Foreign Minister Tuomioja and Development Minister Hautala to attend the UN General Assembly
Press release 235/2011
15 September 2011
Minister for Foreign Affairs Erkki Tuomioja and Minister for International Development Heidi Hautala will attend the opening week of the 66th session of the UN General Assembly in New York on 19–23 September. The Finnish delegation, led by President of the Republic Tarja Halonen, also includes Minister of Finance Jutta Urpilainen and Minister of Health and Social Services Maria Guzenina-Richardson.
Foreign Minister Tuomioja will take part in several High-level meetings on, for instance, the nuclear test ban, combatting terrorism and nuclear safety. Minister Tuomioja together with the Foreign Minister of Turkey will host a Foreign Ministers’ Meeting of the Group of Friends of Mediation and will chair the Nordic Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. Topical political issues, for example in the Middle East and North Africa, will also figure prominently on the Foreign Minister’s programme.
Development Minister Hautala will represent Finland, among others, at the High-Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases and the High-level Meeting on Desertification, and she will also be keynote speaker at an event on sustainable development and equality. The Minister will also meet the directors of several UN agencies, with whom she will discuss topical development policy issues such as food security, climate change and the role of women in development.
Minister of Finance Urpilainen will participate, among others, in the event marking the 10th Anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, aimed at promoting tolerance and eliminating racism.
Through their many bilateral and multilateral meetings during the opening week, all of the ministers will promote Finland's candidacy for a non-permanent seat in the Security Council for 2013–14.
Additional information: Veikko Kiljunen, Diplomatic Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, mobile tel. +358 40 351 9526, Milma Kettunen, Press Attaché to the Minister for International Development, mobile tel. +358 40 522 9869, and Katri Viinikka, Head of the Unit for UN and General Global Affairs, mobile tel. +358 40 753 2730