2011

Tal Unescos generalkonferens 27 oktober 2011 Birgitta Ohlsson, EU-minister Swedish Statement UNESCO General Conference 36th Session 27 October 2011 - General Policy Debate Check against delivery

Mr/Ms President of the General Conference, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, As Isaac Newton once said: "If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Everyday we all stand on the shoulders of giants. They are people who have contributed to democracy, sciences and culture. I hope that we can make wise decisions here, so that future generations can stand on our shoulders and see further than we do! Mr/Ms President, Sweden fully concurs with the statement made by Poland on behalf of the European Union. The EU must continue to work for a world fulfilling the noble goals of the United Nations. Sweden has closely followed the impressive work of the Director-General, Ms. Bokova and we fully support her work for reform of UNESCO. We welcome the proposals based on the outcomes of the independent review of UNESCO. We are convinced that the reforms will lead to a stronger and more relevant organization. Sweden also supports Ms. Bokova's commitment to put human rights of girls and women at the core of all her undertakings as the leader of UNESCO. It is sad but evident that freedom of the press must remain at the top of UNESCO's agenda in the coming years. Mr/Ms President, Education is probably the single strongest force for positive change for individuals as well as nations. The right to education is as a universal human right, but still there are millions of children not attending school. Sadly most of them are girls. That's a shame. A majority of the world's 775 million illiterate adults are women. Falling short of respecting the right affects not only individuals but also societies. In these times of global economic crisis, it seems obvious that we must realize the full potential of all human resources. Closing the gap between male and female employment rates would have huge effects on the global economy. Sweden would like to congratulate UNESCO for its important work for sexual education. With sexual education we can reduce the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, such as HIV, and decrease the number of unexpected pregnancies. A pregnancy can seriously affect girl's health and ability to pursue empowerment through education. Mr/Ms President, When artists can't work, books are burnt and cultural heritage is destroyed it is a sign of repressive, dark times ahead. Sweden considers the cultural conventions of UNESCO and other relevant legal instruments as important tools in the organisation's work within the cultural sector. Mr/Ms President, This year squares and streets have been the scene for major uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East. Women have been an important part of these movements. We need to ensure that the future also brings greater empowerment of women. History teaches us that revolutions might happen fast, but that democracy-building takes time. I am happy to see that UNESCO already has started working in these countries. Long term support is needed by national authorities, by non-governmental organizations and by UNESCO to ensure reform and progress. What has happened in many countries in North Africa is a victory for the values on which UNESCO is built. Mr/Ms President, Freedom of expression is a cornerstone of a democratic society. Internet, social media, and mobile phones should continue to play a crucial role as instruments for democratic participation. The same human rights that we have off-line must also be protected on-line. The test of democracy is the freedom to criticize. We cannot allow the freedom of expression to be undermined. The Swedish Government attaches great importance to this matter, and to the work of UNESCO in this field. International NGO:s also play a important role in monitoring press freedom More that 500 journalists have been killed over the last 10 years. The majority of them not reporting from war zones but reporting about corruption and scandals. Most of these murders are never punished. Sweden appreciates Mme Bokova's diligence in condemning such killings. We must speak up on behalf of those who have had their own voices silenced, like the Swedish-Eritrean journalist Dawit Isaak. He was arrested with other colleagues in Eritrea on 23 September 2001 for publishing articles critical of the government in the free Eritrean press. Dawit Isaak is imprisoned because he used his right of freedom of speech, a fundamental freedom, now denied him and for which he personally has paid dearly for 10 long years. We call for his immediate release. The Horn of Africa is an area of concern for press freedom. Two Swedish journalists, Martin Schibbye and photographer Johan Persson, have been detained for over three months in Ethiopia. They were arrested by the Ethiopian authorities in early July after crossing the border from Somalia into Ethiopia. The Swedish Government is working for their freedom. Remember: killing or imprisoning a journalist doesn't only silence one individual, it silences the voices of thousands. Mr/Ms President, Science and research are tools to build a brighter future for us all. As the lead UN agency for research, UNESCO has an important role to play. We who have plenty must take our responsibility and invest in education and research globally. This year it has been 50 years since the Swedish UN Secretary-General Mr. Dag Hammarskjöld's tragic death. We commemorate one of the greatest international civil servants of all time. Let me conclude with these words from Mr. Dag Hammarskjöld: "The UN has not been created to take humanity to heaven but to save it from hell." The need for a United Nations based on political legitimacy, on justice, and on human rights is as strong as ever. Thank you for your attention. Speech Brussels 24 May 2011 Birgitta Ohlsson, Minister for EU Affairs The seminar Childcare - Release the potential! I would like start of by expressing my sincere gratitude to Almega, the employer and trade organization for the Swedish service sector, and the Swedish Permanent Representation in Brussels for having organized this important event and for their excellent preparations.

It is a great pleasure for me being here today as the Swedish Minister for European Union Affairs, but also as a determined feminist and as a dedicated mother. Without the Swedish model with a professional daycare system with high quality, focus on education and care you can rely on, I would not myself be part of the "Swedish Gender Equality Wonder". A phenomena that took off for my mothers generation - women born in the 1940's, storming into the universities, educating themselves and placing Sweden as a worldwide champion in the league of Gender Equality. More countries should however aspire for better positions in that league. My point is that Sweden would never have reached this position of belonging to the champions in number of elected women in the Parliament, the high female representation in the labour market and universities without the professional daycare system subsidized via the welfare state but made available via a number of performers. But providing great daycare is not only a matter of gender equality, it is a matter of economy and the future of the European Union as a whole. The American feminist and journalist Gloria Steinem wrote in The New York Times, 26 August 1971: "Most American children suffer too much mother and too little father." Though the year is 2011, in the eyes of many European politicians parenthood remains synonymous with motherhood. I always say as a minister responsible for European Union Affairs: EU can not afford to have the world's best educated housewives. Today millions of women in the EU cannot work at all or as much as they would like, because they are forced to take responsibility for the home and their children. European women are well-educated; more women than men are studying. Women study nearly 60 percent of all university degrees in Europe. But only 60 percent of the Union's women of working age have a job. In some countries the figure is lower than 50 percent. To meet the objectives of the EU's new strategy for smart and sustainable growth - Europe 2020 - female employment opportunities must have increased considerably by 2020. I will now argue how major expansion of good quality childcare in Europe could boost the EU's economy, trigger growth and make the EU more equal. More EU governments must recognize that gender inequality has an economic price, for their own country but also for the Union. EU's GDP could increase by more than a forth, 27 percent, if women worked as much as men in Europe according to a research report from Umeå University in Sweden. Many women in the EU now choose either not to have children and to focus on their careers instead - wake up and smell the coffee leaders in south - or to give up their careers entirely when their children are born. With ever more elderly men and women, the Union's population risks turning into Jurassic Park. The working age population will shrink by one million in the coming five years. Access to affordable and qualitative childcare is crucial if more people are to be able to combine their family and professional lives. In my view, we should not legislate on childcare at the EU level, but more EU countries do need to recognize the connection between childcare and economic growth. Getting more women into the workplace is a pressing challenge for the EU. The untapped potential for higher GDP could be put to good use: more people working and paying tax would bolster the financing of our common welfare in a competitive global climate. As I already said, but it's worth to repeat, an average of just six out of ten women in the EU are in gainful employment, dropping as low as four out of ten in certain countries. Men earn almost 20 percent more than women, and four times more women than men work part-time. Women in the EU also earn less than men, meaning that women's economic freedom is more limited. Ever since the 1700s, power over one's own wallet has been a cornerstone of liberal feminism. Cash is queen. Women should not have to depend on their partners for an income. Sweden is a pioneer when it comes to feminist issues, with radical family policies in an international perspective. The Swedish child care model can been seen as an example in this respect that can be exported to other countries. Already in the EU's Lisbon Strategy, childcare was seen as a key factor in achieving the goals of increasing employment in Europe. Increased equality is one of the EU's great economical challenges. In the new EU strategy for smart and sustainable growth (EU 2020), the employment target has been strengthened; 75 percent of the working age population should be employed by 2020 (compared to the current level of 69% in EU today). To achieve this goal the possibility for women's participation in the European labour force must increase significantly. The European Commission has pointed to the availability of child care as crucial to achieve this goal. Today, insufficient provision of child care in many European countries makes it almost impossible for both parents to make a professional career. This has held back women in particular, who according to traditional patterns have the primary responsibility for the care of children. Statistics clearly show how barriers to women's participation in employment is a barrier to growth and prosperity. Sweden has often been seen as a frontrunner and a successful example in providing good access to affordable and qualitative child care. For many years, we have developed a Swedish model of child care that has all the conditions of being an export success. Affordability for parents, wide availability and good quality are cornerstones in the Swedish child care model. Several factors have contributed to this, and the base is a large public sector, funded through taxes. We have also had a diversity of providers. The players are not just local, but also an increasing number of private companies have engaged in child care. This has contributed to a high degree of customer-driven and distinct market approach. New solutions and exciting ideas have been developed in accordance with customer requirements. Competition between companies and public stakeholders have enhanced innovation and improved the quality of preschools. It is thankfully long since child care consisted of pure babysitting. Today preschools profile themselves through ambitious programs with different educational emphasis. The focus is on dynamic learning and personal development. Aside from icons such as Volvo, Ericsson and ABB, new company names for example Pysslingen, Vittra and Helianthus have now become stands for Swedish quality in the world. There is every reason that we highlight those successful examples and map out the market opportunities for childcare, both within and outside the EU. The equality between the sexes is a commonly held value in the EU. The EU has official goals stating that women and men should have the same opportunities when it comes to combining work life, private life, and family life. It is also a necessary prerequisite if we are to achieve the Union's goals for growth, employment and social cohesion. Swedish child care on export could contribute to boost the EU economy and make the EU more equal. Speech Belarus 06 April 2011 Birgitta Ohlsson, Minister for EU Affairs Speech at 1st International Forum of EYP Sweden Dear members of the European Youth Parliament, Dear members of the International Forum for European Youth Parliament in Sweden, and Most of all, Dear future Colleagues.

