Mr. President,

First of all, speaking on behalf of the Government of Sweden, I would like to fully associate myself with the statement delivered by the Presidency of the European Union.

As a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe I will focus on the co-operation between the Council of Europe and the United Nations.

On Saturday next week it is exactly 50 years since the conclusion of the Agreement between the Secretariat of the United Nations and the Secretariat of the Council of Europe. The purpose of the Agreement is to facilitate co-operation by exchange of information, mutual consultation, attendance at relevant meetings and technical co-operation.

This Agreement is still valid, even if the two organisations have changed and developed enormously during these 50 years. The Council of Europe has become a truly pan-European organisation with one fourth of the UN member states as members or observers. Had the Agreement been written today the aims would certainly have been more ambitious. However, what is most important at this stage is to expand the practical framework for co-operative activities and to develop the relationship through pragmatic identification of areas for collaboration. In this way it will become much easier to undertake a worthwhile review of the Agreement at a later stage.

The report to the General Assembly by the UN Secretary General

reflects the wide scope of co-operation that has evolved between the two organisations. At the United Nations Headquarters the Council of Europe has many fruitful contacts with the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and there is an even more substantial interaction with the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. Relations between the United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Council are close both at the practical and political levels. At the request of United Nations Interim Administration in Kosovo the Council of Europe assumed responsibility for the observation of the municipal electoral process last year as well as the Assembly elections this year, and the Council has also been active in other fields such as reforming the judiciary, protection of minorities, education policies, and children and youth programs.

The Council also enjoys close working relations with the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the High Commissioner for Refugees as well as with the United Nations Office in Geneva, the Economic Commission for Europe, the United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention, UNDP, and UNICEF.

It is gratifying to note the UN Secretary General's appraisal that the prospects of further enhancement of co-operation are "extremely promising". Stronger bonds will benefit both organisations. There is no doubt that the Council of Europe can contribute substantially to the work of the United Nations in several fields where its expertise is well recognised. In that way we can get less duplication and a more efficient use of resources. Even more important is that we can enhance the support for our common values, as they are the corner stones of democratic security.

A central field of increased co-operation is the work to maintain and fortify the international system of norms. This applies to the rule of both national and international law, as well as the development of democracy and human rights.

We should also highlight conflict prevention. Let us make optimal use of the common resources to develop conflict prevention strategies and build up a more systematic conflict prevention machinery.

As a regional organisation the Council of Europe has proved that it can make a difference by consolidating democracy, the rule of law and human rights in Europe. Moreover, the Council of Europe has the capability to contribute to the global efforts of peacebuilding as well as enhancing democratic security against the threat of terrorism.

Furthermore I would like to emphasise the parliamentary dimension of the Council of Europe. The Parliamentary Assembly was the first of its kind to be established in an international organisation and it has developed a lively interaction with the body of the governments of the Council. In this way the Council of Europe has been able not only to promote constructive co-operation between governments, but also to foster deep and broad relations between elected representatives of the peoples in the member states.

Sweden remains deeply committed to both the United Nations and the Council of Europe, and we will continue to work in close partnership with both organisations in addressing the challenges of today and tomorrow.

Thank you Mr. President.