Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let’s take a step back in time.

To 1960, when the United Nations was a teenager, only 15 years old.

Back then, my husband Crown Prince Frederik’s grandfather, King Frederik IX, paid a visit to New York and during that visit addressed the United Nations General Assembly. In his speech, he said – and this is a direct quote:

“If once again, we read the UN Charter – something we all should do every now and then – the four main purposes of this organization become clear: peace, human rights, international law, and social progress. Let no-one open a debate over which of these purposes is the more important. Because they are all interdependent.”

The King’s speech has truly stood the test of time. His words are as true and valid today, as they were 62 years ago. We may use slightly different phrases, but the point remains the same:

The UN is here to ensure peace, development, and human rights for the people of the world.

This is the simple, yet demanding truth that we find in the UN Charter.

Through my own many visits to New York, I have seen not only the hard work and dedication, but also the promises and aspirations that diplomats from across the world bring to Turtle Bay, every day.

Year in, year out, the UN succeeds in bringing people together from across the globe. Often people who disagree strongly on many and important issues. This is not a small feat. The world needs a place to meet. The UN is that place.

The UN, importantly, is not just about meetings. The UN is foremost about finding common solutions to shared challenges. Much of the everyday work and resulting achievements rely on the individual representative and his or her counterpart.

Since the time, King Frederik IX, addressed the United Nations General Assembly, how interconnected and interdependent our world is, has only become more apparent.

Advancing peace, human rights, international law and social progress through partnership, dialogue, and mutual respect…..

This is the spirit of cooperation that brought Denmark to the UN in 1945 and ever since. And this is the spirit of cooperation that Denmark will endeavour to bring to the Security Council in 2025 and 26.

I am proud to be part of the launch of the Danish campaign to win a seat at the world’s most powerful table.

Thank you.  

 

(Det talte ord gælder)