Mr Chairman,

The Secretary General pleads the case for collective responsibility in the age of globalization.

I fully support his values and his priorities.

On behalf of Norway - I will make three remarks:

First; if we believe in collective responsibility, we need the mechanisms to build global public goods.

We need to create the structures of a global public sector, to address the needs of our citizens

– needs that cannot be left to the market alone: health, education, welfare, and security.

We need a global force:

To help reach the goal of halving world poverty by 2015.

To set standards for the rights of children.

To push the fight against AIDS and other diseases.

To protect against financial turbulence.

To help nations safeguard the environment and combat climate change.

To prevent, settle and heal the wounds of conflict.

The United Nations and its agencies is the core of this global public sector.

Secondly; if we believe in collective responsibility, we need to safeguard public funding and encourage new partnerships.

We need to give the UN demanding mandates and secure finances.

Governments must finance the core, and rich governments must pay more.

Three decades ago, the rich countries agreed to contribute 0.7% of GDP for development assistance.

Every year since, the rich have become richer.

But the average development assistance has fallen far below the target.

That is a shame, and the trend needs to be reversed.

In addition we need new and innovative partnerships with the private sector.

To tap their experience, their know how and their resources.

The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization – or GAVI - is one such partnership.

Together – the UN, governments, industry and private capital have set the course to help immunize every child.

Healthy children breed healthy communities.

They turn the spiral of poverty.

My Government has decided to lend its full financial and political support to GAVI.

I encourage the UN to trigger more such partnerships.

Thirdly, if we believe in collective responsibility we need a dedicated front against armed conflict.

We must empower the United Nations to deal more effectively with conflict.

The Brahimi Report provides us with an excellent set of tools for developing the UNs Peace Building capacities.

We must prevent conflict whenever possible, support peace, and punish genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Mr Chairman,

Norway is a candidate for a seat in the Security Council.

If elected, we will;

• Mobilise resources and political will in the fight against poverty;
• Contribute all our experience from peace-keeping, peace building and humanitarian assistance.

This all amounts, Mr Chairman, to a strategy for comprehensive peace building.

Thank you, Mr Chairman