Explanation of Vote by Sweden at the UN Security Council consideration of draft resolution S/2017/1060

Thank you Mr President,

We regret that the Council was unable to adopt the resolution before us.

We have recently, in this Council, outlined in detail the reasons to why we disagreed with the US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and with the plan for a move of the US embassy to that city.

We voted in favour of this draft resolution for a number of reasons. Firstly, it stresses that Jerusalem is a final status issue and can therefore only be resolved through negotiations in line with relevant UN resolutions. Furthermore, it reaffirms that the Holy City of Jerusalem, as a city holy to three religions, has a specific status. Most importantly it affirms the view of this Council, expressed in previous resolutions, that any decisions and actions which purport to have altered the character and status of Jerusalem have no legal effect and must be rescinded.

We also agree with the call upon all states to refrain from the establishment of diplomatic missions in Jerusalem, in line with this Council's resolution 478.

The European Union has a firm position on Jerusalem, which explains why all EU Member States on this Council voted in favour of the resolution today.

I would like also to state clearly that today's vote does not impact the resolutions adopted by this Council. The status of Jerusalem under international law remains unchanged.

Finally, Mr President, and looking forward, we urgently need to relaunch the peace process. It is high time to show commitment and to move ahead with a detailed peace plan that addresses all final status issues in a manner consistent with known parameters. This Council has a responsibility and all stake-holders, including regional actors, should now engage more than ever for peace in the Middle East.

I thank you very much.