Tal EuroMeSCos konferens i Amman, Jordanien 17 oktober 2008
Your excellencies
Ladies and gentlemen
I would like to express my particular thanks to the organisers of this conference and for my invitation.
Today's programme focuses on future challenges for the Barcelona process. The challenges as well as the opportunities of the Barcelona process are plenty. However, I would like to limit my speech to discussing how the forces of globalisation and migration are fundamental for a prosperous future. I agree with former UN Secretary-General Mr Kofi Annan when he says that the main losers in today's unequal world are not those exposed to globalisation, but those who are left out.
As the Swedish minister responsible for integration, gender equality, youth questions, democracy and human rights, I will focus on these particular issues. Apart from free trade, these are also the issues to which the Swedish government is giving highest priority in Euro-Med cooperation.
During periods of economic downturn - like the one we are presently facing - the immediate effect we then see, is that priority no longer is given to policies concerning integration, gender equality and not least concerning the conditions for the young ones. Governments need to look beyond short-term gains when making its priorities - if not we will risk major future social costs. Investments in better integration, gender equality and youth are investments for the future.
Europe is currently facing huge demographic changes. Our populations are getting older. We have a growing proportion of retirements in the post-war baby-boom generation combined with low fertility levels. We have rising life expectancy and a declining working-age population. These changes poses a serious challenge to our ability to maintain our present pension and social security systems.
Europe cannot cope with global competition as well as demographic changes without considerable labour migration and increased female participation in the labour force. This is probably true also for countries in the Mediterranean region.
I disagree with those who advocate a "Fortress Europe". For the welfare and prosperity of our countries, we need to welcome immigrants who can contribute, as well as we need to take responsibility for people escaping brutal oppression.
In Sweden for instance, we have a working population of a little more than four million people. 15 percent of them are born in foreign countries. The influx of people is a guarantee for our welfare.
Also the Mediterranean countries need to attract labour, even when it arrives in the form of refugees. Migrants provide links between countries, links that promotes trade. Migration, if handled correctly, leads to economic development. The so called "brain-drain" need not be negative. Brain drain can easily turn into brain gain if sender and receiver countries cooperate.
There are two misconceptions about migration to Europe. The first is that migration taking place is described as an "exodus". Last year media made a great fuss about the arrival of 900 migrants every day to the Canary Islands. The impression was that we were facing an enormous emigration from Africa to Europe.
The EU has almost 500 million inhabitants. A few hundred emigrants in Europe on one single day is not a revolution in a continent with 500 million citizens. We decide ourselves if we want to se migration as a threat or possibility. My answer is clear: migration is absolutely necessary for any country to prosper in the twenty-first century.
The other misconception concerns the fear that Europeans feel, that hungry immigrants overflow our labour market and takes our jobs. It is the same concern that existed in Sweden before women were admitted to the labour market. Opponents then believed that all the men would lose their jobs. A million women entered the workforce, however, we did not end up with a million unemployed men. The mistake people make is to see the labour market and unemployment as a zero-sum game.
Equality between women and men is an obligation for a society that strives for democracy, but it is also necessary for economic development. An important UNDP report, the Arab Human Development report from 2005, concludes that empowerment of women is one of the most important factors for economic and social development. In fact, they have identified gender inequality as one of the most significant obstacles to human development in the Arab region.
Regular meetings of departmental ministers are held within the framework of the Barcelona process. And in 2006 we had a ministerial conference in Istanbul on "Strengthening the Role of Women in Society". The Conference was held in accordance with the Barcelona Declaration of 1995 and the Five Year Work Programme agreed upon during the 10th anniversary Euro-Mediterranean Summit in Barcelona in 2005.
The ministerial conference in Istanbul and the agreement on a Framework for "Strengthening the Role of Women in Society" provided a platform for ensuring that women's rights would be addressed and recognised as an integral element in political and socio-economic development.
It is important to acknowledge the profound changes that have taken place in the Euro-Mediterranean area over the last few years as regards political, social and economic reform and the strengthening of women's role in society.
The annual revisions of the Istanbul Framework for Action show that activities have been undertaken to promote women's representation in decision-making and leadership posts. Comprehensive national plans to address gender-based violence have been put in place, and measures have been taken to provide a better work-life balance for both women and men.
Despite all the progress, gender inequality is still a fact in all our countries. Despite the fact that more and more women participate in the labour force, few women holds the powerful positions in society. Despite the fact that most countries have legal systems, domestic violence exist in every society. Despite the fact that 193 countries have ratified the Convention on the Rights of Children, the lives of girls are still severely restricted due to so called honour traditions.
Sustainable change can only be achieved by long-term strategic endeavours to integrate a gender perspective in policies. This calls for political commitment and accountability, as well as instruments and methods for effective assessment and monitoring.
The next ministerial meeting will be organised in Morocco in 2009 to review progress. And I hope that all partner countries will have a lot to report on achievements in the field of women's rights and gender equality.
As one priority, the countries in the region should fully and effectively implement the UN Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
We need to be clear that, the basic principle is that all people are of equal value and must be able to enjoy the same human rights, responsibilities and opportunities in all areas of society. No matter if you live in Copenhagen, Cairo or Calcutta, every individual is entitled to the basic human rights. And still we have not arrived there yet. Today, there are 60 million women around the world between the ages of 20-24 who were forced to marry under the age of 18. This is not acceptable.
The core values of the Euro-Med partnership are human rights, fundamental freedoms and democracy. However, respecting human rights, strengthening fundamental freedoms and practicing democracy is not just a matter of legal standards and their enforcement. It is just as much a matter of comprehension and commitment. Sweden believes that the active involvement of the young in the struggle for our core values is crucial. Without the innovative and stimulating force of civil society - and particularly the youth organisations - we will not be able to successfully face the challenges lying ahead. This is why youth policy must remain high on the national agendas of the countries in the region.
Youth policy is a cross-sectorial domain. It concerns every aspect of the lives of children and young people. Gender equality, cultural diversity, social inclusion, health, education, housing, employment and more, must be brought into focus. Therefore youth policy cannot be conducted in isolation from other areas. On the contrary, we need more attention to youth aspects in other policy fields; we need to "mainstream".
I can assure you that our countries will not enjoy sustainable development without our young generations´ commitment to our shared future and the values that inspire us.
The core values of the Euro-Med partnership can and should never be taken for granted. Therefore the Swedish government has initiated a broad, grass-roots dialogue regarding the values we hold in common. This initiative is related to the Inter-cultural dialogue that is taking place within the framework of both the European Union and the Council of Europe. The focus of the Swedish dialogue is not, however, on cultural or other differences, but on what Swedes have in common, values based on democracy, fundamental freedoms and human rights. Surveys show that an overwhelming majority want a dialog with other people, but that less than one third ever talk to people who hold different opinions.
Our common values need to be debated, developed and reflected upon. The Euro-Med partnership represents a unique opportunity to exchange experiences and ideas, to learn from each other and to develop our cooperation.
And with these words I yield the floor to the experts.
The next words are yours, thank you!