Thank you for your invitation to take part in this first international Forum of European Youth Parliament to be hosted in Sweden. It's a great honour for me as a liberal Minister for European Union Affairs and democracy issues to be here, participating in this important conference today and to be able to take part in your important discussions on the fundamental values of the European Union. Being a former Member of the Swedish National Parliament myself, I strongly value this form of dialogue between government and representatives of European citizens. You all being members of the next generation that will lead and govern the European Union in the decades to come - make this type of dialogue even more important and relevant. Vaclav Havel democracy activist, former president of Czechoslovakia and the friend of freedom struggle in Belarus once said. "I really do believe in a system in which words are capable of shaking the entire structure of government, where words can prove mightier than ten military divisions". The theme of today's discussions is Belarus, a country that is close to heart for me and many Swedes. Therefore, I am particularly happy to welcome the participants here from Belarus who have travelled to Stockholm in order to participate in today's discussion. In countries like Belarus, as everywhere, the young generation plays a great role, if not the biggest role, in raising their voices to advocate change. Unfortunately - as shown during the events following the Presidential elections in mid December, we know that this is it not without risk - but it is nevertheless necessary. To me, all those young people, many students, who came out to the square in Minsk and spoke out for change are the true heroes. What happened in Minsk in the aftermath of the elections is unacceptable in a European state. To the European Union, the seriousness of the development calls for more than words to get our message through. For a long time already, Sweden has been among the European countries most active in its support for democracy and human rights in Belarus. After the events in December, Sweden has consistently pushed within the EU for a strong reaction towards the Belarusian authorities. Hence, the European Union on 31 January imposed restrictive measures targeted at individuals that are responsible for the fraudulent elections and the crackdown on the democratic opposition, civil society and representatives of independent mass media. Unfortunately however, the situation in Belarus continues to deteriorate; many opposition politicians, journalists and representatives of civil society remain detained or are under strict house arrest on purely political grounds, trials against demonstrators are currently taking place most of which resulting in severe prison sentences. To mention only one example - last week Zmitser Dachkevich, leader of the Young Front (Malady Front) was sentenced to two years of prison - an exceptionally long time for a young man while his colleague, Nastja Palazhanka remain in arrest. Lawyers lose their licence when they defend demonstrators. We cannot accept this. In addition, recent events show that demonstrators continue to get arrested and beaten and the freedom of assembly continue not to be respected. We have also received worrying reports about use of torture in prisons. Again - all this is totally unacceptable in a European state. Therefore, the EU must continue to be crystal clear in its demand for an unconditional release of all political prisoners and condemn all use of torture. The review of EU policy towards Belarus must continue until all our demands are met. Within the EU we are currently discussing further targeted measures agains the belarusian leadership, including in the economic sphere. In addition, the list of persons subject to sanctions was recently expanded at the Foreign Ministers meeting 21 March. At the same time, it is very important to state that these measures are not directed at the belarusian people. Instead, the EU must continue its outreach to the Belarussian people, not least by further facilitating people-to-people contacts and supporting civil society and independent media. The EU has decided to increase its support to strengthening democracy and civil society in Belarus, including support to the victims of repression and their families. Bilaterally, with our country's new bilateral strategy for 2011-2014 approved by the Government on 17 March, Sweden will direct its support towards students and youth, increased people-to-people contact (i.a. facilitating travel between EU and BY), strengthened support to civil society, free media etc. Our bilateral development cooperation with Belarus will be increased to approximately 14 million EUR in 2011, with a focus on democracy, civil society, human rights and massmedia, but also on environment and market development. We are all aware of the dramatic events taking place in North Africa and the Middle East right now and that the winds of change are once again sweeping over the world. Rest assured however - neither Sweden nor the European Union has forgotten about Belarus. Belarus is a European state and we will continue to speak out for democracy and the respect for human rights as well as continue our support for all those working for a better future in Belarus. You are not only the future of your country but also the future of the European Union. That is why events like todays' seminar is so important. We are listening to your stories. You are important. You are the future. You can make difference. We are supporting your struggle for democracy, human rights and freedom in Belarus. Dare to raise your voice for freedom. Never keep your voice shut about human rights violations. Always speak for those who cannot. Because the European Union stands for democracy, tolerance and freedom of speech. As the polish freedom fighter and later president Lech Walesa once said: "We hold our heads high, despite the price we have paid, because freedom is priceless." Speech Swedish Association of International Affairs 01 April 2011 Birgitta Ohlsson, Minister for EU Affairs Speeach at Swedish Association of International Affairs Religion a threat or a possibility implementing human rights in the EU?

It is a great pleasure for me to be here today as the Swedish Minister for European Union Affairs and Democracy issues. I would like to start off by expressing my gratitude to the organizers for the initiative to this conference. Religion can be both a source of freedom and oppression. Faith can be felt as both liberating and burdensome. Worship can provide both comfort and totalitarianism. But for me as a liberal, it is important that religion should be a private matter and not seek to dictate policy. Religion is part of our history, a part of our daily life and a part of our future. Influencing politics, culture and traditions. And it seems like the founders, without using modern tools, without the knowledge of printing. No radio, no TV, no social media, are still able to recruit millions of new believers. Jesus did not twitter. Buddha had no Facebook account. Gandhi did not blog. "Those who say religion has nothing to do with politics do not know what religion is", Mahatma Gandhi said. Only 17 percent of Swedes believe that religion plays a big role in their lives according to a recent international survey by Gallup. From the Swedish viewpoint, it is easy to underestimate the religious influence on politics - globally and in our Europe. But religion is a growing power around the globe. In March 2009 the UN Human Rights Council adopted, on the initiative of a group of Muslim countries, a resolution condemning criticism of religions. The Catholic Church win more and more souls in Africa. In South America, Evangelical Free Churches are spreading. Globally, Islam is the fastest growing religion. Human rights are violated every day around the world in the name of God. But too many people on earth must submit to other people's views on God. Often these people are girls or women. Women are stoned to death under Sharia law. Women are dying from illegal abortions in countries where abortion is forbidden by the Vatican. Girls are banned from education by the Taliban. Sometimes religion is getting extreme. The terrorist attack in Stockholm on the 11th of December chocked the Swedish society and our democracy. It was the first time ever we had a suicide bomber in Scandinavia. The attack could have had disastrous consequences, and is also an unacceptable attack upon our open society. A young man that grew up in a small Swedish town, then a typical Swedish average Joe, having girlfriends, drinking beer, turned ten years later into a suicide bomber with religious extreme jihadist political views. Shortly after, Swedish citizens, were arrested in Denmark suspected of plotting dramatic terrorist attacks against Jyllands Posten, the Danish newspaper that published the cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed - that we all remember sparked wild protests worldwide. The Security Service are concerned of the growing problem of persons resident in Sweden travelling abroad to participate in terrorist training and illegal acts of violence in conflict zones. Persons taking part in jihad abroad may commit serious crimes and violate human rights. If they survive and return to Sweden, they can be a risk for themselves and for others. In a globalized world with information technology, people with extremist views can more easily spread their message. In December last year, the Somali terrorist group al-Shabaab published a recruitment video in Swedish on the web. But we don't know what the religious extremism of tomorrow will look like. We know that the struggle against violent religious and political extremism must be intensified. Because religious extremism is nothing new. There is no more powerful ally one can claim in a debate than Jesus Christ, Allah, or whatever one calls her or his god. Islam and the Muslim community in the EU ARE very much in the spotlight, being treated as part of the problem as opposed to part of the solution. We need to be clear: Islamist extremism and Islam are not the same thing. "No religion is free from extremism," declared Abdelfattah Amor, the former UN's Special Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance. Some Hindu nationalistic groups in India are trying control the expressions of those not conforming to their world view. There have been Hindu attempts to change the Indian constitution in ways that would curb artistic free expression and restrict the right of minority Christians and Muslims to preach and practice their religion freely. 2002 at Godhra City in Gujarat in India, a train was stopped and attacked by a Muslim mob. The train was set on fire and some 50 Hindu passengers who were returning from a pilgrimage were burned to death. The attack triggered a violent reaction in which over 2,000 Muslims are believed to have been murdered and places of worship were damaged. Muslim women were targets for sexual violence. Neither the police nor the government officials did anything to prevent and stop the rape, looting, destruction of property and mass displacement of people. We know the various forms of violent extremism have something in common: they use violence to achieve political objectives. Therefore extremism poses a serious threat to the core values of democracies. Sweden, like other countries, has an obligation under international law to prevent terrorist crimes. We must in a better way address the factors that can lead to radicalization and recruitment. To me its obvious that a strategic preventive work against all forms of violent extremism is an investment in democracy. I'm glad that the Swedish government will make more efforts to raise democratic awareness among young people at risk. We need to raise the bar. We will develop teaching materials and support organizations that prevent young people to develop an antidemocratic behaviour, or being recruited to antidemocratic movements. The government has also earmarked funds for research on political and religious extremism. Last spring I was in Uganda - a country on a witch hunt. I met my friend Kasha Jaqueline, the founder of FARUG-Freedom and Roam Uganda fighting against discrimination based on sexual orientation. In January David Kato, an gay-activist and friend of Kasha Jaqueline, was brutally murdered in his home in Kampala. Kato was found beaten to death with a hammer. Kato had received repeated death threats after his name, photograph and address was published in a newspaper. His name was included in the cover story of Uganda's top 100 homos included a yellow banner that read hang them. Kato stood up in the fight for the rights of Uganda's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender population, as they face some of the harshest government-sanctioned homophobia in the world. Kato had this to say about the role of Christian groups in anti-gay hate legislation in his country: "What I want the world to see is the hate, the hate which is behind this bill, the faith-based hate&. Will Uganda be able to understand the faith-based hate behind the bill? & a genocide might come up. We are going to die." Homosexuality is illegal in Uganda, punishable by a 14 year prison sentence, and a proposed anti-homosexuality bill would have increased the penalty to a death sentence. Like love could ever be a crime. The bill was backed by and mostly written by conservative evangelical Christian groups in the United States. Scott Lively. is a noted anti-gay activist and the president of Abiding Truth Ministries, a conservative Christian organization located in USA. He co- authored the book The Pink Swastika, which states in the preface that "homosexuals [are] the true inventors of Nazism and the guiding force behind many Nazi atrocities. Peter Yiga is a Ugandan born-again Christian with a degree in computer engineering and is also a known gay activist in Uganda. He describes a society of hate and fear: "The church and other leaders have done a lot to brainwash people, and all the community now is readily spitting fire against homosexuality. They are planning to kill us. We have been running from house to house because when a neighbourhood learns about your orientation, then you should expect mob justice anytime." The situation has direct ties to the United States through monetary funding from conservative Christian groups. This is an example how religious homophobia can be exported and go global. Why is it important to have a secular state? Because the universal human rights are best protected in secular states. Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings. We are all equally entitled to our human rights without discrimination. A secular state it is the only form of society that show the same respect for all people, whatever our sex, ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status. We must remember that the idea of human rights also has religious roots. Since human equality can not be verified empirically, it must be based on a belief in this value. It is no coincidence that the first opponents of slavery often was Christians. The had a belief in every human being as God's image. In a secular state freedom of religion is fundamental. You have the right to believe in any god you want. But also the right not to believe in any god at all. Freedom of religion is protected in Europe by Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Article 18 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights. Such freedom is not unlimited, a religion whose doctrine or practice ran counter to other fundamental rights would be unacceptable. Freedom of religion is challenged - even in Sweden. Several studies have been conducted among Swedish high school students about their attitudes towards the Jewish and the Muslim-population. There is a core of 20 percent among the high school students expressing clearly intolerant attitudes, especially boys from socio-economically marginalized homes. This group of young people can be vulnerable to the messages from extremist movements. We must be prepared. The world's secularism is a myth, claims the American sociologist Peter L. Berger, in his book "Religious America, Secular Europe?". Berger claims in his book that only Western Europe have secularized, the rest of the world is still religious. One of Europe's shared values, transcending national differences, is the separation of church and state. But how secular are the Member States of the EU? We see several examples of forces that are nibbling at the edges of the secular state. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban prepares a new constitution. The draft constitution begins with a national confession which refers to the importance of Christianity in Hungary. Fetal right to protection from the moment of conception and that marriage is only for man and woman will also probably be entered in the Constitution. In recent years, western countries have abolished blasphemy laws or changed their focus so that they cover hate-related crimes in general. Ireland has taken a different approach updating its legislation but maintaining a focus on religion. In 2009 Ireland criminalized blasphemous and insulting statements about religions. A blasphemous slip of the tongue could cost you as much as 25,000 Euros. As the law is designed the burden of proof falls on the accused. Discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation is unacceptable in the EU. However, last year 50 parliamentarians in Lithuania signed a petition to stop the first Pride parade in Vilnius. The Lithuanian Prosecutor withdrew the demonstration permit. At the last minute the decision was changed - mainly thanks to criticism from the international community. I was there participating. To ensure that Pride parades can be a reality in Europe is also a way to support freedom of speech and freedom of assembly and the principle of non discrimination. These are rights protected under international law, including the European Union's Charter of Fundamental Rights and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. All EU Member States are parties to these agreements. But across Europe lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people still face problems and obstacles. Often religiously colored. These stories from Hungary, Ireland and Lithuania are not unique in the EU. There are also worrying signs that superstition is spreading in the EU according to the European Commission's Euro barometer from last year on science and technology. The report shows for example that today there are more Europeans who believe in lucky numbers than who do not. Remarkably, this figure has increased in recent years. 38 percent of Europeans agree with the statement that "we rely too much on research and not enough on faith". Six out of ten Europeans believe that science and research can affect public morale in a negative way. A study in the journal Science a few years ago reported that several European countries have a relatively large proportion of the population who are not sure whether the theory of evolution is true, or even argue that it is false. We need a debate in Europe about the secular state. Only thorough knowledge and critical thinking will successfully meet future challenges. In this debate it is important to distinguish between the concepts of secular and secularization. A secular state means that the state does not base its laws on any religion but are neutral in religious matters. Therefore secular states do not have a state religion. Secularization means that religion tend to lose its importance to people over time. It is my firm belief that modernity and religion can coexist together. The goal must not be an atheist Europe. 52 percent of population in the EU believe in a god and 27 percent say they are spiritual. Catholic and Orthodox countries are more religious than Protestants. Most religious is the population in Malta, 97 percent state that they are believers. Not surprisingly, older Europeans are more religious than younger people. But still, almost half of the population aged 15-39 years believe in a god. It is perfectly possible to be Christian, Muslim or a Jew and advocating a secular state and a secular legal systems not based on the Bible, Koran or other religious writings. Religion and spirituality is not in opposition to human rights, science, critical thinking and a secular state. Europe faces economic challenges. The European prosperity can not rest on any basis other than a science, market economy and democracy. Therefore, the belief in supernatural phenomena, the lack of trust in the research and the attacks on the secular state must be combated. But a secular Europe is also important to safeguard human rights in the union and in the rest of the world. The EU maintains diplomatic relations with nearly all countries in the world. It has strategic partnerships with key international players, is deeply engaged with emerging powers around the globe, and has signed bilateral Association Agreements with a number of states. The European External Action Service (EEAS) was established following the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon. It serves as a foreign ministry and diplomatic corps for the EU, implementing the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy and other areas of the EU's external representation. EEAS is an important tool to defend human rights globally. But then we must practice in Europe what we preach globally. The Lisbon Treaty makes clear that the EU should respect the status of churches and religious communities in member countries' national legislation. I hope the democratic churches and communities will defend the secular values that are the basis for the Union. Religions are an integral part of European heritage and future. At the same time, religious beliefs, like other ideologies and philosophies, must be discussed and questioned. Everything else is a step back to the Middle Ages when Europe was composed of theocracies. Human rights, democracy and the rule of law are core values of the European Union. Multiculturalism is questioned in Europe by strong voices. The British prime minister David Cameron has blamed a doctrine of "state multiculturalism" to be the root cause of radicalisation which can lead to terrorism. Germany's new interior minister has claimed that Islam is not a key part of the German way of life. "Islam in Germany is not something supported by history at any point." The chancellor Angela Merkel herself has said that her country's attempts to build a post-war multicultural society had utterly failed'. Hartfrid Wolff, a liberal MP has waisley said: "Islam has been a real part of Germany for several generations now; it is unhelpful to deny this fact.'" We must accept pluralism but with a common core of shared values. And these values are the universals human rights. And they are best protected in a secular state. Speech Stockholm 10 February 2011 Birgitta Ohlsson, Minister for EU Affairs Speech at the conference "Learning From the Other" Ladies and Gentlemen, It is a great pleasure for me being here today as the Swedish Minister for European Union Affairs and Democracy issues.

I also would like to express my gratitude to Exit Fryshuset for having organised this conference. Robert Urell together with your team - you do a tremendous work in the fight against extremism. Thanks for the excellent preparations with St Andrews University and British Council. The conference of today is entitled 'Learning from the other'. And what we have certainly learned during the last decade is that the world today is more linked and intertwined than ever before. Political events, civil wars and even terror attacks occurring hundreds of miles from here are reflected in our society. Foreign policy is today domestic policy. Domestic policy is foreign policy. We have said it before but it is worth to repeat. Democracy is challenged repeatedly. Democracy is fragile and only as strong as we make it. Democracy will never be stronger than the support from the local base. Extremism is a transnational problem that require transnational cooperation and transnational solutions. The terrorist attack in Stockholm on the 11th of December chocked the Swedish society and our democracy. It was the first time ever we had a suicide bomber in Scandinavia. The attack could have had disastrous consequences, and is an unacceptable attack upon our open society. A young man that grew up in a small Swedish town, then a typical Swedish average Joe, having girlfriends, drinking beer, turned ten years later into a suicide bomber with religious extreme jihadist political views. Shortly after, Swedish citizens, were arrested in Denmark suspected of plotting dramatic terrorist attacks against Jyllands Posten, the Danish newspaper that published the cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed - that we all remember sparked wild protests worldwide. During the 1990s, the neo-nazis connections to violent extremism were in our focus especially after the murder of the union activist Björn Söderberg. And after the massive damage during the EU summit in Gothenburg in 2001, the focus instead concentrated upon left-autonomous groups. We don't know what the extremism of tomorrow will look like. But we know that the struggle against violent religious and political extremism must be intensified. Because violent extremism is nothing new. And we know the various forms of violent extremism have something in common: they use violence to achieve political objectives. Therefore extremism poses a serious threat to the core values of democracies. Sweden, like other countries, has an obligation under international law to prevent terrorist crimes. We must in a better way address the factors that can lead to radicalization and recruitment. Several studies have been conducted among Swedish high school students about their attitudes towards the Jewish population, the Roma- population, the Muslim-population, homosexuals and immigrants in general. There is a core of 20 percent among the high school students expressing clearly intolerant attitudes, especially boys from socio-economically marginalized homes. This group of young people can be vulnerable to the messages from extremist movements. "The most dangerous creation of any society is the man who has nothing to lose" as the American writer James A. Baldwin wrote. This worries me deeply. To me its obvious that a strategic preventive work against all forms of violent extremism is an investment in democracy. I'm glad that the Swedish government will make more efforts to raise democratic awareness among young people at risk. We need to raise the bar. We will develop teaching materials and support organizations that prevent young people to develop an antidemocratic behaviour, or being recruited to antidemocratic movements. The government has also earmarked funds for research on extremism. Swedish democracy policy is shaped in a way that seeks to successfully address the complex