Check against delivery.
It is a true honour to be with you here in the UN City. And to mark the 80th anniversary of the United Nations Charter.
80 years ago, in San Francisco, the nations of the world came together. Determined to save the next generations from the scourge of war.
They chose cooperation over confrontation. Dialogue over division. Hope over despair.
Denmark was proud to be there at the beginning and we are proud to stand by the United Nations today.
The signing of the Charter was not only the creation of an organisation.
It was the birth of an idea.
The idea that peace and justice can be built. Not by force. But by working together.
That our common future depends on shared responsibility.
For eighty years, that idea has guided us.
It has helped us rebuild after wars, fight poverty and disease, promote equality and defend human rights.
It has given a voice to small nations. To those who might otherwise not be heard.
The UN has shown again and again that our destinies are linked.
That no nation stands alone.
The UN has also been a driving force for gender equality.
From the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to the Sustainable Development Goals, it has insisted that women and girls must be free to learn, to lead and to shape their own futures.
Thanks to this persistent effort, millions of girls go to school who once could not.
Women lead governments, businesses and universities.
And in my humble opinion the world is stronger for it.
But the world is changing.
Wars between countries continue. Extreme poverty is rising. The rules that protect peace and justice are being tested. And trust between nations is under pressure.
Some ask if the UN still matters. The answer is yes, more than ever.
Because the challenges we face – climate change, technology, inequality, war and conflict – are all global.
And they can only be solved if we work together.
That is why Denmark supports a stronger, more inclusive multilateral system.
Through the Pact for the Future, Member States have committed to updating the global order. To make it fairer and more representative.
We need a Security Council that reflects today’s world. We need international financial systems that truly support development and sustainability. And we need a UN that is brave and ready to adapt, so it can keep delivering for the people it serves.
This is the spirit of the UN80 Reform Initiative.
When the Secretary-General launched it earlier this year, Denmark was proud to host the UN Chief Executives Board retreat here in Copenhagen.
We do not want to change what the UN stands for. We want to help it stand stronger.
Here in Copenhagen, we can see what it looks like when the principles of global cooperation are standing strong.
UN City is home to nearly 2000 people from around the world. People working every day on health, food security, gender equality, human rights and sustainable development.
It is efficient, innovative and sustainable. A living example of the “One UN” approach.
And it is an important reminder that the UN is not only in New York or Geneva.
It is alive right here. In a small nation in the north. On the shores of Øresund.
To all who work here, on behalf of the Danish government: Thank you.
Your dedication makes a real difference for millions of people around the world.
As we celebrate 80 years of the United Nations, let us remember how far we have come by working together.
The UN is not perfect. Nothing is. But it remains indispensable.
Fellow Scandinavian and former secretary-general of the UN, Dag Hammarskjöld, had his own take on this. He said – and I quote:
“The United Nations was not created to take mankind to heaven, but to save humanity from hell.”
His words are a good – and rather dry – reminder that the UN was never about perfection. It was always about protection.
About keeping faith when the world is in doubt. About choosing cooperation, even when it is difficult.
80 years on, the mission still matters. 80 years on, the UN is still humanity’s best hope for a fairer, safer and more sustainable world.
And it still begins with us. With open hands, open hearts and the courage to work together.
Thank you.