General Debate of the Third Committee: National Statement of Sweden

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President,

If I were to give a title to my remarks today, I would call them: “In Praise of Strong Institutions.”

This is a statement on human rights—
on the norms that protect our freedom, our dignity, our rights.

But norms are only a beginning.
Without strong institutions to uphold them, they remain words on paper.

In less than a month, we mark 80 years since the UN Charter entered into force.
Eighty years since humanity’s first, and still only, truly universal institution was born.

It rose out of the ashes of two world wars.
It was built on a promise: peace, international law, and cooperation.

The UN was imagined as a house — a strong house.
Spacious enough for many voices and views, yet firm enough in its foundations to hold us nations together.

A house for the future, framed by commitment, protected by rules we made together. Rules to shield us from the storms — and, above all, from ourselves.

The drafters knew what they were doing.
They were not naïve.
They had seen the world in flames.
And they knew their house could be weakened—
by bad faith, by conflict, by contempt for the rules.
Until it crumbled into chaos.

That is why President Truman called on them to show “strength and moral fibre” during the closing session in San Francisco in June 1945.”

From the very beginning, human rights were embedded in the foundation of this house United Nations, through the Charter.

In Truman’s words:  “The Charter is dedicated to the achievement and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Unless we can attain those objectives for all men and women everywhere—without regard to race, language, or religion—we cannot have permanent peace and security.”

And in 80 years since those lines were spoken, we have achieved so much.

-     The Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

-     And the core human rights treaties that followed.
Protections against racial discrimination.
Protection for women, children, refugees, for persons with disabilities, and victims of torture.

Brick by brick, they have strengthened the house.

And alongside these achievements, importantly

The gradual emergence of a global consensus that there can be no impunity for grave violations of human rights, that victims have a right to seek justice.
The ever-growing infrastructure of accountability, at the national, regional and international levels.

Even at the height of the Cold War, the UN managed to bring rival states together to work on shared goals, including the codification of new human rights norms.
That is no small accomplishment.

We have come so far.
There is so much to celebrate.

And yet, we all know that at this juncture the floor beneath us trembles.

President,

For more than twenty years, freedom and democracy have been in retreat.
This year—for the first time since the UN’s founding—there are more autocracies than democracies in the world.

More than half of humanity now lives under rulers who have not been democratically elected. 

By people who have simply seized power

And that are often prepared to deeply astonishing amounts of violence to keep it.

This is not only a national regression, but an international one.

All too often repression at home leads to aggression abroad.
And a subversion of international law.

Everywhere we look, we see the fallout:
gains in global health, education, gender equality, and poverty reduction are being reversed; long-established rules of war are being torn up, with little or no accountability.

This summer, despite talks of ceasefire, and despite claims of being a “friend of the UN Charter,”
Russia has continued its war of aggression against Ukraine — bringing record-high civilian casualties, including many children.

Recent weeks have seen some of the heaviest air strikes and drone attacks since the full-scale invasion began.
Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians are being tortured and mistreated,
and thousands of children have been stolen from their homes and families.

Impunity is not an option for these crimes.
A comprehensive, just, and lasting peace can only be achieved through unwavering support to Ukraine and intensified pressure on Russia.

In Gaza, the suffering of the civilian population is beyond words and President Trump’s peace plan for Gaza now brings hope.
A ceasefire is urgently needed, and unhindered humanitarian aid must be ensured immediately.
Almost two years have passed since the horrific Hamas terrorist attacks of October 7. Hostages are still being held in appalling conditions. They must be released—immediately and unconditionally.

President,

Given this state of the world, it is not surprising that some want to make the UN irrelevant— to dismiss what they see as the tiresome constraints of international law,

to delay or withhold financial contributions, exploiting budget rules that punish the Organization itself, and to attack the institutions that fight impunity.

We cannot let that happen.

Sweden will stand with friends and partners across the world.

We will defend strong institutions and international law, including the UN Charter.
We are committed to a global rules-based order, that puts freedom, dignity, and equal rights for every individual at its core.

Sweden welcomes the UN80 initiative. But it must not solely be a cost-cutting exercise—it must be a moment of renewal.

Right now, when more people than at any time in the UN’s history need protection from violations and abuse, the UN and its human rights pillar must be strengthened, not weakened. 

And yet, today, the human rights pillar accounts for less than one percent of the UN’s total expenditure.

Less than one percent.

The proposed revised budget estimates for this pillar are deeply concerning.

President,

For all victims of violations, we need a strong, robust UN.
What the human rights system requires is renewed commitment and focus on its founding purpose and core objectives:

The Treaty bodies,
The Special Procedures and investigative mechanisms,
And the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights itself.
All of these must be given the resources and independence they need to fulfill their vital mandates—free from political interference.
This is money well spent.

Sweden knows this.
We have been one of the largest voluntary contributors to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights for decades—in absolute terms, not just per capita.
We are also among the biggest per-capita donors of aid worldwide.

And every year, Swedish taxpayers renew their commitment to upholding the joint global promise of “leave no one behind”.

We pay our contributions to the regular UN budget in full.

We pay on time.

President

Human rights must remain mainstreamed across the UN—in the SDGs, in the 2030 Agenda, in every part of the system.

And civil society must have safe, meaningful access.
Human rights defenders.
Independent media.
Voices for victims.

They are the windows of our house.
They let in the light.

And if powerful states are so afraid of opening the windows, then they cannot believe the house we built is very strong.

President,

Choosing peace over war, freedom over oppression, justice over injustice—
it sounds like an easy choice.
But once again, it is the choice before us.

Multilateralism, like democracy, is hard work.
It is about cooperation and finding common ground.
It is debate.
It is patience.

Yes, it can be slow.
Yes, it can be frustrating.

But when it succeeds, it builds strength.
It has kept us safe from world war.
It has helped us avoid nuclear destruction.

That strength is the house we built together:
the United Nations.

A house we still need.
A house we must keep standing.

Thank you.