北欧绿色邮报网报道（记者陈雪霏）– 瑞典外交大臣马约特.瓦尔斯特伦6日宣布辞职。

她说，她辞职的原因是因为她希望有更多时间与丈夫和儿孙在一起。她辞职的原因似乎很容易让人理解。

同样是今天，津巴布韦前总统穆加贝因病去世。这是一代革命家，老一辈领导人希望终生任职，希望死在工作岗位上，就是为了革命事业鞠躬尽瘁。而在瑞典，人们往往在重视工作的同时，也重视家庭。

瓦尔斯特伦近年来在多次国际会议的场合一直提到我们的子孙后代。是她提出了瑞典的外交政策是女权主义的外交政策，对外援助也是女权主义的援助。她非常重视妇女和儿童，在外援时偏向妇女和儿童。

有人问她为什么不在政府更迭时辞职，她的回答是，在政府更迭之时，政府也是处在艰难时刻，因此，在那时，她决定与政府在一起，但是，现在，一切正常，她决定辞职。

瓦尔斯特伦于1954年9月28日出生于瑞典北部一个非常优美的绿色城镇Skellefteå，她是一名没有学位的高中生，曾担任银行职员和会计师和瑞典韦姆兰地区电视网络的首席执行官。她说：“永远不会有一个最好的时机去离开这个岗位，但是我已经尽了我最大的努力。我在政治领域活跃了四十年。近期我在一本书中读到，你想要在余生中做到什么？这让我开始思考，一次又一次，我想要回家，我答应我的家人我会回家。但是我对平等、妇女儿童权益、气候问题等事业的工作永不会停止我会继续我的理想。

虽然她没有学位，但是，她是一个善于学习的人，也是一个非常实在的人。她在任期间积极推动瑞典担任联合国非常任理事国，并积极致力于推动和平与发展，合作与对话，尤其在非洲推动妇女儿童事业的发展作出很大努力。

瑞典电网监管新规致信用风险加大
《今日工业报》9月2日报道，瑞典政府最近首次做出决定，将电网公司的回报率从5.85%降至2.16%。然而，对电力公司更严格的财务限制可能危及瑞典气候目标的融资。信用评级机构标准普尔也发出警告，政府收紧监管意味着投资风险上升，并可能降低电网公司信用评级。

瑞典政府将进一步强化金融监管
《今日工业报》9月2日报道，金融市场大臣佩尔·博洛德表示，在瑞典银行（Swebank）洗钱丑闻发生后，政府决定对瑞金融监管局(Finansinspektionen，FI)的权限、能力、授权及内设部门进行全面审查，以评估金融监管局的履职能力及改革的必要性。瑞典银行新任总裁延斯·亨里克森在上周新闻发布会上承诺将对“最高层”完全透明。今年洗钱丑闻发生以来，瑞典银行的市值已暴跌约1/3。

英国脱欧使在瑞英国人担忧
瑞典《今日工业报》9月2日报道，多达2.5万名在瑞典的英国公民正在等待英国退欧决定公布后给他们带来的影响。英国驻瑞典大使馆临时代办Peter Ruskin表示，这是一个巨大的变化，它带来了诸多不确定性和担忧。此外，报道称，在英国首相 Boris Johnson决定英国议会关闭五周后，瑞典公司对英国无协议退欧的担忧日益加剧。瑞典企业联合会(ConFederation of Swedish Enterprise)欧盟专家Niklas Bergström表示，他们正开始为最糟糕的情况做准备-英国硬脱欧。Niklas Bergström说：“如果硬脱欧发生，药品、新鲜农产品的运输和交付都会出现问题。”

瑞典女性网购数量高于男性
瑞典每日新闻网9月1日报道，支付服务平台Klarna发布了一份关于购买模式的电子商务报告，其内容显示，虽然男性通常在每次订单上的花费更多，但大多数购买(66%)是由女性完成的。女性在网上花费金额总数也比男性多(占总数的67%)。Klarna的消费者行为专家Viveka Söderbäck说：“我们认为这是因为女性在家庭中会更多地承担购买家庭用品的工作。我们相信我们拥有一个平等的社会，但在零售方面，我们还没有完全做到这一点。”

