National statement, delivered by H.E. Andreas von Uexküll, Deputy Representative of Sweden to the UN, at the ECOSOC Humanitarian Affairs Segment, New York, 17 June 2026
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Mister President, Excellencies,
We hold this meeting at a time when the world seems increasingly divided. Humanitarian needs remain significant. Humanitarian funding is insufficient. Humanitarian access is denied. Humanitarian workers are attacked. And multilateral humanitarian efforts are politicized in cynical and short-sighted ways.
In this context, international humanitarian law stands as our shared moral compass – steady, principled, and immutable. It reminds us that even in war, there are limits; even in conflict, there must be humanity.
Sweden is guided by a simple conviction: principles must continue to guide humanitarian action. When civilians are targeted, when medical facilities are struck, when humanitarian access is obstructed, we cannot look the other way. International humanitarian law is not aspirational – it is binding. We must try to call a spade a spade and ensure accountability when violations occur. Silence, in this context, is not neutrality – it is complicity.
We must also move beyond rhetoric. It requires that we support those on the front lines – humanitarian workers who, day after day, carry the torch of humanity into the darkest corners of conflict. We must act together to reaffirm that humanity does not become a casualty of war.
International humanitarian law is not just a legal framework – it is a promise. A promise that dignity will prevail over destruction, that compassion will endure amidst chaos, and that even in war, our shared humanity will not be forgotten.
Mister President, Excellencies,
Sweden helped lay the foundations of the humanitarian system over 30 years ago with resolution 46/182 [forty-six one eighty-two]. Today we see an urgent need for change. We must strengthen the UN coordinated global humanitarian system by making it more effective, coherent and flexible amidst cutbacks. But we must never lose track of whom this system exists to serve: the hundreds of millions of people in need of humanitarian assistance.
The Humanitarian Omnibus resolution remains our shared platform to send clear, coherent signals to the UN’s coordinated humanitarian system. At a time of growing division, it is more important than ever that Member States speak with one voice in support of principled, effective humanitarian action.
Thank you.
