SOCIETY 369 / 2016

DIPLOMATIE
SCHWEDEN
First feminist
government
SOCIETY spoke to the new Swedish ambassador, H.E. Helen
Eduards on the first feminist government in the world, the
role of monarchy in Sweden and her work with the UN.
As this is your first post as an
ambassador, how have your experiences
been so far?
It is an honor for me to serve
as an Ambassador to Austria,
Slovenia and Slovakia and to
the UN. I am impressed by Austria’s rich culture,
music, history and heritage in the heart of Central
Europe. The different areas that the Swedish embassy
covers (bilateral, multilateral, regional) are
both important and interesting. We work actively
with the priorities of the Swedish Government in
areas such as environment and climate change,
social issues, gender equality and migration issues.
Handling these well and finding synergies
between the different areas is what comprises the
challenge, but also the stimulating part of the job.
It is particularly important now, as we face common
challenges that we need to address together.
As you mentioned before, a great part of your
work takes place at the United Nations. What are
the key points of your task area there?
We are actively participating in the UN organizations
in Vienna. Certainly, the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is important, and
non-proliferation is a key component of our work
there. Also, Sweden has been a strong force internationally
in promoting nuclear disarmament,
and our support to the CTBTO is an example of
this. We are also actively working within the UNO-
DC. One of many key areas is the effort to prevent
drug abuse, where we see a strong need to work
both with prevention and treatment. We see drug
abuse primarily as a public health issue.
Another important organization, which Sweden
supports, is UNIDO. We are one of the few countries
that provides one percent of their GNI in aid and
have quite a few projects through UNIDO in Africa.
We work through the Swedish aid agency SIDA,
providing financial support for industrial development.
UNIDO has undergone a change towards a
stronger integration of sustainability, which we
fully support. Through our own experience we can
share best practices on how to industrialize and
minimize environment consequences.
»Sweden has a
long tradition
of solidarity
and willingness
to provide refuge
for people in
need.
«
Helen
Eduards
Concerning the current crisis in Syria, how
is Sweden dealing with the issue of the waves of
refugees coming to your country?
We do not have an upper limit like Austria
but have taken measures to manage the inflow of
refugees while aiming at respecting the right to
asylum and assisting those in need of protection.
We received 163.000 refugees last year. Many of
those refugees are of Syrian origin, and by providing
refuge, Sweden contributes to alleviating the
effects of the war in Syria. It is also important to
help those that remain in the region, and need
assistance there. Sweden is strongly investing in
humanitarian aid and development assistance in
the Middle East.
Since Sweden has a long experience with migration,
we have routines and systems in place.
However, we have to make sure that we can also
continue receiving refugees in the long run. We
have thus taken certain measures to reduce the
numbers such as ensuring that those who apply
for asylum have valid grounds, ID controls along
our borders, and adjustments to the rules to apply
for asylum, bringing them closer to a European
standard.
Are nationalistic civil groups like Odin’s sons
an issue in Sweden?
There is a right wing party in the Parliament,
the Swedish Democrats, which has an anti-immigration
approach. Notwithstanding that, there
are concerns and also a wide recognition, that
many measures are needed for the integration of
migrants into our society. We need an open debate
to address concerns and find answers, and avoid
polarizing points of view. The majority of the population
does not have an anti-migrant, but rather
a pro-solution, approach. Sweden has a long tradition
of solidarity and willingness to provide help
to people in need.
Sweden has the first feminist government in
the world. What is your view on feminism?
I have been a feminist as long as I remember.
I was brought up by feminist parents and now I
represent a feminist government. Sweden has ➢
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