Foreign and security policy
Foreign policy is about Sweden’s relations with and policies towards other countries. Preventing risks and threats is an important part of security policy, which in turn is part of foreign policy. Swedish policy is pursued via direct relations with other countries and also through bodies such as the EU and the UN.
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News about foreign and security policy
Handbook for Sweden's feminist foreign policy
Margot Wallström is launching a handbook for Sweden's feminist foreign policy. Regeringskansliet/Ninni Andersson The Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs is launching a handbook for Sweden's feminist foreign policy. This handbook should be a resource for international work relating to gender equality and all women’s and girls’ full enjoyment of human rights. It contains a selection of methods and experiences that can provide examples and inspiration for further work of the Swedish Foreign Service, other parts of the civil service and society as a whole. The handbook also describes the first four years of working with a feminist foreign policy. Thereby, it responds to the considerable national and international interest in this policy.
Sweden to chair UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) 2019–2020
It is now clear that Sweden will be elected Chair of the IAEA Board of Governors for 2019–2020.
Sweden and the UN
The United Nations is a central arena for Sweden’s action to address global challenges. Through the UN, Sweden contributes to conflict prevention, peace efforts, rebuilding of conflict-affected states, and disarmament and non-proliferation. The UN is also an important channel for Sweden’s humanitarian work and our efforts to fight poverty, promote sustainable development and combat climate change. Other priorities for Sweden in the UN include strengthening international law and promoting human rights and gender equality issues. The three pillars of the UN – peace and security, development and human rights – are inextricably linked and mutually reinforcing. It is impossible to achieve success in one of these areas without also strengthening the others.
Feminist foreign policy
Equality between women and men is a fundamental aim of Swedish foreign policy. Ensuring that women and girls can enjoy their fundamental human rights is both an obligation within the framework of our international commitments, and a prerequisite for reaching Sweden’s broader foreign policy goals on peace, and security and sustainable development.
Statement of Foreign Policy 2019
On 13 February, Minister for Foreign Affairs Margot Wallström presented the 2019 Statement of Foreign Policy in the Riksdag.
Sweden in the UN Security Council
After being elected by a wide margin to the United Nations Security Council, Sweden was a non-permanent member of the Council for the 2017–2018 term. As a principled member of the United Nations Security Council, Sweden took its cue from the foundation stones of international law, human rights, gender equality and a humanitarian perspective. The Swedish working method was characterised by listening, creativity, active diplomacy and an ambition to achieve results.
Content about foreign and security policy
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Award-winning Swedish-led religious dialogue in Cyprus
Salpy Eskidjian Weiderud, Executive Director of the Swedish-led Religious Track of the Cyprus Peace Process (RTCYPP), is today awarded the first-ever International Religious Freedom Award by the US Department of State.
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The Government's continued work for nuclear disarmament
The threat posed by nuclear weapons is greater now than for several decades. A number of states are modernising their arsenals, and the lack of trust between states is an urgent problem. Nuclear disarmament is therefore a key priority of the Government’s foreign and security policy. The Government observes that the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) in its current form is not ready for signing. The Government will refrain from signing or ratifying the TBNW at the present time. However, nuclear disarmament efforts continue through a number of different initiatives.
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Continued deepening of defence cooperation between Sweden and Finland
When Minister for Defence Peter Hultqvist hosted his first official meeting with Finland’s Minister of Defence Antti Kaikkonen, continued deepening of Finnish-Swedish bilateral defence cooperation and the security situation in the Baltic Sea region were on the agenda.
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JEF – partnership for regional security
The defence ministers and supreme commanders from the nations of the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) met in Klaipėda, Lithuania, on 28 June. Sweden was represented by Policy Director Johan Lagerlöf and Chief of Defence Staff of the Swedish Armed Forces Jonas Haggren.
· Article from Ministry of Defence
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Climate and future issues at EU summit
Climate change, the long-term EU budget and the EU’s strategic agenda for the coming institutional cycle were on the agenda when Stefan Löfven and other heads of state or government from EU Member States met in Brussels on 20–21 June. The EU leaders also discussed the EU’s external relations and appointments to several top positions in the EU.
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The Swedish Foreign Service action plan for feminist foreign policy 2019–2022, including direction and measures for 2019
Gender equality is still a vision, not a reality. Sweden's feminist government wants to make this vision a reality. Gender equality is a goal in itself. But it is also essential for the achievement of the Government's other overall objectives, such as peace, security and sustainable development. Sweden is the first country in the world to pursue a feminist foreign policy.
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Top positions and future issues at EU summit
The EU’s strategic agenda for the coming institutional cycle, the long-term budget, appointments to several top EU positions and external relations are on the agenda as the heads of state and government meet in Brussels on 20–21 June.
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Sweden to host a youth perspective conference in the Barents region
On 12 June, young people from Sweden, Finland, Norway and Russia will meet in Luleå together with national and regional representatives and experts in the framework of the Swedish Chairmanship of the Barents Euro Arctic Council to discuss concrete and forward-looking proposals to increase youth engagement and influence in the Barents region.