瑞典MTG公司与虎牙直播达成战略合作
据瑞典媒体Breakit9月3日报道，瑞典MTG公司与中国虎牙直播达成战略合作协议。两家公司将联合发起一家新公司，主要发展和承办中国电子竞技比赛等。中国电子竞技市场每年市场总量约20亿瑞典克朗，远大于欧洲市场总量。虎牙将买进MTG公司旗下的Turtle Entertainment (ESL)价值2.93亿瑞典克朗的股权。虎牙隶属于中国科技巨头腾讯公司。

瑞典致力于改善欧盟内部市场
据瑞典每日新闻网9月3日报道，目前，瑞典欧盟委员会候选人可能是Ylva Johansson,但在向Ursula von der Leyen领导的新一届欧盟委员会提名委员之前，瑞典更希望加快改善欧盟内部市场。现任欧盟委员会贸易委员Cecilia Malmström来自瑞典，她敦促政府以欧盟内部市场为重，并将此列为政府未来五年的工作重点。
外贸大臣林德表示，“欧盟内部市场对于瑞典而言极度重要。我们希望新任欧盟委员会能看到欧盟内部市场的重要性，欧盟内部市场也有很大的提高空间。”
欧盟28个成员国之间的货物已经实现自由流通，但是服务贸易情况相对复杂。林德指出，76%的欧盟企业从事于服务业，但是只有20%的公司涉及跨境业务。林德谈到，“这种情况根源何在？因为服务贸易还存在很多障碍。如果消除这些障碍，可以拉动瑞典GDP每年增长1000亿瑞典克朗。”
林德强调，希望和其他有共识的国家一起推动改善欧盟内部市场。

瑞电动汽车销量大幅增长
据瑞典BIL的最新数据显示，今年8月瑞典新购电动汽车的登记数量比去年同期增加了71%。今年到目前为止，纯电动汽车在新车市场的份额已经从去年的1.3%增加到4.7%。BIL的CEO Mattias Bergman 在一份新闻稿中写到：如果把纯电动汽车和可充电的混合动力车结合起来，那么今年到目前为止，注册的每十辆新车中就有一台是可充电汽车，轻型卡车表现尤其突出。其中一部分增长原因是去年8月注册人数较低。另外，新机动车税中的“奖惩制度”已成为法律制度，即新购置的低二氧化碳排放的汽车将获得奖金，二氧化碳排放量高的汽车会被征收三年的惩罚性税收。这一政策大大增加了电动车的销量。

瑞典中间党提议对节水企业给予退税优惠
据瑞典《每日新闻网》9月3日报道，在9月底瑞典中间党年度会议召开前，该党领导层正在研提鼓励减少用水量的举措，例如对采用灰水冲马桶、水循环淋浴等新型节水技术的企业给予退税优惠。中间党气候和能源问题发言人Rickard Nordin表示，水资源供应存在问题，因此需要更加节约用水。采用节水技术可使家庭用水量减少一半，并且随着热水供应减少，用电量也会降低。中间党还希望欧盟为浴室产品引进一套水标签制度，类似于家用电器的能源标签制度。

六成在华瑞企受中美贸易摩擦影响
瑞典贸易投资委员会（Business Sweden）日前发布报告称，三分之二的瑞典公司受到中美贸易摩擦的负面影响，难以应对需求减少和投资推迟。30%的受访者表示投资推迟，成本上升、经商条件复杂以及贸易的不确定性是主要原因。17%的企业表示在海关面临问题，许多公司已改变渠道分销到其他国家以缓解压力。

瑞加强银行卡支付安全验证
据《瑞典日报》9月4日报道，欧盟颁布新规加强银行卡安全支付监管，控制银行卡诈骗等违法犯罪行为，该规定将于9月14日在瑞典生效。新的规定增加了安全认证步骤，例如输入密码和网络购买的3D顾客认证。没有完成3D安全认证的交易将无法通过。

瑞典对银行征税将严重打击银行股东 
据瑞典电台9月4日报道，高级经济评论员Kristian Åström认为，瑞典拟对银行征收的用于引导投资进入国防支出的税收，可能会对银行股东造成最严重的冲击。政府预计这项税收每年为50亿克朗，但银行将面临资金短缺困难。银行有限的国内收入被用于征税，再加上经济衰退和负利率，无疑将影响金融市场。随着新诉讼法规的出台，银行正加大对金融的控制力度，金融服务数字化正推动银行进行结构性改革，规模较小的竞争对手也加入进来，拉低了消费价格。Åström总结指出，最终股东们可能不得不接受金融危机后利润不断增长的美好岁月即将结束的事实。该税预计于2022年起征，目前正就其结构进行谈判。温和党党魁Ulf Kristersson将征收该税比作“钱直接掉进黑洞”。