demands presented by our modern era. It aims to strengthen the social cohesion among the citizens, the promotion of an active participation in the democratic process and to ensure a secure base for the human rights. The democracy policy also focuses on preventing threats to democracy as the use of violence as a legitimate mean to achieve political goals. Therefore, the Government has during the past three years sought to collect as much knowledge as possible on the contemporary issues with violent political extremism as well as the occurrence of violence-promoting Islamism. We have conducted several reports, I will only mention two of them now. The Government commissioned the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention and the Swedish Security Service to map the occurrence of violent political extremism among right-wing and left-wing extremism. The purpose with the study was to provide the Government with basic data and immersed knowledge for the purpose of forming strategies and concrete counter-measures for violent extremist behaviour. The study found that the majority of persons are boys and young men aged 18-23. In a number of around one thousand totally. The study estimated that the violent extremist groups have a limited growth potential. However, there is a risk in both the autonomous left and the white power environment that smaller groups of very radical activists can commit very serious politically motivated crimes. Compared to other countries, such as Denmark and Germany, the study concluded that the Swedish extremist activists were more violent and the white power groups are more likely to possess arms. With the availability of weapons and explosives and experience of serious violence, the white power environment could seriously damage parts of the democratic society or one of its basic functions. Today Robert Örell from Exit and I have an article in Dagens Nyheter, The message of the article is that the public debate should not only focus on violent Islamism. A growing extremist movement can have the same effect on their extreme political antagonists. We should not forget that. I think it's crucial that we identify the similarities between extremist environments but also how they affect each other. In February last year the Government commissioned the Swedish Security Service to compile a study on the occurrence of violent Islamism in Sweden. The outcome was presented in December and brought a valuable mapping out of the phenomenon, especially in the light of the terrorist attack of December 11th in central Stockholm. Ms. Malena Rembe, chief analyst for counter-terrorism issues at the Swedish Security Service, will later today present the main conclusions of the report as well as the outreach activities undertaken during the process. The Security Service especially highlighted the growing problem of persons resident in Sweden travelling abroad to participate in terrorist training and illegal acts of violence in conflict zones. Persons taking part in jihad abroad may commit serious crimes and violate human rights. If they survive and return to Sweden, they can be a risk for themselves and for others. In a globalized world with information technology, people with extremist views can more easily spread their message. In December last year, the Somali terrorist group al-Shabaab published a recruitment video in Swedish on the web. Sweden is working bilaterally in order to learn more from its neighbouring countries. Several EU countries have solid experience of working strategically with these issues. I recently visited Britain, the Netherlands and Denmark to study how these countries are working concerning preventing extremism. I plan to visit Norway, Germany and the US for the same purpose. It is my sincere hope that we today can seize this great opportunity offered to all of us by the organizers and learn as much as possible from each other - both regarding successful and non-successful measures. I hope this work will be taken forward in line with the fundamental rights that our European Union is based upon. A union that was built on the black ruins of a burning world war caused by violent extremism. Let me end by saying: "This conference is about learning and education is probably the best safeguard of liberty that we have." Speech The Swedish Institute of International Affairs 07 February 2011 Birgitta Ohlsson, Minister for EU Affairs Keynote speech by Sweden's Minister for EU Affairs, Birgitta Ohlsson

78651 A number that has nothing to do with European economic growth in a time of economic crisis. Related A number that has nothing to do with the EU's energy efficiency. More about EU A number that has nothing to do with European transfers. The number 78651 was tattooed onto the wrist of a 17-year-old Jewess, Simone Jacobs, in March 1944, when she arrived with her family at Auschwitz. By 1945, only a fragment of the Jacobs family was left. From the ruins of the Holocaust, world war and oppression, rose the European Union. In the Europe of today we talk too little about the fate of people like the Jacobs, while at the same time right- wing extremism waxes strong. The EU debates of today lack a clear focus on the future, despite the fact that the Union is now facing competition on a scale never before witnessed. In the EU of today, all too many people lack a proper grip on their roots - roots that are becoming increasingly brittle. ********************************* "The EU is more than a common market. It is also a Union of values." These are the words of the Reflection Group on the Future of the EU, reporting to the Union's heads of state and government last year. It was dubbed the Gonzales Report after the group's chair, former Spanish prime minister Felipe Gonzales. That quote undeniably prompts the question: What is the European Union actually based on? Is it the urge for peace that led to the founding of the European Coal and Steel Community in 1952? Is it the urge for free trade that led to the founding of the European Economic Community in 1957, to the internal market in 1992 and to the euro in 1999? Or is it the urge for freedom in the shape of democracy, human rights, openness and tolerance that has guided the Union in its growth from six to 27 member states and which is enshrined in Article 2 of the Lisbon Treaty? To my mind, the European Union stands on all three of these legs. It is about freedom, peace and free trade. A freedom union. A peace union. A free trade union. These watchwords should inform the EU's development in the future as well. They also serve as a guide for Sweden's EU policies. The most fundamental of the three is freedom - the notion that we live together in a political union of democracies in which everyone respects human rights and the rule of law. A European Union that, should we compromise on these principles, would rapidly lose its legitimacy. Then peace and free trade would also be in jeopardy. So I'd like to turn the words of the Gonzales Report round. The EU is a union of values. A political union of democracies and market economies. ********************************* Before I look at the EU's most important challenges in the years ahead, I'd like to say something about Sweden's role in the EU and about how we view our membership. Sweden is now a well established member of the EU. Over the past four years, the Government has worked strategically to make our country a part of the Union's inner core, hosting the presidency in the second half of 2009 and also launching a new treaty. Both undertakings were widely appreciated. The debate on whether or not we should be a part of the EU is now dead. It largely exercises only the political periphery of the Sweden Democrats and the Left Party. For many years now, there has been strong popular support for Swedish membership of the EU. In fact, Swedes are much more favourably disposed towards the EU than the average European. A new era in Sweden's EU history is now beginning. This is a good moment at which to formulate long-term visions for our EU policies. The EU is a community of states that share democratic values. This, too, is the basis for my own commitment to Europe. But European cooperation is also of strategic importance for Sweden's security and prosperity. This is why the Government wants to continue deepening our integration with Europe. At a time when construction work on the European edifice is nearing completion, we don't intend to sit on the fence and watch. Rather, we wish to embrace Europe fully and completely. A long-term vision for our EU policy must indeed be defined by the values of freedom, peace and free trade. But it must also proceed from the challenges that Europe is now facing. When addressing you here today about the EU's future, I want to discuss eight specific challenges. These involve: - Safeguarding the democracy, respect for human rights, diversity and tolerance that are at the heart of the EU. - Solving Europe's debt crisis and creating conditions for growth and more jobs. - Making the EU the strongest environmental organisation in the world, capable of tackling both the global climate challenge and the main environmental challenge in our region, the Baltic Sea. - Taking on those forces that would like the EU to be a customs union rather than a free trade union. - Demanding real equality of the sexes in a Europe that gave birth to feminism. - Combating organised crime, which is corrupting our societies and growing fat on the slavery of our time - human trafficking. - Striving for an open EU willing to let in new members. - Making the EU a natural global and moral actor for freedom in the world, as our own history obliges us to do. Challenge 1: The debt crisis and the economy Some of you may remember a Danish TV series from 1988, entitled Matador. In Sweden, everyone watched it. This TV series was something of a Danish national epic. It's about how Danish society of old, with all its traditional privileges, class structures and fraternities, gives way to modern society. The character who symbolises this transformation is textile entrepreneur Mads Skjern. The series starts in 1929 when he is a commercial traveller arriving with his son in the provincial town of Korsbæk in Sjælland. There he opens his own clothes shop, Tøjhuset, in competition with members of the town's privileged class. This doesn't go down very well. A few years later, Mads starts a bank - in his rival's premises - and we get to follow his rise in the shadow of the dramatic events of the 1930s and 1940s. At one point, Mads Skjern explains the philosophy that brought him financial success: "If you want to make money, you have to learn how to save it." The debt crisis has shaken Europe to its foundations. 'Business as usual' is no alternative if we wish to weather the crisis and come out on the other side a dynamic and globally competitive economy. This is why I'm concerned that a number of my EU colleagues appear not to have learnt from the debt crisis. They seem blind to the fact that the world is changing. There is a risk that Europe will be left behind - just like Mads Skjern's rival, Albert Arnesen, the wasteful and increasingly debt-ridden owner of the society clothes shop that went bust. Now that the world is once again changing rapidly, Europe must change with it. We must embark on a new, more sustainable economic path. This will necessitate going back to the thrifty entrepreneurial ideals that Mads Skjern represented. Having recently become a mother, I often think about what kind of world my daughter Stella will grow up in. Will she be able to find an attractive job, or will her generation for the first time in history be worse off than our generation? Here in Europe, we're all used to thinking that the class journeys our grandmothers, mothers and we ourselves underwent will be repeated in the future. From my granny Betty, who had just three terms of schooling, to my mother Eva, who was the first in our family to study at university, to little Stella, who will soon be seven months. Hundreds of thousands of mothers and fathers all over Europe probably take the same view. For them, it goes without saying that you have to make ends meet while at the same time putting something aside for the future. As natural as it is for them, so it must be for the European Union and its member states. In the current debate on how the debt crisis ought to be solved, therefore, I am on the side of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. She is the European leader who has been clearest about the need for each country to continue assuming responsibility for its own debts. A vital goal for the EU in the years ahead is to bring the debt crisis under control and return to sustainable public finances. The aim must be to come out on the other side of the crisis as a globally competitive, knowledge-based economy. I am convinced that Europe will succeed in this. But not without significant reforms. We need to roll up our sleeves and do what has to be done instead of just talking about it. We must focus our efforts on debt reduction and reforms that lead to growth and jobs. A key instrument in this task is the Europe 2020 strategy that Sweden helped bring into being. It establishes overall goals for how the EU countries are to become better in areas such as employment, research, climate change and education, and in reducing exclusion from society. But ambitious goals do not achieve themselves. Each member state must adapt these goals to its own particular situation and then work hard to live up to them in