Current affairs
1.3.2012
Finland signed an Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child on a communications and inquiry procedure
Finland signed a new Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which contains provisions on a communications and inquiry procedure. The Optional Protocol is a remarkable step towards accelerating the implementation of the rights of the child. Finland was part of a so called “core group”, which consisted of ten countries working together across regional borders to promote the initiation of the Optional Protocol.
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27.2.2012
Signmark to perform in the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on 1 March 2012
Sign language rap artist Signmark aka Marko Vuoriheimo – who is also known as the Foreign Ministry’s Special Representative to promote the rights of persons with disabilities – will perform during the 19th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on 1 March 2012.
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27.2.2012
27.2.2012
High-Level Roundtable Discussion on Africa’s Natural Resources Held in Tanzania
The Institute of African Leadership for Sustainable Development (Uongozi Institute) will conduct a high level roundtable discussion on the 28th of February in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The topic is “Managing Natural Resources to Ensure Prosperity in Africa”.
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22.2.2012
21.2.2012
Building Trade through Customs Modernization in Africa
As part of continued efforts to build modern customs administrations in Africa, the World Customs Organization (WCO) recently organized a three-day workshop for top customs officials. The first Top Management Dialogue, held in Pretoria (South Africa) from Monday 6 to Wednesday 8 February 2012, brought together a group of high-level Customs officers from the East and Southern Africa Region (ESA).
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7.2.2012
Sauli Niinistö is Finland's 12th president
Finnish voters have elected Sauli Niinistö from the moderate conservative National Coalition Party as the nation's 12th president in a decisive second round on Sunday. The 63-year-old former finance minister defeated the Green’s Pekka Haavisto by 62.6 per cent to 37.4 per cent.
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6.2.2012
Number of votes cast abroad reaches record high
Preliminary figures for the number of advance votes cast at diplomatic missions abroad in the second round of the Finnish presidential elections reached a record high of 50,367. This is 6 per cent more than the number of advance votes cast in the first round (47,780), which was the previous all-time record. The number of voters was up 30 per cent on the figure for the second round of the 2006 presidential elections at 38,849.
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1.2.2012
Global Sustainability Panel co-chaired by President Halonen submits its report
The UN High-level Panel on Global Sustainability, co-chaired by President of the Republic Tarja Halonen and President of South Africa Jacob Zuma, submitted its report to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the African Union Summit in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa on Monday, 30 January 2012.
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