Minister Väyrynen calls for new modes of operation for solving global problems
Press release 267/2007
29 November 2007
Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen spoke on Thursday 29 November at the closing session of the Helsinki Process evaluation conference in Tanzania.
In his speech, Väyrynen called for quick establishment of new modes of operation for solving global problems. "In development policy, environmental sustainability has been neglected. Environmental sustainability is one of the eight Millennium Development Goals, but it has been difficult to transform it into concrete programmes. Reduction of poverty is efficient and permanent only if we follow the principles of economically, socially and environmentally sustainable development," Väyrynen said.
According to Väyrynen, the biggest challenge in global governance is to bring all organisations and processes dealing with environmental issues together so that they would be able to have an effective impact on the development. In Väyrynen's opinion, this is a task that belongs to the UN and its Secretary-General. The industrial countries must also adjust their operations according to the realities posed by the environment, since the main responsibility for the environment belongs to the industrial countries. The Bali Conference to be held in December is yet another chance to promote the biggest achievement of the Climate Conference held in Rio in 1992, i.e. the principle of environmental sustainability.
Minister Väyrynen told that he had also made a suggestion to the Tanzanian Foreign Minister about establishment of a new institute as part of the bilateral development cooperation between Finland and Tanzania. The institute could strengthen Tanzania’s status in trade, development and environmental affairs and offer an opportunity for dialogue between Tanzanian and Finnish experts.
The three-day conference evaluated the achievements of the second phase of the Helsinki Process and experiences of multi-stakeholder cooperation. The conference was attended by approximately 150 people representing international organisations, civil society, and economy. The topics of discussion included peace and security, poverty and development, human rights, global governance, and the environment. Minister Väyrynen participated in the closing day programme of the conference.
The Helsinki Process is a project launched in 2002 on the basis of a joint initiative of Finland and Tanzania, aimed to promote democracy and the development of common rules for fairer globalisation.
Additional information: Special Adviser to the Minister Ossi Martikainen, tel. +358 40 592 6769