瑞典企业为英国脱欧做准备
据《Mundus网》9月5日报道，随着英国脱欧临近，在英国开展业务的瑞典企业已准备好应对混乱。有企业家表示虽已尽可能做好准备，但仍担心经济崩溃会要求公司缩减其英国子公司的规模。瑞典驻伦敦使馆估计，有千余家瑞典公司在英国设有子公司，还有数千家与英国进行贸易。Nordea的首席经济学家Annika Winsth认为，脱欧协议将在10月31日截止日期前获得通过，在这种情况下，瑞典经济增长将在2020年放缓至1.2%，而失业率将在今年秋季大幅增长，2020年将达到7%以上的峰值。

Nordea预测瑞典经济增长乏力 
Nordea银行9月4日发布经济展望，预测北欧地区、欧元区和英国市场的GDP增长乏力。瑞典经济由于国内消费、投资和出口疲软正逐渐放缓，到2020年，失业率将上升到7%以上，经济增长将下降到1.2%。尽管如此，低油价、贸易战中的不确定性减少以及低利率将有助于瑞典2020年的出口。与其他银行的预测不同，Nordea相信瑞典央行将在今年12月将利率下调至-0.5%。Nordea的首席经济学家Annika Winsth认为，央行将尽其所能提供支持，规模之大或有可能将我们推入另一场危机。

来源驻瑞使馆

Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure to be here today and discuss an issue of such fundamental importance to humanity: water.

I will start by quoting a favourite author of mine, Rolf Edberg:

“The eternal life cycle of water; it is the same water that I can drink from a small cold creek in the north of Sweden that once filled Cleopatras bath tub, been carried in clay vessels across deserts, that has rained down on the forests in the Amazons, passed through the cooling system of a nuclear reactor or sifted through the mouth of a hump whale or maybe fallen as snow flakes over my house on a dark winter evening. “

I would like to thank the Stockholm International Water Institute for organising this remarkably successful and internationally renowned event – World Water Week – over the past 29 years. And I would also like to thank all participants here today: researchers, experts, decision-makers and leaders in various sectors with connections to water. Your contribution to our common knowledge and a future of sustainability is indispensable.

As many of you know, Sweden experienced one of its hottest summers in recorded history last year and suffered devastating forest fires.

We managed to bring the fires under control, thanks to the cooperation of national and international forces, but also thanks to the water in nearby lakes that responders could use to fight the fires.

Water saved our forests and our local communities.

Without water no society can survive. A large proportion of the world’s population lives around river basins where water is shared by two or more countries.

The way in which water is shared and managed by communities has an impact on human life, economic growth and sustainable development. But, given its vital importance, water can also – as we all know – be a source of tension and conflict, threatening peace.

Climate change is the greatest challenge of our generation. Its impacts are already being felt around the world, with threats in many sensitive areas, including ecosystems, the environment, health, agriculture, food security, and peace and security.

Droughts and floods now occur more frequently than previously, forcing people to leave their homes. Some of the regions most affected by conflict also suffer from water scarcity, and climate change will exacerbate these problems.

To implement the goals set in the ambitious 2030 Agenda, we need to address the root causes of conflicts and poverty.

In 2017, during Sweden’s term on the UN Security Council, a landmark resolution was adopted in relation to Lake Chad that emphasised the need for climate-related risk assessments and risk management strategies by governments and the UN. It was one of our key goals to make this connection clear also to the Security Council.

And it was the first resolution of its kind.

During my visit to the Sahel region in July last year, I personally met people who were already suffering from the severe impacts of climate change.

I met people displaced by drought and floods, people who were unable to feed their families because of extreme weather patterns. Such hardship drives tensions and mistrust, and prolongs conflict, making it much harder to adapt to the challenges of climate change. 

To quote UN Secretary-General António Guterres: “Climate change is a direct threat in itself and a multiplier of many other threats – from poverty to displacement to conflict.”

Sweden’s commitment to the prevention agenda pursued by the Secretary-General – to a more holistic approach to prevention – builds on the acknowledgment of many varied and interlinked drivers of conflict.

