Statement
Statement summary
The representative of Denmark said that when the Security Council is “unable or unwilling to act, the costs are felt across the world”. She spotlighted violence across the globe including war in Sudan, the erasure of women’s rights in Afghanistan and “the horrible situation” in Gaza. “What is going on in Gaza right now has nothing to do with self-defence,” she said, decrying a man-made famine and the killing of thousands of civilians. She called on Israel to comply with international law, underscoring that the two-State solution remains the only path to peace for both peoples — who each deserve security and dignity.
Turning to the Russian Federation’s “horrific and illegal war of choice” in Ukraine, she underlined that “Denmark will continue to support Ukraine, for as long as it takes. Kyiv is fighting to defend the “very principles that define the UN-based world order: territorial integrity, national sovereignty and the right to political independence”. Moreover, the Russian Federation has made clear its intentions to continue on “the path of war” with repeated violations of European airspace. The grim situation must not give way to a “world ruled by brute force”, she said. She reiterated support for the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC), as well as the Sustainable Development Goals, voicing concern over the widening financing gap and calling on Member States to provide official development assistance (ODA).
Speaking at the UN General Assembly on Monday, Danish Ambassador Christina Markus Lassen warned that the “collective inability” of the international community to address crises in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan, “must not prompt us to submit to a world ruled by brute force.”
She stressed that the UN is “as essential as ever,” even as conflicts intensify, extreme poverty grows, and respect for international law and norms erodes.
Since 1945, she noted, “more than a billion people have been lifted out of poverty,” life expectancy and living standards have risen, and a global web of economic, political, and cultural ties has taken shape – proof, she said, of the UN’s central role.
“As the world changes, so too must the UN,” Ms. Lassen said, citing divisions in the Security Council.
“Too often, the Council is divided, unable or unwilling to act…The costs of inaction are felt across the world.”
She called for expansion of the Security Council and reform of the international financial system to create “a system that delivers for all.”
Peace, climate and reform
Turning to global conflicts, the Danish Ambassador described the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as “a catastrophe of unbearable scale”, stressing that the two-State solution “remains the only solution to lasting peace.”
On Ukraine, she said the “horrific and illegal war of choice” could end tomorrow “if only Russia wanted it to.” She added the conflict’s wide-ranging impact – from supply chain disruptions to global inflation – extend far beyond the battlefield.
She also highlighted suffering in Sudan, Afghanistan, Haiti, and Myanmar, urging Member States to address humanitarian crises with urgency.
Climate change, she warned, is a defining challenge: “In a world of competing crises, climate change and its impact remain real.”
She noted that in 2024, more than 90 per cent of new power added to the world’s grid came from renewable energy, but said further action is essential to reduce emissions and accelerate a just energy transition.
Call for unity
Quoting Nelson Mandela – “it always seems impossible until it is done” – Ambassador Lassen urged nations to rekindle cooperation and solidarity.
“By working together, we got here,” she said, echoing the General Assembly President’s theme Better Together.
“By working together, we can rise to today’s challenges – for people and for the planet.”
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