UN General Assembly
1986

More than 50,000 Swedes have to date served in the United Nations peace-keeping operations. Those missions are an important part of the work of the United Nations. The latest report of the Secretary-General and the recent Security Council debate have demonstrated that one of those operations - the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) - finds itself in a particularly precarious and critical situation. We support the efforts of the Secretary-General, and welcome the fact that those difficult issues are now the subject of thorough consideration, not least in view of our recent decision to increase Swedish participation in the Force. Sweden attaches great importance to the observances of certain fundamental principles as regards the peace-keeping operations. There must exist realistic possibilities of carrying out the tasks in accordance with the mandate. The operations should be carried out in co-operation with the parties most directly concerned, they must be of a temporary nature and contribute to resolving the conflicts. Furthermore, I stress especially the need for the support of the Security Council and a reasonable sharing of the expenses.