UN in Swedish foreign policy

The plan establishes that global inequality must be significantly reduced and that Sweden should work for the UN to play a larger role in world politics. It also wants to democratise UN structures and drive solidarity-based aid and fair trade terms. An initiative for an international equality commission within the UN system is a way to realise these very commitments.

• reduce global inequalitydecisive»I en rättvis värld måste den globala ojämlikheten kraftigt minskas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“In a just world, global inequality must be significantly reduced.”
• strengthened role for the UN»Vi vill därför att Sverige verkar för att FN ska spela en större roll« (party programme ↗)“We therefore want Sweden to work for the UN to play a larger role”
• democratise the UN»Vi vill se en demokratisering av FN:s strukturer« (party programme ↗)“We want to see a democratisation of UN structures”
• fair trade terms»solidariskt bistånd och rättvisa handelsvillkor.« (party programme ↗)“solidarity-based aid and fair trade terms.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan makes the fight against poverty and growing inequalities an international task and wants Sweden to be a strong global voice within the UN, which bears the counter-proposal's requirement for a Swedish initiative for an equality commission in the UN system. The plan also points to concrete global redistribution measures such as the one-per-cent target and global corporate taxation. There is no position on new UN bodies, so the assessment is derived.

• reduced global povertydecisive»Arbetet för att minska fattigdomen måste fortsätta.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Work to reduce poverty must continue.”
• uphold the UN's role»Vi kommer att fortsätta värna FN:s roll i arbetet för folkrätten och det internationella samarbetet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We will continue to uphold the UN's role in work for international law and international cooperation.”
• global redistribution»Global överenskommelse om ökad beskattning av företag.« (party programme ↗)“Global agreement on increased taxation of companies.”
• one per cent target for aid»Enprocentmål för biståndet.« (party programme ↗)“One per cent target for aid.”

The plan establishes that the justice perspective is also global and that resources in a just world shall be distributed equitably. The UN is pointed out as the central forum for global cooperation, and the party is prepared to change the organisation, even to abolish the veto in the Security Council. A new UN organ against global disparities lies therefore in line with the plan, although a specific equality commission is not mentioned.

• global justicedecisive»Vårt perspektiv på rättvisa är även globalt.« (party programme ↗)“Our perspective on justice is also global.”
• UN as global forum»FN är ett viktigt forum för globalt samarbete« (party programme ↗)“The UN is an important forum for global cooperation”
• reform the UN»ta bort vetot i säkerhetsrådet« (party programme ↗)“remove the veto in the Security Council”
• humanitarian superpower»Sverige ska återigen bli en humanitär stormakt« (party programme ↗)“Sweden shall once again become a humanitarian superpower”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan wants to see leadership that prioritises effective measures over symbolic politics, and its path towards a fairer world goes via free trade, open markets and people in poor countries being able to provide for themselves. Establishing yet another body within the UN system for global equality does not address any commitment in the plan. The basis is weak and the conclusion derived from the nearest principle.

• effective measures over symbolic politicsdecisive»Ett ledarskap som prioriterar effektiva åtgärder framför symbolpolitik eller passivitet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Leadership that prioritises effective measures over symbolic politics or inactivity.”
• free trade against poverty»Sverige klarar sig inte utan frihandel. Öppna upp fler marknader för svenska varor och tjänster.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden cannot get by without free trade. Open up more markets for Swedish goods and services.”
• shared global responsibility»Fred, skyddet av mänskliga rättigheter och hållbar utveckling är hela världens ansvar.« (party programme ↗)“Peace, protection of human rights and sustainable development are the responsibility of the whole world.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan establishes that liberal justice is about equal conditions, not equal results, and that development is driven by democracy, market economy and free trade rather than by redistributive world orders. It also wants to make the UN more effective within existing structures, not build new organs. An international equality commission therefore lies outside the plan's line.

• market economy drives developmentdecisive»Demokrati, jämställdhet, utbildning, marknadsekonomi, frihandel, privat äganderätt, rättsstat« (party programme ↗)“Democracy, equality, education, market economy, free trade, private property, rule of law”
• equal conditions not outcomes»lika förutsättningar, inte om lika resultat.« (party programme ↗)“equal conditions, not equal results.”
• more effective UN»ett FN som är mer handlingskraftigt och mer trovärdigt.« (party programme ↗)“a UN that is more effective and more credible.”
• freedom as foreign policy aim»Målet med vår utrikespolitik är en friare värld för alla.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The aim of our foreign policy is a freer world for all.”

The plan shares the problem description and calls the global gaps unacceptable, but prescribes another means: freer world trade with fairer rules is according to the plan the prerequisite for the gaps to decrease. Responsibility for global rules is placed on the EU and on existing structures, and the UN should be strengthened in its current role rather than supplemented with new bodies. Taking the initiative for a new international equality commission therefore does not follow from the plan.

• free trade reduces gapsdecisive»rättvisare spelregler är en förutsättning för att klyftorna ska kunna minska.« (party programme ↗)“fairer rules are a prerequisite for the gaps to be able to decrease.”
• global gaps unacceptable»De globala klyftorna är med denna utgångspunkt oacceptabla.« (party programme ↗)“The global gaps are from this perspective unacceptable.”
• EU responsibility for global rules»EU har ett ansvar att bidra till rättvisa globala spelregler« (party programme ↗)“The EU has a responsibility to contribute to fair global rules”
• strengthened UN within existing structures»Därför måste FN:s ställning skyddas och stärkas« (party programme ↗)“Therefore, the UN's position must be protected and strengthened”

The plan explicitly opposes tax funds being channelled uncritically through unreformed UN organs and wants instead to work for a reformed UN. A new international equality commission within the UN system is precisely the kind of new organ the plan does not call for. The plan's line is to focus efforts where they do the most good.

• critical stance towards UN organsdecisive»Dina skattepengar ska inte försvinna i korruption eller hamna i fickorna på odemokratiska ledare, och inte heller okritiskt kanaliseras i ökande volymer genom oreformerade FN-organ som brister i transparens och uppföljning.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Your tax money must not disappear in corruption or end up in the pockets of undemocratic leaders, and must not either be channelled uncritically in increasing volumes through unreformed UN organs that lack transparency and accountability.”
• reform the UN, not expand it»Verka för ett reformerat FN« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Work for a reformed UN”
• focused aid»Fokusera det svenska biståndet till de länder, organisationer och tematiska områden där det gör störst nytta« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Focus Swedish aid towards the countries, organisations and thematic areas where it does the most good”

The counter-proposal wants to establish an international equality commission within the UN system for a fairer world order. The plan in contrast directs foreign policy toward preserving Swedish interests and requires that international aid be greatly reduced and made more efficient instead of building more supranational structures. A new UN body for global redistribution lies outside that prioritization.

• Swedish interests in foreign policydecisive»Sverigedemokraterna vill att inriktningen av utrikespolitiken i högre utsträckning än idag ska värna svenskarnas intressen på det globala planet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Swedish Democrats want the direction of foreign policy to to a greater extent than today preserve Swedes' interests on the global stage.”
• reduced and more efficient aid»Överlag måste det internationella biståndet kraftigt minska och insatserna effektiviseras.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Overall, international aid must be greatly reduced and efforts made more efficient.”
• Swedish interests internationally»Värna svenska intressen i internationella sammanhang« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Preserve Swedish interests in international contexts”
• national self-determination»Stärka det nationella självbestämmandet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen national self-determination”