In the morning asked Margot Wallström, (S), in Vietnam of the foreign MINISTRY’s assessment of the campaign for Sweden to get a temporary medlemsplats in the security council in 2017 and 2018.
at the same time as KU’s review is ongoing sends the government a self-evaluation of Sweden’s two years as a member and chairman of the council – but it does not affect the campaign.
Diplomacy is not always easy to measure. But there are figures to look at, it claims Wallström. It can be about the number of resolutions or statements or such a thing as the lecturer, which the council invited, for the first time reached a balanced gender representation. Before the entry pointed to Sweden out a number of priority areas: international law, women and children in conflict, to increase access for humanitarian aid in conflict zones and human rights.
” We have been able to demonstrate success. For example, we have brought up topics such as climate and security and the role of women in peace on the agenda. But the security council also has the shortcomings of a small country is not always able to deal with, ” says Margot Wallström.
the council of the ”big sad story with so many dead and injured people”, in which Russia used its veto power six times.
– It is the great failure of the council. There are too many great countries that have economic and other interests which are contradictory, ” she says.
Sweden has, according to the evaluation, worked to reduce the permanent members ‘ use of the veto.
– We have connected ourselves to the group who want to take steps to limit the vetoanvändningen in situations where it can develop into crimes against humanity or genocide. There are more than 120 countries but we face resistance from the permanent members, ” she says.
When Sweden took up the position in the security council in January 2017, described the foreign MINISTRY atmosphere that almost lousy.
– the Pitch between the U.S. and Russia have been extremely hard. But that the whole of the security council came at a retreat to called backåkra and Sweden meant something to the atmosphere. But it takes more than a two-year membership to change, ” she says.
the evaluation describes Sweden’s and the council’s actions in various issues and conflicts. The foreign MINISTRY notes that in the council there are problems with the perception of human rights.
” We have a number of countries with autokrater, självhärskande leaders who reinforce their power by changing the constitutions, and issuing options to maintain their own position. It occurs in Turkey and around the world, ” says Wallström.
Photo: Erik Ardelius
the Conservatives policy spokesperson Hans Wallmark considers that the council’s limitations are obvious and that the government should shift the focus to the EU and the region in the coming years. He believes that the much talked about campaign, for around 27 million, that aimed to give Sweden one of the temporary medlemsplatserna, obscure years in the council.
” the Swedish presidency has, unfortunately, shocked at what we discovered of the campaign that preceded the presidency. The campaign would, according to the government is characterized by transparency, but it resulted instead in secrecy, ” he says.
faced criticism from several quarters for not providing public documents in a timely manner. After KU, in 2018, reviewed the MINISTRY’s handling of the documents during the säkerhetsrådskampanjen was found that the management appears to be remarkable and to Wallström herself could not escape the responsibility. Among other things, pointed out KU in the example where the documents are not registered until more than a year later.
Last Wednesday targeted the parliamentary Ombudsman, JO, criticism of the government and the foreign office for the handling of a request to take part of public documents. Margot Wallström believes that it has become too much focus on the campaign, but admits flaws.
” It has been a great concern for us is how we deal with so much information and see to it that everything be recorded at the right time. How do we deal with that we are two authorities, the representation in New York and the foreign MINISTRY? The government in the case, must be able to handle it here and so do we. But it is boring if it gets stuck in this. There are no funds that have been used incorrectly, there are no irregularities but it has taken a long time to register the cases.
the Evaluation of the work of the security council, which was submitted to the parliament in Thursday, is the government’s description.
” I always believe that there is. But I have a hard time to see that our employees could have worked harder than what they’ve done, and I think that there is much we can be proud of, for example, that we learned to talk with the countries and not just about them. There is nothing I think is directly unsuccessful, ” she says.
” I have nothing against there being more evaluations. It is important that we compile all the information we have, it is difficult to get it from elsewhere. Then we will see what may be missing when all have read. This is our description of what we have done during these two years.