The management of transboundary waters is an issue where conflict prevention and diplomatic efforts such as water/hydro-diplomacy can be carried out in a more holistic way.

I remember from when I was a European commissioner a conflict over a river and how diverging it would affect the surrounding countries. This created a very tense debate that showed how sensitive these questions are.

The EU has recently updated its Council conclusions on Water Diplomacy, and intends to enhance its diplomatic engagement on water as a tool for peace, security and stability.

Conflict is often an inevitable and always a transformative force in societies. The challenge is to find ways of managing and transforming conflict in peaceful and constructive ways. 

The prevention of violent conflict is a key Swedish foreign policy priority, and was one of our main priorities during our membership of the Security Council, along with climate change, security, and the women, peace and security agenda. All of these converge when we discuss inclusive approaches to water diplomacy.

Women play critical roles in conflict prevention and natural resource management at local level. Yet their participation in political leadership, water management and formal peace processes remains disappointingly low.

It is crucial to remove obstacles to women’s participation in decision-making. Empowering women saves lives.

Networks of women mediators are a good example of how women can contribute to conflict resolution. In 2015, I launched the Swedish Women’s Mediation Network, which was inspired by a similar network in Africa.

Its members have supported dialogue and peace-building efforts in several conflict situations, focusing primarily on supporting local women in taking active roles in conflict resolution, including as part of SIWI’s work in the Nile Basin.

Cooperation between countries is crucial, and has far-reaching benefits for societies, people, the environment and stability. It builds trust and reduces the risk of conflict.

There is great potential in strengthened cooperation on shared water resources in regions such as the Nile Basin, which has immense strategic value for the whole of North East Africa.

Increased cooperation is necessary, not least in light of the high population growth rate and the negative consequences of climate change that we are already seeing today.

Strengthened cooperation also brings significant prospects of positive outcomes on regional peace and stability, economic development, sustainability and environmental protection.

We need to cooperate closely with all stakeholders, and I believe that strong institutions are the best guarantors of such cooperation. Strong multilateral institutions at international, regional and sub-regional level are essential to managing differences, including over shared resources such as water.

Our position continues to be to support dialogue and strengthen the capacity of riparian states to cooperate and negotiate through intergovernmental structures, such as river basin organisations.

Sweden’s foreign, security, and development policies go hand in hand. We have the world’s first feminist foreign policy and feminist government and we are strong supporters of the women, peace and security agenda.

It is crucial to consider the gender-related effects of conflict, poverty and the scarcity of basic resources, such as water. My visit to the Sahel region clearly confirmed the need for consistency between foreign, security and development policy to achieve greater synergies and impact.

To contribute to help tackle the effects of climate change in the Sahel region we decided to top up our assistance to climate- and security-related efforts there with approximately 40 million USD for the period 2018–2021.

Dear friends,

Climate change is a reality that affects us all, even here in the Northern Hemisphere. There are no one solution to these effects but instead they must be tackled collectively and with a wide range of political tools.

The international community must come together and step up our action to address current and future risks and challenges in an integrated manner, through sustainable and climate-resilient water management and inclusive cooperation.

Now is the time to act with science and knowledge and I know that all of you here today are willing and able to do so.

Because a world where water is not seen as a scarce and valuable resource is a world where no society can prosper. I look forward to fruitful and rewarding discussion here at this World Water Week.

Thank you for listening.

Published 28 August 2019

Excellences, Ministers, distinguished guests;
There are more and more of us on the planet. Soon we will be 10 billion people. To make room for us and our way of living we are gradually pushing out other species, not only some but most of all existing species, and whole ecosystems. Anthropocene is the new epoch of earth history, where the human race has a global impact. We use more space, but also more natural resources. This of course increases the demands for how we economize. We have reached the point where we no longer can pollute and destroy fundamental assets as water, air and arable soil, without hurting ourselves severely.

The epoch of the human race gives us a special responsibility. Power goes with responsibility. We humans today possess such an enormous destructive force that we can extinguish the basis for our own children to live a decent life.

On the other hand, we also possess knowledge, know-how and possibilities of how to change our societies and our way of living in a way that could make the future something to long for, both for the children of today and of tomorrow. We have the knowledge but are we capable of using it? Water is a good example. We know how to take care of the most fundamental resource for life on earth. Environmental activists, scientists, human rights defenders, youth, forward-looking companies and brave politicians have worked for generations attending to water basins, the seas and to the environment.

