“Change in diplomacy and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs” – Secretary of State Pertti Torstila’s speech at the Annual Meeting of Finnish Heads of Mission
Press release 202/2011
22 August 2011
In his speech at the Annual Meeting of Finnish Heads of Mission for 2011, given on 22 August, Secretary of State Pertti Torstila concentrated on changes in diplomacy and the new challenges facing the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The role of foreign ministries and the means available to diplomacy are being discussed avidly all over the world. The traditional preconditions for diplomacy are coming under question in the altered information environment. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs must be able to adapt and exert influence on the surrounding world, using new means.
Torstila gave the ambassadors a description of the special responsibilities set by Prime Minister Katainen’s Government for the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The Foreign Service is given a heading of its own in the Government Programme, which states: “An efficient and well-functioning foreign service is an important instrument for Finland. Finnish missions abroad form a globally comprehensive network of service points, and the Government wants to secure the preconditions for their operation.”
The global economic crisis has become a visible element in the field of foreign policy and diplomacy. The Government has expectations of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in promoting the prerequisites for Finland’s economic growth.
The Government has decided to draw up an action plan for Finland’s economic external relations and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs has been named the Ministry bearing the main responsibility for this task. The Government sets implementation of the action plan as a key task of diplomatic missions.
Secretary of State Torstila focused on four themes as trademarks for tomorrow’s successful Ministry for Foreign Affairs:
- we must be fast, flexible and adaptable
- we must be networked, social and open
- we must make promotion of economic diplomacy and Finland’s economic interests key tasks of diplomatic missions
- we must understand the great importance of crisis preparedness and consular services.
The wide range and rapid pace of events call for foresight and constant preparedness for surprises. The social media, where phenomena evolve at surprising speed, now round out the Ministry’s toolbox. Public opinion and interest groups that disregard borders exert considerable influence on international relations through the social media.
The importance of crisis preparedness and consular services is increasing. Demand for emergency services is rising, as Finns numbering in the millions travel, live or work abroad. The crises, accidents, tsunamis, ash clouds and earthquakes we have experienced indicate that a person in distress and his or her family members want quick help from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the diplomatic missions. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs hopes that consular services will get more attention than at present in the European External Action Service as well. EU citizens expect the Union’s representation offices to provide tangible and effective service and actions in crisis situations.
A major accident abroad that affects Finns falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The volume of consular services handled by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs has doubled over a five-year period. The figure was 22,671 in 2004 and 41,662 in 2009. The hundreds of Finns in the region of Japan affected by the natural catastrophe that occurred in March could be contacted quickly through the foreign missions’ media and Facebook. Almost 40 embassies already have their own Facebook page. During the volcanic eruption in Iceland in spring 2010, the diplomatic missions made active use of the social media in providing advice to citizens. The social media also had an important role in the embassy’s activities during the unrest in Bangkok in 2010. The same was experienced this year during the regional crises in Northern Africa. Citizens’ feedback about the Ministry’s activities in the social media has been highly positive.
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs wants to get Finnish actors exerting influence abroad to work together with us better. In the present economic situation, Finland cannot afford to maintain overlapping, separate service points throughout the world on State funds. Leaning on the diplomatic missions, we must create ‘Finland houses’ where assorted activities conducted abroad are merged to form strong and varied centres for Finland. Thanks to its network of embassies and know-how capital, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs will have a leading role in this. The new Government Programme steers the personnel resources of the other ministries, in their execution of the tasks assigned to them, to the Finnish embassies and, on the basis of the ‘Finland house’ concept, concentrates Finland’s international tasks in the embassies.
In presenting his view, Secretary of State Torstila considered that despite the world’s changes, international diplomacy, with its traditional instruments, is not vanishing. Traditions are of great importance in interaction between States. The information society does not alter the fact that experts in diplomacy and Finland’s own embassies will be needed for a long time. The Secretary of State quoted British Foreign Secretary William Hague, who in a recent speech said: “Our Embassies … are the essential infrastructure of our country’s influence overseas and of our economic recovery…. We could do not do without them for a single day.”