ECOSOC United Nations Economic and Social Counci : In Today’s Globalized World, International Solutions Support Countries’ National Interests, Says Deputy Secretary-General at International Public Dialogue

Following are Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson's speech titled "A World in Turmoil and Transition:  Common Challenges and Joint Solutions", as delivered at an international public dialogue event held at the Allianz Forum, in Berlin today:

Minister Schäuble just spoke about his pride and hope for the European project.  Having served as Foreign Minister of Sweden, I can say the European Union has contributed with success to the prevention of conflict between its member States, as it was envisioned to do.  The EU [European Union] continues to be a necessary global force in world politics.

Minister Schäuble's remarks about the need to connect short-term policies to the long-term challenges reminded me of the words written by one of my mentors, Dag Hammarskjöld, the second Secretary-General of the United Nations, who wrote in his book Markings that you should not look down to the ground before taking your next step, but keep your eye fixed on the horizon to find the right road.

Ich will erstmal ein paar Worte auf Deutsch sagen, und dann Englisch sprechen.  Ich moechte mich bei Ihnen fuer die Veranstaltung und die Einladung bedanken in dieser Eroeffnungssitzung sprechen zu koennen.

Ich bin froh wieder zurueck in Berlin zu sein.  Ich war hier das letzte Mal in November, anlaesslich einer Gedenk-veranstaltung zum Fall der Berliner Mauer.

Meine Verbindung zu Deutschland reicht viel weiter zurueck.  Die erste Station in meiner diplomatischen Laufbahn war in Bonn.  Ich habe enge Beziehungen ueber die Jahre aufrechterhalten.  Meine aelteste Tochter wurde in Deutschland geboren.  Ich habe viele Freunde im deutschen politischen Umfeld und im Auswaertigen Amt.

Ich bin dankbar und hocherfreut, dass Deutschland eine zunehmend wichtigere Rolle in der Arbeit der Vereinten Nationen uebernommen hat.  In diesem Zusammenhang moechte ich sowohl Botschafter Harald Braun in der UNO als auch meinen Freund seit in den jahren Botschafter Wolfgang Ischinger hervorheben.  Ich freue mich sehr mit den beiden heute hier zu sein.

Ich freue mich auch auf die Teilnahme an der Muenchener Sicherheitskonferenz, die spaeter in dieser Woche stattfinden wird.

Insurance companies are in the business of managing risk.  As such, they have something in common with the UN.  Today, we live in a troubled and turbulent world.

The UN was set up to manage the biggest risk of all - born from the ashes of WWII.  It was intended by its founders to "save succeeding generations from the scourge of war", which I quote from the UN Charter that I always carry with me.

The founders of the UN were wise.  They understood that managing global risk takes collective action; that international solutions are in the national interest in today's world.

This year, the UN turns 70 years old.  It is important to note that we have not had another world war.  So you could say that the world has, as of yet, successfully managed that fundamental risk.

In fact, much has gone right in the past 70 years.  Just look at some of the items:  decolonization; women's empowerment (where there is still work to do); democratization; economic development and millions of people lifted out of poverty.  Numerous wars did not happen or were brought to an earlier end.

But, we are still a long, long way from fulfilling the vision, the horizon, of the UN Charter.  The need for collective risk management is greater now than it ever was.  We are approaching the mark of 8 billion people on this planet and we are more interconnected than we have ever been before.

We live in a time of opportunity.  But it is also a time filled with trouble, turmoil and turbulence, as I said before.  Our previous prominent speakers have brought you the German, the European, and to some degree global perspective.  Let me provide some more on the perspective from the global level.  I will share some thoughts on the overall new global landscape before I turn to the specific theme for today.

2014 was a year in which the UN's agenda was filled to the brim with crises.  It's been like walking over a minefield, and I have visited many of the crisis affected areas last year:  Syria, Ukraine, Iraq, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Central African Republic, Libya, and [countries stricken by] Ebola.  The list goes on, not to mention the unspeakable horror of terrorism being inflicted by groups such as Boko Haram and ISIS [the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant/Sham].

It has been hard not to feel overwhelmed and sometimes frustrated.  There is no denying that the world around us is changing rapidly and profoundly, and in many ways, dangerously.  Geopolitical fault lines are deepening.  Dangerous tensions around Ukraine are evident between Russia and the West, between religious and ethnic communities, between Asian countries over their maritime borders, and between Israelis and Palestinians.

There seems to be a competition in brutality of which we have seen horrific examples as late as yesterday affecting Jordan.  The aim of the terrorists is, in my view, to incite fear in our societies, creating polarization and divisions among people.

The ideological reach of violent Islamic extremism is spreading across the globe and attracting many disaffected young people.  I visited Somalia last year, where 70 per cent of the population is under the age of 30 and 70 per cent is also the youth unemployment rate in Mogadishu.  These are not bad conditions for the recruitment of extremism.

In many places, we see a rise in Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, anti-migrant sentiment and hatred and fear of anyone who is the "other", the outsider.  We are facing new threats, for example more frequent and sophisticated cyberattacks, and increased usage of Internet by terrorist, or criminal, groups.  The Ebola virus outbreak is challenging our assumptions on global public health response, where improvements are needed.  Environmental degradation and resource depletion continue unabated, both as a cause and as a result of climate change.

Ladies and gentlemen, perhaps one of the most profound trends of all is demographic in nature and substance, as Chairman Diekmann presented so skilfully just now.  In contrast to the volatility of other trends, the speed and direction of population change is far more predictable, at least in the near future.