practice. If Europe is to haul itself out of debt, it is vital that we put in place a tougher set of rules that pave the way for stronger economic governance. And most importantly, we must strengthen the Stability and Growth Pact by imposing effective sanctions on countries that break the rules on budgetary balance and debt. We also need to introduce minimum requirements with regard to national budgets, for instance on reporting, statistics and actual budget procedures. In this endeavour, Sweden's basic position is very clear: each member state must take responsibility for keeping its own state finances in order. During the crisis of the 1990s we learnt how essential this is if we are to avoid a new, equally serious crisis. It also explains why the Swedish Government is placing such emphasis on the task of strengthening economic governance. Another development associated with the debt crisis, of course, is the forthcoming European stability mechanism. This will enable crisis-ridden countries to get loans - as a very last resort. While Sweden is not formally involved in the stability mechanism - we are outside the euro zone at present - we're anxious to see it working properly. We will also have the chance to take part in this work from time to time. Sweden is closely dependent on progress in the euro zone. Financial stability in the EU and the euro zone is in Sweden's interest. As early as 2003, an EU report headed by the Belgian economist André Sapir describe the EU budget as 'a relic of the past'. Eight years on, very little has happened. Nevertheless, there are European politicians who still argue that the way back to sustainable government finances, growth and competitiveness is to stick with yesterday's budget priorities. More money to landowners and food industries. More subsidies that distort the market in the agricultural sector. More subsidies to coalmines and pop concerts. In light of such priorities, it is perhaps not so strange that Europe is falling behind. The Gonzales Report found that Europe stood at a crossroads - reform or decline? The choice should be simple, but unfortunately it is not. So how is Europe to get back into shape? To start with, the coming long-term budget should reflect a present reality in which many member states are having to tighten their belts. The next long-term budget for the EU must be narrower in scope, sharper and more growth-oriented. A reasonable goal is a budget ceiling that is well below one per cent of the EU's total gross national income (GNI). As a liberal, I'm both a firm believer in the EU and an internationalist. But just as we manage other kinds of public funds we need to make sure that the EU is spending every penny of the taxpayer's money as efficiently as the nurse who earned it. Given the current state of the EU budget, I'm far from certain this is the case right now. That's why Sweden's coalition government is pressing for comprehensive reforms. Instead of preserving old budget priorities, the EU should invest resources in areas such as research and development, cross-border infrastructure, and the environment. We should also invest in the fight against organised crime and in the common foreign and security policy, CFSP. All these are areas that offer Europe added value. By pooling our research resources in Europe we can make faster progress in the fight against cancer and HIV and move closer to unlocking the innermost secrets of the universe. The EU goal is for 3 per cent of the Union's total GNI to go to research and development by 2020. To this end, the EU should redistribute very substantial funding to R&D. An important task for the future is to pull together the infrastructure of a continent that has been divided for far too long. Without the EU as a co-financier, however, there is a risk that infrastructure running through several countries will never become a reality, the reason being that it is then harder to agree on who will foot the bill. A new permanent link across the Sound between Sweden and Denmark is one option, a modern rail link between Germany and the Baltic countries another. So it seems natural that the EU should contribute to investment in cross-border strategic infrastructure. The EU should also use its budget to help solve cross-border problems in the environment and climate sphere. Foreign policy is another area in which we believe the EU needs more resources. The aim is to strengthen the Union as a global actor, but also to promote democracy in our immediate neighbourhood, to contribute to democratic development in Tunisia and to support democracy movements in Egypt and Belarus - initiatives that are more important than ever. Another area in which joint efforts yield added value is the fight against cross-border crime. Other parts of the Stockholm Programme for EU cooperation in the justice field may also require increased funding, including measures to strengthen protection of privacy and the rule of law. If we are to succeed in all this and at the same time reduce the EU budget, we must set priorities. This presupposes vigorous reforms - not least of the common agricultural policy - that will significantly reduce expenditure. This does not mean, however, that we are against agricultural policy remaining a common project. The EU's farming subsidies are costing European taxpayers around ¬ 55 billion a year. Between 2007 and 2009 they accounted for 47 per cent of the Union's total budget. That is of course absurd. In Sweden, we know what these agricultural subsidies go to. Among the largest recipients are Coca Cola, the Cloetta chocolate company, the biscuit makers Göteborgs Kex and the Arla dairies. Another recipient is the wine and spirit retailer V&S, previously owned by the Swedish state. So these subsidies are financing our consumption of vodka, fizzy drinks, choc-n-toffee bars, sweet biscuits and Yoggi Yalla. In many EU countries, we don't even know where the money goes since the subsidies are not openly reported. Also, for reasons of personal integrity, the European Court of Justice recently prohibited the public reporting of agricultural subsidies to individuals without that person's consent. This interpretation is not one with which the Swedish Government agrees. To ensure that our tax money is being used correctly, we must have full insight into the expenditures in the EU budget. Transparency should be self-evident in the 21st century. As in other matters relating to openness, this is an issue that Sweden is actively pursuing. The second largest expenditure area in the EU budget is regional policy, or, to use the formal term, cohesion policy. Regional policy, too, needs reforming, both in size and in content. For countries or regions with a living standard well below the EU average, regional development funding may be of considerable importance in helping them to catch up with richer parts of the Union. So the focus should be on those parts with the greatest needs. One form of regional funding that Sweden would like to see more of is what is termed 'territorial cooperation'. This involves supporting regional cooperation across national borders, as for instance in the Baltic Sea region. ***************************************** My colleagues and I in the Government are prepared to defend both the interests of Europe in pursuit of a smaller, more modern budget, and the interests of Sweden, e.g. by monitoring the size of the Swedish membership contribution. If we fail to modernise the budget sufficiently, the Government will demand that the discounts granted Sweden at present will continue to apply in the future. A modern EU budget capable of supporting moves towards a competitive, knowledge-based economy will need to be based on something other than the present expenditure structure. Those of us pressing for reforms are sometimes called naive or even 'anti-European' for stating this clearly. But to demand that citizens' money be used more efficiently is neither naive nor 'non-European'. It is to take responsibility for Europe's future. Challenge 2: Climate and environment Besides lack of political freedom, the foremost global challenge of our time is climate change. Emissions are increasing faster than ever and the rate of increase is higher than in the scenarios described by the UN's climate panel, the IPCC, in 2007. We're already seeing the consequences of climate change. Those hardest hit are countries that are poor and vulnerable. Transboundary problems necessitate transboundary solutions. Looking at it from our horizon, we note that 99.8 per cent of carbon emissions take place beyond Sweden's borders. This means the EU has a key role to play in climate work. Sweden was proactive in getting the EU to adopt the most ambitious climate targets the world has seen, and we will remain so despite the apparent spread of climate fatigue. I hope and believe that we will soon be concluding a climate agreement that will achieve the target of limiting the rise in temperature to 2 degrees centigrade. Since the Baltic countries and Poland joined the Union in 2004, the Baltic has virtually become an EU inland sea. During Sweden's presidency in 2009, therefore, a strategy for the Baltic Sea region was adopted. With the aid of this strategy, our aim is to use our membership to work more closely with other in a number of different fields. The marine environment is one of the most important among them. A hundred years of industrial waste, eutrophication and overfishing have turned the Baltic into one of the most threatened seas in the world. It is as large as the whole of Denmark and Sweden's Skåne region together. If we are to save the Baltic we must join in combating eutrophication, algal bloom and toxins. One of the Baltic Sea Strategy's flagship projects involves building new, more efficient sewage treatment plants in Sovetsk and Neman in Kaliningrad and in a number of other major towns and cities in the southern Baltic region. I am proud to note that this flagship project is headed by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. Another important part of the work to reduce eutrophication is the phasing out of phosphates in detergents and cleaning agents. Here, too, our Swedish authorities are assuming a large share of the responsibility. This flagship project is headed by the Swedish Chemicals Agency. The EU's Baltic Seat Strategy gives us the political instrument we need. It is now time to translate words into action. The aim is to save the Baltic Sea within the next ten years. Challenge 3: Free trade and freedom of movement Europe's prosperity is built on free trade and freedom of movement. In fact, European history is the history of free trade. From Marco Polo to Monnet. From the Hanseatic League to H&M. During the spring of 2011, the Swedish Government will press for completion of the World Trade Organisation's Doha round. It has been in progress for far too long, despite the fact that the major countries involved hold similar positions. A conclusion to the global free trade negotiations would have an extremely favourable impact on world trade. As a small country dependent on free trade, Sweden therefore views completion of the Doha round as its single most important priority on the trade front. It would be irresponsible not to give the world the free trade injection it needs so badly. Do you remember the Latvian carpenter? The one who was prevented by the Swedish trade unions from building a school in Vaxholm outside Stockholm? I visited Latvia last year. People there haven't forgotten the support Sweden gave them in their efforts to free themselves from communism. In some matters, however, they were disappointed in Sweden. They mentioned Swedish banks, for instance, but above all they were unhappy about the Laval company and the Vaxholm dispute of 2004. Was the Swedish Building Workers' Union displaying solidarity with Latvian workers when it imposed a blockade on the school building in Vaxholm? No, said the European Court. The union's actions were discriminatory. Twenty years have passed since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Six years have passed since the enlargement of the EU and the debate about Laval. It is time to leave our fears behind and embrace freedom of movement within the Union. The ground rules in the European labour market are intended to guarantee job security and equal treatment. The aim is to prevent social dumping while at the same encouraging greater mobility. The European model does not represent a challenge to the Swedish model - it supplements it. An efficient internal market is crucial to growth and employment in Europe. Two thirds of Sweden's trade takes place in the EU market. Recently, the European Commission outlined its proposals for a new action plan for the internal market. They include 50 measures designed to make the market even more efficient. Sweden is anxious to see the EU agreeing on further liberalisation and the kind of internal market that encourages growth and new jobs. But this must not be at the cost of restrictions on trade with non-EU countries or further regulation of European enterprise. Finally, it is also important to keep the European labour market open to others. In the years ahead, Europe is going to need more skilled labour, not less. Our community must be open to those wishing to come from other parts of the world to work here. In this era of globalisation, the competitiveness of the European economy would not be served by limiting opportunities for labour immigration. Challenge 4: Greater gender equality Do you remember the