Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja’s statement on account of investigation report concerning the natural disaster in Asia
The Commission of Inquiry, appointed to investigate the natural catastrophe in Asia, chaired by President Martti Ahtisaari has published its report of inquiry today, 15, June.
It is a thorough and objective report about the actions of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and other authorities in connection with the first global natural disaster of our times that has deeply touched and shaken also the Finns.
As the Commission of Inquiry points out, in its role as the acting authority the Ministry for Foreign Affairs held the primary responsibility for official action in order to help the Finnish victims of the tsunami. The divisions of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs’ organization that held the direct operative responsibility, i.e. the embassies in Bangkok and New Delhi as well as the Unit for Consular Services and their staffs, took immediate action without sparing themselves. On the other hand, there were serious weaknesses in the systems of preparedness and leadership, collection and transfer of information, as well as in informing the public.
In practice, authorised by the Prime Minister, the meeting of the Coordination Board of Government Chiefs of Preparedness took responsibility for official action during the crisis. The Coordination Board of Government Chiefs of Preparedness became the key forum for exchange of information and all official cooperation for the duration of the crisis. From the Ministry for Foreign Affairs’ point of view, the actions of the chiefs of preparedness and cooperation with other ministries and authorities – particularly the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, as well the Ministry of Transport and Communications – as well as with other key actors, including Finnair, travel organisers, and the Finnish Red Cross, went well during the crisis.
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs assigned its Unit for Internal Inspection with a task to investigate and assess the actions of the Ministry during the crisis. The report published on 28 January essentially stated the same weaknesses and problems as the Commission of Inquiry report. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs had already taken several measures to remedy the weaknesses and improve the systems of preparedness and leadership, when the Ministry’s own report was published. Accordingly, the Commission of Inquiry points out in its report that the Ministry for Foreign Affairs has taken steps to eliminate the weaknesses.
Among the measures the Ministry has taken we can mention providing improved conditons for operating the crisis centre, establishment of consular rapid response teams, and development of preparedness organisation operations. The Ministry has just recently found sufficient room for the crisis centre in its premises at Merikasarmi, and a working group of civil servants is currently making arrangements for getting it technically equipped and operationally ready. However, further measures are still required in developing the Ministry’s internal information and the principles guiding it.
As far as this ongoing work in the Ministry is concerned, the report of the Commission of Inquiry and its recommendations are a valuable addition. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs takes the recommendations made by the Commission seriously and intends to make sure for its own part that they are fully acknowledged and appropriately implemented.