People are more numerous, they are more urban, more mobile, more empowered, and more demanding.  They expect real change knowing - in today's information age - that what is possible for others, should also logically be possible for them.  Twenty or thirty years ago, in closed societies, people didn't know.  Let us look at the effects of these changes.

Population growth has slowed, but the world's population will continue to grow, especially in Africa.  Low-income countries will struggle to eradicate poverty, reduce inequality, combat hunger, generate investment for infrastructure, improve access to basic services, plan and develop cities, try to protect local ecosystems, and promote peaceful and inclusive societies.

Young people will need education, decent work and health services if they are to contribute to economic development, technological innovation, and social change.  Where youth unemployment rates are high, lack of economic opportunities can be a dangerous catalyst for frustration and helplessness, with higher risks of social unrest, radicalization, and political violence.

Women need to be empowered with the knowledge and skills to participate fully in the workforce and in society.  Higher levels of education traditionally translate into fewer children and higher chances of survival of children.

Declining mortality and fertility over the past two decades have led to persons aged 60 or over becoming the world's fastest growing age group.  We are seeing the "Greying Revolution".  (I suppose I am part of this revolution!)  Countries without social support systems for elderly people will be challenged to provide economic security, health and support networks.

People are also increasingly urbanized.  In another 15 years, 60 per cent, some say even 70 per cent, of the world's population will live in urban areas.  Rapid urbanization is placing great demands on transport, energy, water and sanitation.  Many of the rapidly growing cities are located in countries least able to keep up with the demand for decent jobs, adequate housing and basic services.

There are risks of slum creation, segregation, and social tension, especially if we add to this the migration patterns of today.  The growth of slums will cause pollution, and, in many cases, exposure to floods and landslides.

People in today's world are more demanding, as I said earlier; expectations are high.  A growing population eager to achieve higher standards of living will have major impacts on the environment, and resource depletion - apart from the social and political consequences.

Environmental degradation and climate change may themselves trigger the movement of populations, within and across borders, also as a result of rising sea level.  The former Prime Minister of the Maldives told me that people were moving away from the outer islands due to salt water seeping into the water table, threatening the very existence of the nation.

But, let me also say, seeing the whole picture, there is also hope.  Urban areas are major hubs of economic activity, job creation, and service delivery.  Sustainable cities can offer more energy-efficient modes of living, reduced transportation distances and mass transit options.  Through better freshwater management and improved infrastructure, not least in sanitation, which I've been working on very much, we can save many thousands of lives

Ladies and gentlemen, let me make a few additional points on migration, because it reaches into so many areas of society.  People in today's world are much more mobile than ever before in history.  More than 200 million people live outside their countries of birth.  And 10 per cent of migrants are between 15 and 24 years of age.  In fact, you could say this is the "age of mobility".

Migration can be a transformative force, lifting millions from poverty, contributing to the development of countries of origin and destination alike.  Migrants fill labour shortages, complement the skills of native-born workers, create jobs and contribute to social welfare and pension systems.  Remittance flows to developing countries are now more than three times the size of ODA [official development assistance].

For the positive factors to prevail, migrants and their families must have equal access to fair wages and social protection, as well as to national standards of health and education, regardless of their migration status.  We need to be reminded that migration brings the richness of cultural diversity to our societies.  But it evidently brings tensions too - tensions we need to analyse and deal with.  We have seen those tensions playing out in the past few months in this country, as well as in other European countries, such as my own, Sweden.

The recent atrocities in Paris were totally reprehensible, and we must decisively defend freedom of speech.  We cannot allow the actions of violent extremist groups to divide us.  In many places, we have seen extreme nationalism, provocative rhetoric and other factors generate attacks on minorities.  We need to speak out against those who manipulate identity, who employ the fear factor for gains at the ballot box.

We must resist the urge to alienate minorities, to divide people into "us and them", and we must have a substantial discussion on the issue.  We must not fall into that trap but stand up together, in mutual respect, for both freedom of expression and for tolerance, against the forces of division and hatred.  Only though united societies, united peoples and nations united can we meet the challenges we will encounter in 2015 and decades to come.

This brings me to my final point.  To manage the profound changes taking place in the world, no Government or international organization can do it alone.  No single sector, no individual, no section of society, can alone deal with the complex problems and challenges we face in today's interconnected world.

For instance, we cannot address the changing climate without the private sector.  We cannot hope to lift people out of poverty unless business and civil society also part of the division of labour.

Over the years at the UN we have launched major efforts on maternal and child health, sustainable energy and combatting hunger and food scarcity, mobilizing hundreds of companies, financial institutions and civil society organizations.  Allianz is part of those efforts.

Partnerships such as the Global Compact contribute to innovation, technology, and building human capacity, all of which will be critical in implementing the post-2015 development agenda to be decided in September this year.  We need to mobilize all available resources to develop a shared, strategic approach to a life of dignity for all.  This mobilization has already begun.

In 2015, we will face the dual challenges of securing a positive outcome on the post-2015 development agenda in New York and the very important meeting on climate change in Paris.  A part of this dual challenge that I hope you can pay attention to is to ensure financing both for development and action on climate change.  Let us recall that in today's globalized world, a good international agreement or solution is in our countries' national interest.

Anlaesslich des Jubiläumsjahr 2015, in dem die Vereinten Nationen ihr 70-jaehriges Bestehen feiern werden, muessen wir alle positiven Kraefte fuer die gemeinsamen Ziele mobilisieren.

Alleine kann niemand alles erreichen, aber gemeinsam koennen alle etwas erreichen.  Ich wuensche ihnen in Allianz alles Gute fuer die naechsten 125 Jahre.  Ich danke Ihnen für Ihre Aufmerksamkeit.