Polish plumber? The one that our former prime minister, Göran Persson, tried to prevent from leaving the ferry from Gdansk? The Polish plumber has a friend. Her name is Beata Bochinska and she is head of the Polish Institute of Industrial Design. I met her in Warsaw last year. The principal message I brought away with me from that meeting with her and other strong-minded women in the Polish business sector was that it's women who are going to lead economic growth in tomorrow's Europe. Studies show that if European women had worked to the same extent as men, growth in Europe would have increased by almost 30 per cent. Which means that increased gender equality is perhaps the most important growth-enhancing policy measure of all. As a feminist, I find it only natural that the road out of the economic crisis should run parallel to the road leading to greater gender equality. Here, I'm hoping that the EU's new growth strategy, Europe 2020, will play an important part. The first target in the strategy is a 75 per cent employment rate for women and men aged 20-64. The aim is for women to have the same participation rate as men - a clause that I was proud to fight for, together with Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt. The distance to that target, however, is much greater for women than for men. Today, the employment rate for women in the EU is as low as 60 per cent. In Malta, only 40 per cent of women go out to work. As a result of this imbalance in the labour market, women have lower wage growth, smaller pensions and less control of their lives. The fact that so few women are in employment also means a lower growth rate for Europe. Thus the 'work-first' approach and the drive for gender equality are two sides of the same coin. Europe can no longer afford to have the world's most highly educated housewives. Our feminist Swedish voice must become stronger in a Europe that - despite being the birthplace of feminism - has lost much of its momentum for change on the gender equality front. Today, many developing countries have more women in parliament than European countries. The EU cannot rest on past feminist achievements. Challenge 5: Organised crime "Forced to sell sex?" It makes me proud when I see this sign at Bromma Airport on my way home from Brussels. It's the Safe Trip campaign informing visitors that sexual violence and abuse and the purchase of sexual services are all banned in Sweden. It makes me ashamed that women, girls and boys are sold like parcels of meat in Europe. The UN estimates that human trafficking is the third largest form of organised crime, after the illegal drugs and arms trade. Over 12 million people are being kept in slavery. This is about the same number as the slaves who were brought from Africa to America between 1525 and 1867. No single country in the EU can fight human trafficking through national measures alone. It is all around us. In the Stockholm suburb of Botkyrka, a Russian woman pimp ran a brothel with 13 Russian women. One of them had 450 customers in the space of 40 days. According to Europol, human trafficking is the fastest-growing source of income in the field of organised crime. Led by Sweden's EU Commissioner, Cecilia Malmström, the Union recently adopted new legislation making national laws on crime and punishment mutually consistent. This will also result in better assistance and support for the victims of human trafficking and in tougher measures against the perpetrators. It is now almost 200 years since slavery was abolished. All too many people talk about the need to combat human trafficking. It's now time we actually did something about it. Challenge 6: Enlargement When I was born in 1975, about half of today's 27 member states in the EU were run by dictatorships or had just left tyranny and oppression behind them. There were military dictatorships in Southern Europe and the yoke of communism lay over the whole of Central and Eastern Europe. During my eighth year in school, in 1989, the Berlin Wall collapsed. The Soviet Union began to fall apart. It is impossible to exaggerate the importance of Europe's last surviving ideology of repression being relegated to the scrapheap of history. It hasn't always been plain sailing, but up to now we've been quite good at preserving the legacy of 1989. Former communist dictatorships have become democracies, and in 2004 the EU was able to welcome eight countries in Eastern and Central Europe. Four years ago, eastward enlargement continued with the inclusion of Bulgaria and Romania. A number of countries from the war-wracked Balkans are queuing up. The euro, too, is bringing the continent together and healing old wounds. Slovenia became part of the euro zone in 2007, Slovakia in 2009 and Estonia just a few weeks ago. Next it will be the turn of Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. A major task for the future is to finish building what we started in 1989. The EU must remain open to all European countries that meet the basic conditions for membership. Enlargement is also one of the EU's foremost instruments for spreading peace, democracy and prosperity in Europe. This is why Sweden is still among the principal champions of enlargement. Sweden's efforts to move forward Turkey's membership process are continuing with the same level of commitment as before. Assuming that Croatia meets the requisite criteria, we're hoping that negotiations in its case will be completed this year. Iceland's accession talks will also begin in earnest this spring. And it is important to encourage reform efforts in other countries in the Western Balkans as they move closer to European integration. As a result of the Eastern Partnership, the EU has raised its level of ambition as regards cooperation with neighbouring Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldavia, Ukraine and Belarus. Entering into partnerships is a way of supporting these countries' efforts to establish democratic reforms and closer ties with the EU. Another priority for the Swedish Government is the liberalisation of visa requirements for countries in Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans. People in these countries must be able to enter the EU with as little complication as possible. Challenge 7: Strengthening the EU's role as a global actor "We inhabit a system in which words are capable of shaking the entire structure of government, where words can prove mightier than ten military divisions." These words from Vaclav Havel - the champion of democracy who led the velvet revolution in his country in 1989 and went on to become the elected president of Czechoslovakia - seem highly topical today, too. The question is, however: Is the EU letting words and deeds shake dictatorships around the world today in the same way as when the calls for freedom echoed so resoundingly across Europe twenty years ago? What kind of support do the young freedom activists in the streets of Tunis, Cairo and Sana feel they are getting from Europe? What kind of hope did we give the freedom fighters in the streets of Teheran during a couple of torrid summer weeks in 2009 when the Iranian dictatorship wobbled? To what extent have we ourselves pursued consistent foreign policies that have human rights as their main priority? Far too little. My colleague, Sweden's foreign minister Carl Bildt has described developments in Arab regions as a 'demographic tsunami'. Perhaps it might also be described as a 'democratic tsunami', with young populations from Cairo to Khartoum, from Algiers to Amman, demanding freedom in the Arab world. This is why democracy and human rights must be given much greater prominence in the work of the new European External Action Service, which became operational on 1 January 2011. The aid we provide must be more firmly rooted in principle, and our joint European foreign policy voice must be clearer, louder and more specifically for freedom and against oppression. Challenge 8: Defence of freedom "We hold our heads high, despite the price we have paid because freedom is priceless." Thus spake Lech Walesa, the man who led the way in the fight against communism. But discrimination, exclusion and the ideologies of hate still reign in some parts of the European Union. Roma are being oppressed, anti-Semitism is on the increase, Islamophobia is growing apace, while at the same time violent extremist movements - both political and religious - are gaining ground. According to the annual survey by Freedom House, respect for political freedoms and rights in the world diminished in 2010 for the fifth year running. That is the longest downward period on record since these surveys began almost 40 years ago. In 2010, too, the number of democracies fell to 115, well below the 2005 figure of 123. Unfortunately, a couple of EU countries received lower marks for human rights through having imposed restrictions on freedom of speech. Criticism is also levelled at the discrimination of Roma within the Union. In several parts of Europe, violent attacks were reported last year on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people when they tried to make their voices heard as part of their struggle for recognition. This is shameful in the year 2011. The discrimination of LGBT people must end. With the arrival of the Lisbon Treaty, the EU acquired for the first time a legally binding statute that gives its citizens a range of fundamental rights. As soon as possible, the EU will also become a party to the European Convention on Human Rights, a document that all member states have already signed. Without doubt, EU membership acts as an incentive for democratic reform in countries knocking on the Union's door. But what happens once a country has actually come in out of the cold? How can we be sure that the human rights situation there will not deteriorate once EU membership has been achieved? At present there are few effective EU instruments for protecting and safeguarding fundamental rights. One such instrument, however, is the possibility of revoking a country's right to vote in the Council of Ministers. For such a far-reaching punitive measure to be adopted, however, agreement among the member states must be unanimous (with the exception of the country concerned, of course). In other words, this is a blunt instrument and thus not particularly realistic. One way of improving human rights monitoring among states that have already joined the EU might be to establish a system using benchmarks and public results boards. Regular, independent reporting on how member states are respecting human rights could be carried out by the European Commission. Firstly, it is already monitoring candidate countries, and secondly the Lisbon Treaty has given it a strong mandate for dealing with fundamental rights. ******************************************** "United in Diversity" This is the motto of the European Union. For centuries, diversity has been attacked on European soil by the ogres of intolerance. Each time, however, they have encountered resistance in the shape of European heroes such as Raoul Wallenberg and Winston Churchill. In our time, too, people are marching in Europe. And it is now up to our generation to defend the openness, tolerance and diversity that are Europe's soul and Europe's future. You remember the number I quoted at the beginning: 78651. You remember the picture of that beautiful 17- year-old girl with her solemn expression. Generations of Europeans are going to remember her in the future. Her mother, father and brother died in the Holocaust. But Simone Veil - as she is now known to the world - survived Auschwitz. Today, she is one of my greatest role models as an EU minister, as a feminist and as a liberal. Simone became the first woman to hold a ministerial post in the history of France. She pushed through laws for both free abortion and women's right to contraceptive pills. She was a member of the European Parliament, and its Speaker, and was also Secretary-General of the French Supreme Court. Today, she is 84 and I ask to meet her every time I travel to Paris. That number is no longer tattooed on Simone Veil's wrist alone. It is also engraved on the sword you can see in the picture - together with the rallying cry of the French Revolution, 'Liberty, Equality and Fraternity'. The number is there in tribute to her mother, Yvonne, who died just days before the liberation of Bergen Belsen. Veil received the sword when she became only the sixth woman in 375 years to join the 'Immortals' - 708 men have evidently been considered worthy of immortality during that time - as a member of the French Academy, the highest honour in the land. I'd like to conclude by quoting this remarkable woman, my foremost European role model: "I am placing my hope in Europe, in a Europe that has overcome hatred and barbarism to commit itself to achieving peace and solidarity between the peoples of Europe". She who has personally experienced the worst horrors of Europe, but also the hope and opportunities afforded by the European Union - she, if anyone, should know. Thank you. Speech UNESCO Seminar on Freedom of Expression and Freedom of the Press, Paris 26 January 2011 Birgitta Ohlsson, Minister for EU Affairs Statement on the occasion of the UNESCO Seminar on Freedom of Expression and Freedom of the Press Madame Director-General, Mr. Special Rapporteur to the United Nations, Mr Assistant Director-General, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mrs Bokova and her team for having organised this important event and for the excellent preparations.

