Minister Väyrynen to participate in a high-level conference on financing for development in Qatar
Press release 444/2008
28 November, 2008
Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen will participate in a high-level conference on financing for development organised by the UN and the government of Qatar in Doha from 29 November to 2 December.
The broad-based conference will be attended by the UN Secretary-General, President of the General Assembly and delegations from member states, as well as representatives of international development and financing institutions, the World Trade Organisation, private sector and non-governmental organisations.
The conference will review the implementation of the commitments made in the International Conference on Financing for Development held in Monterrey, Mexico, in 2002, and the challenges the international financial crisis, the food crisis and the climate change pose on development policy and financing for development.
Finland underscores that the issue of sustainable development must also be included in the contemplation of financing for development. All development should be economically, socially and environmentally sustainable. Finland’s stand is that the Monterrey Consensus should not be opened up, and the commitments made on development aid must be kept.
Finland is satisfied with the common EU stand, according to which the pledges made by the member states for financing for development must be honoured in terms of both quality and quantity. References to issues Finland finds important, including the significance of the private sector, sustainable exploitation of natural resources, and South-South and tripartite cooperation, have also been included in the common stand.
Minister Väyrynen will give Finland’s statement in the plenary session and the opening address in a high-level round table themed “International trade as an engine for development”. In connection with the conference, Väyrynen will also meet heads of other delegations. In these meetings, bilateral trade and development issues will also be discussed in addition to international financing for development.
Additional information: Special Adviser to the Minister Ossi Martikainen, tel. +358 40 592 6769, and Counsellor Jarl-HÅkan Rosengren, tel. +358 40 354 7549