Support to President Halonen's development policy related activities

Description What is done in the programme or project and why, what results are pursued, who benefits from the activities and who are involved in the implementation.

President Halonen leads and is a member of many international organizations and networks that work with sustainable development, human rights, gender equality, the status of women and girls, sexual and reproductive health and rights, democratic and good governance, peaceful societies, and climate issues. This work contributes directly and indirectly to the objectives of the official Finnish development policy. Among other duties, President Halonen is an alternate Co-Chair of the Steering Group of the Every Woman Every Child movement, convened by the UN Secretary-General, and a member of the Secretary-General's High-Level Advisory Board on Mediation. She is also a UN designated Drylands Ambassador of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification and a UN Global Champion for Disaster Risk Reduction. In her development related work, President Halonen receives support from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (KEO-90). The proposed project funds (30.000 euros) cover President Halonen's and supportive official's travel expenses when these expenses are not covered by the inviting party, and possible other ODA-eligible costs of the advocacy work.