Finnish diplomat selected for advisory position in UN Women in New York

Permanent Representative of Finland to the OSCE Katja Pehrman has been selected Senior Adviser for Coordination and Focal Point for Women in the UN System.

Pehrman will start her functions at the UN Women Headquarters in New York in mid-May. She will transfer to UN Women from Vienna, where she has served as Permanent Representative of Finland to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

Pehrman has extensive experience of work in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. She joined the Ministry in 2002. Before assuming her post as Permanent Representative of Finland to the OSCE in September 2013, she worked as Diplomatic Adviser to Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja and as Chief of Cabinet at the Office of the Minister for Foreign Affairs. She has also served in the Political Department and in the Permanent Representation of Finland to the UN in New York. Pehrman holds the degree of Master of Social Sciences.

“The promotion of women’s rights and elimination of discrimination increase security and stability in all parts of the world. However, equality is unfortunately not yet self-evident – a lot of work remains to be done. I have enjoyed the possibility to promote an important matter as a Finnish diplomat in the service of international organisations and in future in the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality,” says Perhman, who will soon move to New York.

In 2016, Perhman chaired the Human Dimension Committee (HDC) of the OSCE and dealt with such questions as the rights of women and persons with disabilities.

UN Women aims to promote gender equality, eliminate discrimination and strengthen the position, opportunities and rights of women and girls. In accordance with its mandate, UN Women is responsible for leading and coordinating system-wide equality work in the UN.

Enhancing the rights and status of women and girls is one of the priorities of Finland’s development policy. UN Women has been among Finland’s principal partner organisations of the UN since its foundation in 2011 and Finland is one of its biggest financiers. Last year, Finland’s core funding to UN Women was EUR 10 million. In addition, Finland supports UN Women at country level.

Inquiries: Lisa Kestilä, PA to the Ambassador, tel. +43 1 535 0365 11