“Do not submit to a world governed by brute force,” urges Denmark to world leaders at the UN

She stressed that the UN is “as essential as ever”, even if conflicts will intensify, extreme poverty develops and respect for international law and that standards are eroding.

Since 1945, she noted: “More than a billion people have been out of poverty”, life expectancy and standard of living have increased, and a global network of economic, political and cultural ties has taken shape-the proof, she said, of the central role of the UN.

“As the world changes, the UN also owes,” said Ms. Lassen, citing divisions in the Security Council.

“Too often, the Council is divided, incapable or does not want to act … The costs of inaction are felt around the world.”

She called for the expansion of the Security Council and the reform of the international financial system to create “a system that offers for all”.

Peace, climate and reform

Turning to world conflicts, the Danish ambassador described the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as “a disaster of an unbearable scale”, stressing that the two -state solution “remains the only solution to lasting peace”.

In Ukraine, she said that “the war of horrible and illegal choice” could end tomorrow “if only Russia wanted it”. It added the wide impact of the conflict-from the disturbances of the supply chain to world inflation-extends far beyond the battlefield.

She also underlined suffering in Sudan, Afghanistan, Haiti and Myanmar, urging Member States to deal with emergency humanitarian crises.

Climate change, she warned, is a decisive challenge: “In a world of competing crises, climate change and its impact remains real.”

It noted that in 2024, more than 90% of the new power added to the global network came from renewable energies, but said that new measures are essential to reduce emissions and accelerate a fair energy transition.

Call to unity

Quoting Nelson Mandela – “it always seems impossible until it is done” – the Ambassador Lassen urged nations to revive cooperation and solidarity.

“By working together, we arrived here,” she said, echoing the president of the general assembly better together.

“By working together, we can take up the challenges of today – for people and for the planet.”