H.M. Konungens tal under kransnedläggningsceremoni till minne av Dag Hammarskjöld

We are here today to honour Dag Hammarskjöld and his life. We are also here to honour the staff and crew who lost their lives in Ndola in 1961.

Dag Hammarskjöld was a man of vision and courage. He helped shape the United Nations into a stronger force for peace, development and human rights.

Before Hammarskjöld, my godfather Count Folke Bernadotte served the United Nations as its first mediator in conflicts. His life was cut short while carrying out his UN mission for peace.

Hammarskjöld once said: “We are not permitted to choose the frame of our destiny. But what we put into it is ours.”

These words remind us that we cannot choose the era we are born into. But we can choose our actions and the legacy we leave behind.

Hammarskjöld’s message is clear: it is up to us to fill the frame we have been given with justice and solidarity.

As the United Nations turns 80, his words are more relevant than ever. The UN is still the world’s most important forum for dialogue, cooperation, and collective action. Today, we must protect and defend it with the same determination as when it was created.

The UN Charter calls on us to save future generations from the horrors of war. That mission requires courage, persistence and unity. Without a strong United Nations, crises risk turning into violence and armed conflict.

Let us keep Hammarskjöld’s spirit alive and work to ensure that, for at least another 80 years, the United Nations remains a guardian of peace.

Thank you.