I am pleased that I have been offered an opportunity to say a few words on this occasion. Isaac Newton once said, "If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." We all stand on the shoulders of giants. These giants are not fantasy creatures in fairy tales, they are human rights activists, writers, politicians, journalists and bloggers who over the years, and often at great risk, bravely have defended the right to speak out. The right for the individual to express himself or herself freely is a cornerstone for a democratic society and it empowers people to develop and contribute. It is a prerequisite for other human rights, not least the right to education and the right to have access to knowledge. When I was a high school student gazing over the Baltic Sea was like looking for the moon. It was such a mental distance to the eastern countries behind the iron curtain. Now as the minister for EU Affairs in Sweden I meet my Polish colleagues every month. We are neighbours and friends. We are members of a common and free European Union. But without Lech Walesa, the former prisoner of conscience and later the first democratically elected president of Poland the world would have looked differently. His steadfast commitment to workers' rights and democracy in Solidarity made him a global symbol of freedom that lead to the Nobel Peace Prize. And I agree with Mr Walesa who wisely has said: "We hold our heads high despite the price we have paid, because freedom is priceless." Freedom of expression and prohibition of censorship of the media have been a part of the Swedish Constitution for a long time - the first Press Law on freedom of expression was actually adopted in 1766. I think the fact that Swedes have enjoyed this freedom for a long time is an important reason behind the development of the Swedish society. For us, the link between freedom and development is obvious. The Swedish Government attaches great importance to the work of UNESCO in this field. That is why we initiated and sponsored the photo exhibition on violence against journalists that was opened here at UNESCO Headquarters in October 2008 and that has subsequently been shown in many countries. This, of course, is also why we have initiated this seminar and why the Swedish National Commission has provided financial support to realise it. I am very pleased that Mr Frank La Rue is with us today - Mr La Rue holds, as you know, the very important position as UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression. And I am extremely pleased that the UNESCO Secretariat has managed to gather a number of persons who have deep knowledge about the press freedom situation in various parts of the world. I especially welcome that a part of the seminar will deal with freedom on the Internet. As a result of technological developments, we have a completely new media landscape around us. Sweden is actively promoting an international discussion about this complex issue. The point of departure must be that freedom of expression on the Internet is the overriding principle and objective, and that that freedom must be guaranteed. Regimes that build firewalls against freedom of expression on the Internet in order to limit or control their citizen's access to information must be denounced. At the same time, a balance must be struck with other concerns, not least in the field of privacy. Again, this calls for a thorough international discussion, and the objective should be to agree on certain principles for freedom on the net, based on international human rights standards We, representatives of the Governments of the 193 member states of UNESCO, now have a chance to listen to experienced NGOs, and to be confronted with their assessments of the current situation in the field of press freedom. Why is this so important? Because we believe that democracy cannot be achieved without respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for the individual. Because we believe in the rule of law and that education and knowledge advances welfare and human dignity. Because we believe that governments should be held accountable - and that accountability is not possible without scrutiny, openness, free and independent media and people's access to information. Against this background - and I am thinking about the international commitments all countries have made - one could assume that everything is fine. But it isn't, as I'm sure that we are all aware of. We will hear more about the actual situation in the world today during the next session of this seminar. Sadly global freedom suffered its fifth year of decline in 2010, according to Freedom in the World 2011, Freedom House's annual assessment of political rights and civil liberties around the world. This represents the longest continuous period of decline in the nearly 40-year history of the survey. The number of countries designated as Free fell from 89 to 87, and the number of electoral democracies dropped to 115, far below the 2005 figure of 123. We read almost daily about restrictions and censorship directed against independent media, and about journalists who are imprisoned, harassed, threatened, intimidated and even killed because they want to tell the truth. I appreciate Madame Bokova's diligence in condemning such killings. The international community have a collective responsibility to combat these human rights abuses. We cannot allow the freedom of expression to be undermined. We must speak up on behalf of those who have had their own voices silenced. We cannot accept, for instance, that the Swedish-Eritrean journalist Dawit Isaak has been held in prison in Eritrea for 9 years. The Swedish government calls for his immediate release on humanitarian grounds. We also call for the release of Liu Xiaobo, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2010, for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China. The EU has a moral obligation to keep the torch of freedom high when a majority of the world's population can not express their opinions freely. The Union shall be a watchdog for democracy, but freedom of expression is now challenged in a serious way in several EU countries. The European Union is not a homogenous whole as regards media freedom. On the contrary, the gap between good and bad performers continues to widen. Reporters without Borders has repeatedly expressed its concern about the deteriorating press freedom situation in the European Union and the 2010 index confirms this trend. Thirteen of the EU's 27 members are in the top 20 but some of the other 14 are very low in the ranking. I hope this is a wake-up call for many political leaders in the EU. It is clear that Freedom of the press must be at the top of UNESCO's agenda in the coming years. The international NGOs working in this field play a tremendously important role in monitoring and surveying, and in compiling information about press freedom and about violence against journalists and media professionals. I think the UNESCO secretariat should strengthen its capacity to monitor press freedom, in close cooperation with the NGOs. And also its working relationship with Mr La Rue, the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression. I would like to recommend that this type of forum on press freedom should become a regular event. UNESCO could organize, in cooperation with major non-governmental organizations and other institutions, an annual forum on freedom of expression and freedom of the press I hope that the outcome of this seminar could be summarized in a report by the Director-General, including a proposal for its continuation. This would demonstrate the importance UNESCO attaches to this subject. It would send strong signals to countries on the importance of complying with their international obligations, it would also provide support to all those who work for press freedom. If this were done regularly, we would maintain focus and pressure. We would make it clear that the international community does not accept human rights abuses in the form of restrictions on freedom of expression and violence against journalists. Remember the wise words by the French writer Albert Camus: "A free press can be good or bad, but one thing is certain, without freedom it can never be anything but bad." Thank you very much for your attention. 2010

Speech Held at the 3rd Swedish-Dutch Conference on Gender Equality: Trafficking in Human Beings and Prostitution 06 December 2010 Birgitta Ohlsson, Minister for EU Affairs Human trafficking is a crime against humanity I would like to start by saying that it is an honour and a pleasure for me to be here today and I would like to thank the Swedish embassy for bringing us together here in The Hague. Human rights, gender equality and crime prevention are high on the political agenda both in the Netherlands and Sweden.

Human trafficking is described by the United Nations as a crime against humanity. According to the International Labour Organization some 12.3 million people are enslaved worldwide today. There are about as many slaves who were taken from Africa to America between 1525 to 1867. Regardless of whether the purpose is the sale of sexual services or slave labour, the scale of human suffering is great. A large number of the victims are bought and sold by criminals to make large sums of money in prostitution. You all know this already. Otherwise you wouldn't be here today. We do not know exactly how many victims there are worldwide trapped in prostitution. We all need to remember that we are talking about serious crimes and thousands of victims in many - probably all countries of the world. Human trafficking for sexual purposes is profitable because a human being, unlike most products, can be sold several times. Perpetrators are often involved with other criminal activities. The link between prostitution and cross-border crime has steadily strengthened. Alongside the trade in arms and drugs, traffickers' exploitation of people for sexual purposes is a part of the serious organised crime industry. As human trafficking is almost always a cross-border crime, it is just as important to make sure that law enforcement and judicial cooperation over the borders is built on mutual trust and function as smooth as possible. Joint investigations and prosecutions, with the active involvement of EUROPOL and EUROJUST, have proven to be an important tool in practice. But this is not enough. We must reach beyond the borders of the EU, to countries from which the victims come and to countries through which victims pass en route to their final destinations. At the same time we must look at ourselves, not least by working to reduce the demand for both sexual services and illegal labour. Sex is a source of joy and is important in most people's lives. As a liberal I believe that the state should stay out of the bedroom, swingers meetings and sauna clubs. But the human body can not be regarded as a commodity among others. The Swedish government's position is clear: prostitution and human trafficking for sexual purposes represent a serious obstacle to social equality, to gender equality and to the enjoyment of human rights. Studies show that it is mostly men who purchase sexual services. The victims are primarily women and girls. But men and boys are also being exposed to prostitution and human trafficking for sexual purposes. I don't deny that there are prostitutes who are satisfied with their choice of profession. But satisfied sex workers constitute a sliver in the world of prostitution. Most people caught in the business of selling their bodies in the world today are poor and traumatized youths. Few real-world prostitutes live the life of the Julia Roberts character in the popular Hollywood love story "Pretty Woman." The gap between the demand for sexual services and people who voluntarily want to sell their bodies results in forced prostitution at the hands of organized crime. What primarily sustains both trafficking and prostitution is demand. In other words, the fact that people - mostly men - buy sex. Prostitution is often called the world's oldest profession. Defenders of the phenomenon assumes that prostitution will always exist. Legislators often advance legalization proposals because they think nothing else is successful in legally addressing prostitution. However, there is a legal alternative. Sweden has drafted legislation recognizing that without demand, there would be a much-decreased supply. Since 1999 buying sex in Sweden has been a criminal offence. This means that obtaining casual sexual relations in exchange for payment is forbidden, on penalty of a fine or up to six months' imprisonment. Selling sexual services, on the other hand, is not an offence. The law was initially questioned by policemen and many politicians. Today all parties in the parliament support it. The Swedish police support the law because they have seen the results. Human traffickers tend to avoid Sweden because it's hazardous to do business here. The law has also made customers more cautious. The law has been evaluated this year. The purpose of the evaluation was to investigate how the prohibition, which has been in force for over ten years, works in practice and what effects it has had on the incidence of prostitution and human trafficking for sexual purposes in Sweden. 1. The evaluation shows that the ban on the purchase of sexual services has had the intended effect and is an important instrument in preventing and combating prostitution and human trafficking for sexual purposes. 2. The Inquiry concluded that prostitution in Sweden, unlike in comparable countries, has not increased since the introduction of the ban. The ban on the purchase of sexual services has also counteracted the establishment of organised crime in Sweden. Criminalisation has contributed to combating prostitution and human trafficking for sexual purposes. 3. Prohibiting purchases of sexual services also has a normative effect. There has been a marked change in attitude to the purchase of sexual services that coincides with making it a criminal offence to buy sex. There is now strong support for the ban on purchasing sexual services in Sweden. The ban has proved to act as a deterrent to sex purchasers. 4. The Inquiry could find no indication that criminalisation has had a negative effect on people exploited through prostitution. 5. The Inquiry stresses the value and necessity of continued and sustained social work to prevent and combat prostitution and human trafficking for sexual purposes. 6. The Inquiry also proposes that the maximum penalty for the purchase of sexual services be raised from imprisonment for six months to imprisonment for one year. According to the Inquiry, the current level of penalties for certain sexual purchase offences is not proportionate to the seriousness of the crime. Norway and Iceland have introduced similar legislation. I hope more countries follow. Some have argued that normalizing prostitution as work is good economic development policy. Let's transform prostitution into sex work and pimps into entrepreneurs! But we must ask the question: who will end up in brothels? Your son or my baby daughter Stella? Most girls and boys in the EU don't dream of becoming prostitutes. And most parents in the EU don't support that kind of future career. The sex industry in the EU has recruitment problems. As a consequence most prostitutes come from poor countries outside the Union, many of them staying in the EU illegally and many against their will. We know what happens when society signals that prostitution is acceptable. Demand increases. When few sell their bodies voluntarily - others are forced by criminals. According to the Europol, traffickers prefer business in countries with a well-developed sex industry. The reason is simple: low risk and high profit. Some argue that we must make distinctions between forced and voluntary prostitution. But most clients do not stop to ask whether the women, the girl or the boy they meet in the brothel are forced into prostitution or whether they have been trafficked from abroad. It's my firm believe that most consumers who buy sexual activities do not care enough about the distinctions between forced and voluntary prostitution or between child and adult prostitution. Without demand there will be no supply.

This evening I'm proud to participate as an actor in the documentary play "Seven" together with Dutch female politicians. The playwrights have collected personal interviews from seven extraordinary women. One of these women is Mu Sochua, the former Minister of Women's Affairs in Cambodia. She was co-nominated in 2005 for the Nobel Peace Prize for her work against sex trafficking of women in Cambodia and neighbouring Thailand. Each year thousands of Cambodian children and women are forced into prostitution. Some children are sold by their own parents. Others are lured by what they think are legitimate job offers like waitressing, but then are forced into prostitution I will now read a part of the play were Mu Sochua tells the story of a young victim called Mony. "I ask victims of trafficking, when did you lose the soul? They say their souls left when the trafficker took them away from their families. That their souls are still in the rice field. When you are raped you lose your pralung - someone takes it away. I'm working now with one of them, a girl called Mony. We go through the calling of the souls ceremony now for Mony. She has just been rescued from a brothel. We wrap her wrist with nineteen cotton strings for each of her souls& The entire time, she says almost nothing. She is only a kid - a beautiful child, that smile and everything. But she is lost. You can see it. Just by looking at her you know that she is soul-less. It is a form of emptiness, depression. When you ask about that moment, that painful moment when she was penetrated, forced - she just keeps saying: I lost my soul. He took away my soul." Trafficking for sexual purposes profoundly violates human dignity and the right of individuals to decide over their own lives and their own bodies. I think that the suffering of these victims cannot be stressed too many times. "We say that slavery has vanished from European civilization, but this is not true. Slavery still exists, but now it applies only to women and its name is prostitution." This is a quotation from the famous French writer Victor Hugo who died in 1885 - more than a century ago. I hope that more countries, like the Netherlands, will be inspired by the Swedish legislation. Reduced demand is crucial if the EU's ambition is to finally abolish this modern form of slavery. It is clear to all of us that trafficking in human beings is a crime that cannot be tolerated in any form in Europe - or anywhere else. Thank you for your attention! Speech CBSS Secretariat, Stockholm 16 November 2010 Birgitta Ohlsson, Minister for EU Affairs Inauguration of the new premises of the CBSS Secretariat Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is a great honour to represent the Swedish Government here today on the occasion of the inauguration of the new premises of the CBSS Secretariat. It is my pleasure to convey words of congratulation on behalf of the Swedish Government. My colleague, Carl Bildt, has asked me to tell you that he regrets that he is unable to attend today's ceremony because of another previously made commitment.