But most of us living on the planet to day ignores these fundamental know-hows. We don’t use water wisely and we don’t use water for the good of everyone. We must realize that we, each and every one of us, have that special responsibility. But even more, this is something that is up to us decision makers, in politics, business and bureaucracies. It is time to step up. Urgently. We must act more resolute than ever before. Getting water governance and investment in water security right are absolutely essential for the development of our societies and for the planet.

Today, those in power around the world give priority to the wrong things. It is our fundamental needs that should come first.
Our treatment of water and air is but one aspect of how we look at ourselves and our cohabitants on this planet. We are and should be the responsible ones. Nobody else but we. We are the only ones who can and have this opportunity, this enormous burden, or, if you so wish, this beautiful task worth living for.

***

Friends,
When we now are entering the 2020:s, an increasing water demand, generally caused by urbanisation, industrialisation, population growth, expansion of irrigated agriculture and increasing living standards, have increased the competition for scarce water resources in many parts of the world.

Wastewater pollute seas and water basins, profoundly affecting the quality and amount of water available.

And adding to that picture; the effects of climate change have resulted in more flood and drought disaster events than ever before. Sea level rise and coastal degradation, extreme weather events and weather-related disasters affect both water and food security.

The risk for increased conflicts is fueled on as many societies don’t have the resources or the governance structure to deal with them.
Radical rethinking is needed.

Securing access to water for all people should be one of the major political and environmental challenges for the world leaders of today.
The stakes are far too high for us to gamble with water!

Ecosystems and their services are in continuous decline: The world has lost around 70 per cent of its natural wetlands over the last century, with profound impacts on economic development and social and environmental stability. If the natural environment continues to be degraded, and unsustainable pressures put on global water resources – about 45 per cent of the global gross domestic product, 52 per cent of the world’s population and 40 per cent of global grain production will be put at risk by 2050, according to the UN report on goal 6.
Poor and marginalized populations will be disproportionately affected, which will further worsen the rising inequalities.
It is becoming increasingly clear that many water governance systems, including the legislation, rules, guidance and incentives, as well as the institutions and individuals that implement them, are poorly adapted to current and coming realities.

The world needs better water governance with a focus on who gets what water when and how. During the UN Climate Summit in September things need to step up. I want to see that the world leaders agree to:

• Cut emissions! Emissions of nutrients from agriculture and wastewater must be reduced by simply building wastewater systems and treatment plants.

• Forestry practices has to be changed to reduce the amounts of sediments that reach coastal waters after logging.

• Restore and protect habitats such a coral reefs and blue carbon habitats.

• Regulate and limit coastal fisheries!

• Policies and investments in water infrastructure must be targeted to manage risks of excess, scarcity or pollution.

• Funding for building resilience needs to reach and strengthen local level structures where the impacts of disaster are most felt.

• Include women in decision making! Women have accumulated knowledge about water resources, including location, quality, natural cyclical variability and storage methods. They have insights regarding hygiene and sanitation practices. Information that is vital for policies and programming.

• Most importantly, if we want to stop the climate disaster, and be able to find long term sustainable solutions – we must agree to put an end of the use of fossil fuels.

To succeed, we also must over throw short term populistic and dangerous politics as well as impunity.

The 2030 Agenda with its three dimensions – economic, social and environmental – is the roadmap for sustainable development. The 17 sustainable development goals are integrated and indivisible. The success in one goal depends on the success in all the others. Carefully designed and implemented, measures with an integrated approach can contribute to the achievements of the Paris Agreement as well as many of the other SDG:s.

We need to strengthen education and empower women, support young people and activists, indigenous peoples and local communities. We need a strong and brave civil society.

And we need to create an enabling environment that contributes to inclusive and informed decision making and planning.

To state the obvious, the key for progress and good water governance lies in how we tackle democracy, human rights and climate change. You can not solve one problem without caring for the others.

Friends,
I have a wish. It is that future generations will be able to look at the years of 2019 -2020 as the turning point for reasonable politics.
Through coherent policies, legal frameworks, dedicated financing, and strong institutions and partnership, we have can get there. Together.
Thank you, Stockholm International Water Institute for your tireless efforts in continuing to organize this event and champion the cause of water security. It has been a great pleasure for me to be here today celebrating water – as the fundament for all aspects of life – at the Stockholm Water Week.
Thank you.