Margot Wallström encourages Skellefteå’s youth to get involved in society – I think you need to mix your selfies with doing something selfless. Find a cause you’re passionate about and engage in it, she says.
She has an extensive career: EU Commissioner, Vice President of the EU Commission, UN representative on issues related to conflict-related sexual violence, and several ministerial positions in the Swedish government, most recently as foreign minister.
But her political journey began in Kåge in the 1970s, when she founded an SSU club.
– It was by chance; I didn’t have any trade union or political background at home. It was a neighbour who said, "You're so determined; shouldn't you start an SSU club (Social Democratic Youth League) club?" she says.
Now she is back where she grew up. She is one of the speakers at the Human Rights Days at Sara kulturhus, where she will discuss her long career in international politics and the feminist foreign policy she launched during her time as foreign minister.
– It will be exciting to talk about human rights in today’s world, where we are torn between hope and despair. We are witnessing a backlash against the principle of universal human rights, especially for women. Women make up half of the population on this planet. We cannot continue to discriminate against or exclude them from political work, she says.
Margot Wallström's inaugural panel discussion during the MR days in Skellefteå drew a substantial crowd. Moderated by Cilla Gustavsson from the Ordfront association, the conversation delved into the complexities of human rights advocacy in an era marked by both hope and despair.
Today, Wallström chairs an international working group focused on the reconstruction of Ukraine. In her home in Värmland, a photograph of a Ukrainian field hangs on the wall. Amid the yellow and black stripes of a cornfield, black holes are visible—remnants of exploded bombs. She received the photograph from Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky.
On Margot Wallström's wall hangs a photograph captured by a female Ukrainian soldier. The image depicts a cornfield pockmared by bombing.
– It was a female soldier who took the photograph. In its simplicity, the image captures the war's impact on the environment—the contrast between the beautiful nature and the brutal consequences, says Wallström.
It is a question that has gained new relevance following Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine. People are dying and being forced to flee, cities and countryside are being bombed, and families are being torn apart. Ukraine's natural environment is also suffering tremendous damage. The country is one of the world’s largest grain exporters and the leading exporter of sunflower oil.
Margot Wallström stands beside Volodymyr Zelenskyj. Environmental activist Greta Thunberg has also been part of the international working group.
– It is an incredibly beautiful country, with vast sunflower fields and large forests. Ukraine accounts for 35 percent of Europe’s biodiversity. The people are well aware of how dependent they are on what nature can provide, she says.
The war is causing farmland to be mined or poisoned for years to come. This is called ecocide—large-scale environmental destruction with long-term and far-reaching consequences for both nature and people.
Fragments of a Russian missile lie in the foreground as a farmer tends to his field in Izium, in Ukraine's Kharkiv region.
On behalf of President Zelensky, Wallström and Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, lead an international working group. The group has mapped the environmental damage caused by the war, investigated the issue of responsibility, and explored the possibilities of pursuing legal action against Russia.
– The environment has historically been called the silent victim of war. It is very rare for people to pay attention to it. Zelensky is brave to bring this perspective into his work on the peace plan. It is incredibly important for Ukrainians that Russia is held accountable for the damage they have caused to both people and the environment. Today, there is also an unprecedented opportunity to gather evidence, says Wallström.
Flooded streets in Kherson, southern Ukraine, following the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka power plant dam. Russia is suspected of sabotaging the dam, an act widely regarded as a clear example of ecocide.
Arkivbild. Det ryker från ett brinnande fält i närheten av kolgruvorna i Pokrovsk, i Ukraina i september 2024. Margot Wallström säger att Zelenskyjs fokus på krigets miljöskador är ovanligt. ”Även delfinerna i Svarta havet och Ukrainas bisonoxar är offer i kriget. Det är modigt att ta med det perspektivet i fredsplanen.”, säger hon.
At the beginning of the year, they submitted a report to Zelensky containing 50 recommendations for the government. While the war continues, the working group has been focusing on how Ukraine should be rebuilt after the conflict ends.
– There is a legacy from the Soviet era with outdated, energy-consuming systems that need to be modernized. We have been investigating how they can rebuild a better, greener society, explains Wallström.
Margot Wallström’s first panel discussion during the Human Rights Days at Sara Kulturhus was well attended. The audience cheered as she reaffirmed her decision to recognize Palestine during her tenure as foreign minister.
She is now responsible for supporting, evaluating, and ensuring that the Ukrainian government follows through on the recommendations and commitments they have made.
– We closely monitor their progress in collaboration with the European Institute of Peace, Ukrainian civil society organizations, and environmental groups.
On November 11, apartment buildings were struck during a Russian attack in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine. The bombings in Ukraine resulted in significant releases of hazardous chemicals and substances.
Because the bombings not only result in destroyed homes but also have long-term environmental consequences.
– It's like everyday life is still there, you see parts of a kitchen, a sofa, a torn curtain - but all life is gone. At the same time, it releases many toxic and dangerous substances into the air and nature. There are forests that you don't know if you will ever be able to walk in again, because there are so many mines in the ground, she says.
Ukrainian helicopters fly over a sunflower field in eastern Ukraine. The country relies on its fertile soil for agriculture, being the world’s largest exporter of sunflower oil. However, landmines and unexploded bombs from the war now threaten to destroy this vital farmland.
You are working to investigate and map environmental damage caused by a war the outcome of which remains uncertain. How do you find the strength and stamina to continue?
– It is the most meaningful thing you can do. Zelensky is taking a big risk, but making this work a priority is an important step. The environmental impact of war has never been mapped in this way before. I believe that Ukraine will set a precedent for pursuing such cases legally. We are paving the way for what can be done, she says.
During the war in Ukraine and following the explosion of the Nova Kakhovka power plant dam in Kherson, the debate over criminalizing ecocide has intensified.
One of the most high-profile examples of ecocide is the explosion of the Nova Kakhovka power plant dam in Kherson, southern Ukraine, last June. The flooding forced thousands of people to flee, with Russia suspected of being behind the blast.
Last year, the European Parliament introduced a bill that could accelerate the development of international legislation. Work in Ukraine could also help expedite similar processes. If ecocide were recognised as a crime under the Rome Statute, it would be legally equated with genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. In that case, perpetrators, such as Russia, could be prosecuted in the International Criminal Court in The Hague (ICC).
The collapse of the Kakhovka dam has led to catastrophic and long-term consequences. Here, dead fish lie at the bottom of the dried-up reservoir in Kherson, southern Ukraine.
Wallström views the work on diplomacy, reforms, and change as both a necessity and an obligation.
– I want my grandchildren to have a chance to live in a better world. This morning, I took a walk in the forest, and a thought struck me. It’s as if people today have memorised how the world works. We’re good at measuring and describing the world, rather than wanting to change it. But we must change the world for the better and find the reforms needed to get there.
After Margot Wallström's talk on the main stage, she went there to talk to young people from the association, Världens ungdomar, World's Youth, who were visiting from Linköping.
Do you have any advice for young people in Skellefteå, Kåge, or Bureå today?
– Many young people are struggling today. I think you need to balance your selfies with doing something selfless to start feeling better. You can’t just live in the world of social media. There’s a real world out there that needs all our collective efforts. Look beyond yourself. You are part of a community, and we need to care for it. Find an issue or cause that you’re passionate about and commit to it. Your future is at stake, she says.