H.K.H. Prins Carl Philips tal till FN-ambassadörer
Kungl. Slottet, Stockholm
(Det talade ordet gäller)
Your Excellencies,
Welcome to Sweden and to the Royal Palace!
I hope that your visit here will be pleasant and prosperous.
I know that some of you will, and some of you have, gone up to the north of Sweden.
One of your stops in the north is the Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi. A remarkable and stunning place, which I visited with my family in 2003.
The Ice Hotel is an inspiring example that shows that the impossible can be made possible. If there is will and commitment. Or if you want: If there's a will, there's a way.
The same is true for the work of the UN. Building peace. Fighting poverty. Reducing climate change. Progress is possible! But it demands of us that we work together.
As the former secretary-general Dag Hammarskjöld once said:
”The weakness of one
is the weakness of all.
And the strength of one
is indirectly the strength of all.”
Last year we saw some milestone achievements:
- The adoption of our new Development Agenda 2030, and
- The agreement reached in Paris on climate change
Thank you all for your efforts in this regard.
Now, the real work has begun. Words need to be backed up by action.
For the Swedish government, fighting climate change is a top priority. The aim is to become one of the first fossil-free nations in the world. And the Swedish Prime Minister has initiated a High-Level Support Group to realise the goals of the 2030 Agenda.
I am, together with my family, especially glad that these goals highlight the urgent matter of children's rights. Safe, healthy and well-educated children are the key to a better future.
For the Swedish Royal family, it is of great importance to be involved in the work of organizations like the World Childhood Foundation, founded by my mother, Queen Silvia. And Project Playground, founded by my wife, Princess Sofia.
Let me also extend a greeting to you from, first of all, my Father, the King, who couldn't be here today, and second of all, my sister, Crown Princess Victoria.
In August, she met with some of your fellow ambassadors here in Stockholm to discuss climate-related issues in connection to COP 21.
She is honoured to have been appointed by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as an Advocate to promote the new Sustainable Development Goals.
Once again, warmly welcome! Princess Sofia and I are looking forward to our discussions.
