability are prerequisites for delivering on the development and human rights agendas. The Pact for the Future is a critical opportunity to demonstrate the power of networked multilateral solutions.

I thank you.