UN week begins – Finland’s focus on peace mediation and equality

Un General Assembly brings world leaders to New York on 24-28 September. Peace mediation and equality are on the agenda at Finland’s events.

The high-level week of the UN General Assembly in New York starts with the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit on Monday 24 September. The 73rd General Assembly will be opened on Tuesday 25 September. Finland’s address will be delivered late in the evening Finnish time.

Finland’s representatives at the Assembly are the President of the Republic Sauli Niinistö, Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Anne-Mari Virolainen and Minister of Social Affairs and Health Pirkko Mattila. Also present are President Tarja Halonen and the Foreign Minister’s Special Representative on Mediation Jutta Urpilainen.

The high-level week brings the world’s state and government leaders and international organisations together in New York every year. Apart from the General Assembly there are a good number of other events and meetings.

During the week Finland organises several side events together with other countries and international organisations. The focus is on Finland’s objectives for the UN policies, including conflict prevention and peace mediation and improving the rights of women and girls. In peace mediation Finland wishes in particular to promote the involvement of women and young people in peace processes.

Position of women and the young on the agenda at Finland’s events

During the high-level week Minister for Foreign Affairs Soini will host a dinner to discuss peace operations, and a meeting of the Group of Friends of Mediation on the ways to promote the involvement of young people. Also on Minister Soini’s agenda are events concerning Syria and the situation in Near East in general and the meeting of the Group of Friends of the CTBT (Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban-Treaty).

Minister Virolainen will host an event on climate change adaptation, where the main theme is the participation of women in decision-making on environmental and climate issues.

Gender equality is also in a key role at the She Decides Champions meeting, attended by Minister Virolainen, and meeting of the HeForShe solidarity movement, where President Niinistö will deliver the opening address.

Together with the UN 2030 Agenda representatives Minister Virolainen will host a meeting on the role of innovations in reaching the Sustainable Development Goals. SDGs will also be the theme for an event hosted by Minister of Social Affairs and Health Pirkko Mattila to discuss who is responsible for the health of women, children and the young in the context of the 2030 Agenda.

Besides the events organised by Finland and other countries, the Finnish delegation has several bilateral meetings with various state and government leaders.

Many events of the UN Assembly high-level week can be viewed live at http://webtv.un.org/(Link to another website.) . To follow the events in Twitter use #UNGA ja #UNGA73.

Addresses by Finland’s representatives will be published at https://um.fi/speeches.