International

The 2019 UN Climate Change Conference (COP25) is currently taking place in Madrid. Last night, Sweden and India hosted the first high-level meeting of the global Leadership Group for Industry Transition, a joint Sweden-India initiative launched earlier this year. The group comprises countries and companies that will work together to accelerate the heavy industry and transport transition. At the meeting, Australia announced that it would be joining the group.

On 2–13 December, the countries of the world are gathering for the UN Climate Change Conference COP 25 in Madrid under the Presidency of Chile. There the countries will negotiate and decide on future work under the Paris Agreement.

Today, the Government appointed Robert Rydberg, currently Sweden’s Ambassador to Rome, as new State Secretary for Foreign Affairs at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Annika Söder, who has held the position for the past five years, is leaving to work in peace promotion and conflict resolution.

The High Ambition Alliance meeting on Chemicals and Waste took place today in Madrid under the leadership of Sweden and Uruguay. The meeting discussed the way forward for an ambitious global framework for chemicals and waste management. The current global chemicals strategy runs until 2020.

This strategy will underpin Sweden’s cooperation with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria for the period 2019–2023. The strategy determines priorities and forms of cooperation for Sweden’s membership of and partnership with the Global Fund.

Madrid, Spain 2019-12-10 Check against delivery.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MFA) is responsible for Sweden’s relations with other countries and international organisations, and for development cooperation policy and international trade policy. The MFA together with more than 100 missions abroad make up the Swedish Foreign Service. A mission abroad may be be an embassy, consulate-general, delegation or representation. The MFA is part of the Government Offices and is the largest ministry.

On Monday 9 December, Prime Minister Stefan Löfven will receive Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali. They will discuss Ethiopia’s reform efforts and enhanced cooperation between Sweden and Ethiopia on bilateral and multilateral issues.

On 5 December 2019, the Government adopted a new strategy for Sweden’s partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for 2020–2023. The strategy is guided by the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Sweden was today appointed Chair of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 2021. The decision was taken unanimously by the OSCE’s 57 participating States at the organisation’s Ministerial Council in Bratislava, Slovakia, on Thursday.