Mission: The Future

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From 1 to 8 December, Minister for Defence Pål Jonson is visiting the United States to take part in the Reagan National Defense Forum, promote Swedish defence innovations and industry, and strengthen bilateral cooperation with the US.

Sweden has been elected to the Council of the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO). This will give Sweden greater opportunity to influence global shipping and push for safer, more climate-friendly maritime traffic with reduced emissions.

From 30 November to 12 December, the world is gathering in Dubai for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28). The Swedish Government is being be represented there by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Minister for Energy, Business and Industry Ebba Busch, Minister for Climate and the Environment Romina Pourmokhtari and Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Johan Forssell.

The Swedish Government has adopted an updated strategy to combat antibiotic resistance (AMR). The overarching goal continues to be preserving the possibility of effective treatment of bacterial infections in humans and animals. The strategy will apply until the end of 2025.

On 1 December, Minister for Health Care Acko Ankarberg Johansson and Minister for Health and Social Affairs Jakob Forssmed will co-host a conference to discuss Sweden’s support to Ukraine’s health and medical care system. The conference, which will convene both public and private sector actors, aims especially to outline how Ukraine’s health care system can be rebuilt, strengthened and modernised.

From 30 November to 12 December, the world will gather in Dubai for the UN COP28 Climate Change Conference. This year’s meeting will focus on two issues in particular: global stocktake of climate action and phasing out fossil fuels.

Damage to cables and pipelines in the Baltic Sea has been discovered recently on multiple occasions. The Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) will increase its presence to help improve protection of critical underwater infrastructure in the region. Sweden will provide two corvettes.

Today, the Defence Ministers of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) agreed to activate a JEF Response Option. This includes maritime and air capabilities which will deploy across the JEF’s core region as a military contribution to the protection of critical undersea infrastructure.

Speech by Minister for EU Affairs Jessika Roswall at the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA). November 21, 2023, Dublin. Check against delivery.

An inaccurate translation of a clip of Sweden’s Prime Minister is being spread on social media. Do not contribute to this. What he said is that Sweden and the EU stand firmly behind Israel’s right to defend itself.

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson presented the Government’s priorities in its work in the EU at the party leaders’ debate on EU policy in the Riksdag on 15 November 2023. Check against delivery.

Simplistic and occasionally inaccurate information about migration, integration and crime in Sweden is sometimes disseminated. Here, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs looks at some common claims.

In light of international developments, the Government will increase its support to the University of Gothenburg which, via the Segerstedt Institute, spreads knowledge of working methods to combat antisemitism. This year, the Government will provide another SEK 1 million, and it intends to provide another SEK 3 million to support these efforts in 2024.

On Tuesday 14 November, the task force for Jewish life in Sweden held its second meeting. The task force works to improve the conditions for Jewish life, and prevent and combat antisemitism in Sweden.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced a new global Commission on Social Connection. The aim of the Commission is to spotlight the public health problem of loneliness and involuntary isolation and make it a priority. Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health Jakob Forssmed has been included among the twelve Commissioners – the only one from Europe.

Through the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), Sweden is providing an additional SEK 149 million to the civilian population in Sudan. This support will help meet growing humanitarian needs resulting from the armed conflict that broke out in April this year. Parts of the support will also go towards food security and protection of human rights.

The education sector in Ukraine has been severely affected by Russia’s full-scale invasion. Since February 2022, more than 3 000 preschools, schools and other educational establishments have been damaged, and 360 have been completely destroyed. Sweden is now providing SEK 75 million to the UNESCO Emergency Fund. The Fund is, among other things, supporting renovation and reconstruction of damaged and destroyed shelters in preschools and schools.

On Wednesday 15 November, Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström hosted ambassadors from the Group of Latin America and the Caribbean (GRULAC) countries at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

The Government has decided to reintroduce border control at Sweden’s internal borders from 12 November 2023 to 11 May 2024. The decision is based on the Government’s assessment that there is a serious threat to public order and internal security.