President Halonen to co-chair the High-Level Task Force for Promoting Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

Press release 59/2012
16 March 2012

Former president of Finland Tarja Halonen met with the Executive Director of UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin in Helsinki on Thursday, March 15. President Halonen and Dr. Osotimehin discussed the establishment of a High-Level Task Force for Promoting Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights. President Halonen, together with the former president of Mozambique, Joaquim Chissano, accepted to co-chair the High-Level Task Force.

The main assignment of the High-Level Task Force is to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights globally on a political level. In a teleconference held with President Chissano it was planned that the High-Level Task Force would hold its first meeting during the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20 (20.-22.6.2012), in Brazil. Before this the two presidents will meet to discuss the Task Force in more detail.

Minister for International Development Heidi Hautala and Dr. Osotimehin also met in Helsinki. They will both also participate in the 50th anniversary of the Danish International Development Assistance in Copenhagen on Friday, March 16. Minister Hautala and Dr. Osotimehin discussed the cooperation of Finland and UNFPA in advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights, as human rights form the basis of UNFPA’s work as well as Finland’s development policy. Minister Hautala stated that President Halonen will bring important political significance to the work of the High-Level Task Force.

For more information: First Secretary Petra Paasilinna, tel. +358 9 1605 6469, mobile tel. +358 40 132 1873