Ministry for Foreign Affairs to investigate the functioning of its crisis organisation

Press Release 12/2005
10 January 2005



Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja decided on Monday 10 January to authorise an internal investigation of the activities of the foreign service’s administrative branch during the Southeast Asian crisis, to be conducted by the Unit of the Internal Inspection of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The internal investigation must be completed by 28 January 2005.

The objective of the investigation is to compile material meeting the needs of the Commission of Inquiry in line with the Commission’s wishes, and to produce information for the leadership of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs about activities during the crisis, to be used for developing practices and readiness. The investigation will focus on the administration of the foreign service, especially on the Ministry’s crisis organisation, the activities of the Embassy of Finland in Bangkok and the Phuket Liaison Office, and on the activities of certain other foreign missions, the purpose being to determine, in detail and comprehensively:

1) the activities of the foreign service’s administration during the crisis, in chronological order;
2) the tasks and activities of the groups making up the crisis organisation;
3) the management of the crisis organisation and internal cooperation; and
4) cooperation with the emergency readiness organisation at the national level.

Additional information: Under Secretary of State Hannu Himanen, tel. +358 9 160 55020, and Director General Erkki Huittinen, Unit for Internal Inspection, tel. + 358 9 160 55940.