When Sweden back in 1997 won the bid to host the Secretariat, a major argument in favour of Stockholm was that we were able to offer premises in the beautiful and nicely located building at Strömsborg, and for many years Strömsborg was a symbol of the CBSS. But times and needs change and today's inauguration causes celebration, because these new premises are larger, they have a better lay-out and a big and much needed meeting room. It is a much better location which is more easily accessible for visitors and which also makes the Secretariat more visible in the city. Most importantly, the Members of the CBSS as well as the staff of the Secretariat appear satisfied that this new home is in many ways better suited to the needs of the Secretariat. The main credit for having secured these premises belongs to our Ministry for Foreign Affairs. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Members of the CBSS and the Secretariat for your patience during a rather drawn-out period of uncertainty about the location of the Secretariat to be. I would also like to thank the Secretariat for its active and constructive role in the planning of this new office space. Recent years have seen the start of a much needed discussion about the architecture of multilateral cooperation in our region, including a discussion of the role of the various formats of cooperation. There is a shared view that the way forward for the CBSS is in pursuing the aims of the Riga Declaration to become a more project-oriented organization. Cooperation with a clear purpose to achieve concrete results is how the CBSS can make a difference and how it can show its continued relevance. Progress in this direction has also been made. Good examples include i.a. the EuroFaculty project in Pskov and a number of projects conducted under the auspices of the Expert Group on Sustainable Development - Baltic 21. One area that is close to my own heart and where the CBSS is doing some impressive work is in the fight against trafficking in human beings. I was much pleased to learn that Norway has selected the fight against trafficking in human beings as one of three priorities for its Chairmanship. Trafficking is addressed by three expert bodies in the framework of the CBSS, the Task Force against Trafficking in Human Beings, the Expert Group for Cooperation on Children at Risk and the Task Force on Organised Crime in the Baltic Sea Region. As all CBSS Members are well aware, the financing of the Task Force against Trafficking in Human Beings remains a challenge. Up until now Sweden has been the only country to fund that Task Force. A considerable increase in our support for 2009 and 2010 enabled the launching and implementation of a number of strategic projects to counteract and prevent human trafficking in the CBSS region. A series of training seminars for diplomatic and consular staff was conducted in partnership with the International Office of Migration (IOM). A handbook to support the work of consulates and embassies is shortly to be published. In partnership with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) a comprehensive assessment study was made on cooperation between civil society and law enforcement agencies in CBSS Member States. These and other projects have resulted in many valuable lessons and recommendations that the Task Force stands ready to take forward. The Swedish Government will continue to allocate resources towards the fight against trafficking for sexual purposes, as announced in the 2011 Budget Bill. This work is an important part of our gender equality policy. International cooperation, and various forms of exchanges between states, is an essential part of the fight against trafficking of human beings. Ladies and Gentlemen, All organizations need an injection of new energy from time to time. My hope is that the move to these new premises will serve as such an injection for the CBSS and its Secretariat. In spite of good progress made over the past few years, the CBSS still has potential waiting to be more fully realized. With a combination of hard work and creative thinking the CBSS could become an important player in Baltic Sea cooperation. As the Minister for EU-Affairs I have a special responsibility for the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea region. In this context, Sweden warmly welcomes the constructive consultations being held between the European Commission and Russia on possible cooperation in areas of mutual interest. Based on the principle of equal partnership such cooperation offers an excellent opportunity to take cooperation forward in new directions, both within the Northern Dimension and the CBSS. I was encouraged by the view expressed by Russia at the meeting of Regional Directors in March that the CBSS could be the most suitable testing ground for such cooperation. I will end my brief remarks by wishing the CBSS and its Secretariat good luck in your endeavours and much success in developing new important areas of cooperation for the benefit of the people of all the countries of the Baltic Sea region. With these words I declare the new premises of the CBSS Secretariat officially inaugurated. Speech Exilmedie-conference, Stockholm 21 October 2010 Birgitta Ohlsson, Minister for EU Affairs Speech at the Exilmedie-conference A great politician once said: "The wave of the future is the liberation of the diverse energies of free nations and free men." These words from John F. Kennedy have inspired me and so many others during our political journey.

This conference is about courage. About raising our voices when your freedom is threatened. About standing out in a silent crowd. About speaking for those who can't. Thank you Fojo in collaboration with World Press Freedom Committee, UNESCO, Open Society Institute, World Association of Newspapers-IFRA, International Media Support and Civil Rights Defenders for arranging this conference. Thank you for giving us the great opportunity to meet the people that truly inspire us all and shows how one individual can spark a spirit that can change a whole society. But also how to be practical. How to act. How to combine professionalism and activism, How to survive economically and ICT solutions and security. How to make real change. I' m so proud being the Swedish minister for European Union Affairs to address this eminent conference and as a long time - now former - member of the board of Sida (Swedish International Development Agency) I' m pleased that Sida is the main sponsor because democracy and freedom of the press, freedom of speach are top priorities in the Swedish development aid. And the fact that Sweden, with the world's oldest press law, actively supports free speech via author sanctuary is one of the most efficient ways to promote freedom, art and democracy efforts in other countries. And the Swedish government are pushing for more Swedish cities to become safe havens for persecuted writers. In just a few weeks Europe again is celebrating the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall. It marked the end of a totalitarian empire. The end of an era. Out of the rubbles of oppression grew the hope for a better world, a world where freedom of speech is universally respected. As we meet here today, more than 20 years later, it is the same hope that guides us. We have undoubtedly witnessed progress. The legacy of 1989 has not gone to waste. But the global picture with respect to the freedom of speech is becoming increasingly gloomy. We need to act. In recent years, the share of democratic countries in the world has decreased from 64 to 60 percent. The number of democracies has gone down from 123 to 116 countries according to Freedom House latest figures. 116 - the number for 2010 is the lowest in 15 years. The development regarding freedom of expression and freedom of the press is even more worrying. Over the past seven years there has been a steady decline in freedom of expression around the world. Again according to Freedom House. Therefore I was overwhelmed to learn that the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize to the Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo. It sends a loud and clear message to freedom activists all around the world. We see your courage. We applaude your work. We will never abandon you. The question is now what each of us will do to reinforce that message. I want you all to think about that during this conference. Here is what I will do. I will do everything in my power to push the EU into taking the lead in promoting democracy and human rights world wide. Freedom activists and journalists who are persecuted deserve our support. The EU has the power to provide that support. A review that was made recently within Sweden's Government offices shows that only a very small proportion of EU aid goes directly to promoting democracy & human rights. Even less assistance goes to the promotion of democratization. When we launched Freedom from Oppression - the Swedish Government's new policy for democracy support - we increased that share in Sweden's foreign aid budget substantially. I will work to promote similar reforms on the EU level. The first priority in Sweden's new policy is to "strengthen freedom of expression and the development of free, independent media." To achieve this, the Swedish Government works to: o give foreign aid to initiatives aimed at promoting free media o promote freedom of expression in the EU, the UN and the Council of Europe o help provide legal protection for media workers across the world o provide support for journalist training programmes and independent journalist associations o support projects aimed at improving laws that protect freedom of the press and freedom of expression, as well as compliance with existing legislation. Moreover: out of the world's 17 worst dictatorships, according to Freedom House's annual ranking, the EU has a development cooperation with 12 countries. I will work to reduce that number. It is unacceptable that EU foreign aid is still allocated on the basis of old colonial ties rather than the promotion of basic human rights. Europe is far from perfect in the struggle for human rights. We still have lot of work to do on our own continent. I' m thinking about harassments and violence targeting the Roma people, LGBT-activists, immigrants. We must do our utmost to honour the fundamental values that the EU was founded on and that are enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights (in the Lisbon treaty). And fight for these rights globally. I think of Dawit Isaak a Swedish citizen and journalist imprisoned in Eritrea without trial since 2001. Today, Dawit has been imprisoned for 3315 days. I would like to end by quoting Mr Walesa. He who led the fight for freedom in Eastern Europe. "We hold our heads high despite the price we have paid, because freedom is priceless." And as we all know from being amidst freedom fighters, it's definitely worth fighting for. Speech Council of Europe, Strasbourg 20 October 2010 Birgitta Ohlsson, Minister for EU Affairs Speech by Birgitta Ohlsson, "High Level meeting on roma at the Council of Europe Strasbourg, 20 October 2010" "Please bury me standing. I have stood on my knees my entire life". This is a quote from an old Bulgarian Roma in the famous book by Isabel Fonseca.

For centuries, Roma have lived on the outskirts of our societies, with threats and harassment as part of their daily lives. And now the situation seems to have worsened even more across Europe today. When I first took office as the Swedish Minister for European Affairs, I stressed discrimination against Roma. It makes me pleased that the debate has evolved, that this meeting is occurring. The Swedish Government welcomes this debate. More than sixty years of European co-operation in the field of human rights have passed, and still the history of the Roma is not told in European classrooms. Few people know that around half a million Roma were murdered during the "forgotten Holocaust". There is no doubt that individual European countries have a great task and the primary responsibility for advancing the social and economic inclusion of Roma. Still however, co-operation at European level is the key to success in this. European institutions need to act in three different areas. Firstly, access to justice is crucial and human rights must be guaranteed by law. Secondly, education empowers individuals and it is our responsibility as governments to guarantee this right. I have special concern for young Roma girls. Finally, Roma issues need to be mainstreamed into national and international policies and initiatives. Sweden will actively take part in the work at European level. But we will continue do to our own homework. The Swedish Government's delegation for Roma issues has now published its final report which will serve as a basis for government policy. As politicians, we have a responsibility to break Roma exclusion, wherever it may occur. It is neither dignified nor sustainable that a large group of people are subject to isolation and systematic discrimination in Europe today. Human rights are the foundation of co-operation in Europe. Europe cannot only be a continent for the majority. It must also be a continent for minorities."