Foreign Ministry's press releases

MP, Master of Laws Astrid Thors has been nominated as the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities. The Ministerial Council of the 57 OSCE participating States nominated the new High Commissioner as of August 20th, 2013, for a three-year term.

The Finnish Foreign Service published its new UN strategy at SuomiAreena in Pori on 17 July. Speaking at the launch event, Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja stressed the importance of the new strategy to Finnish UN policy. The strategy will allow Finland to work more effectively and consistently to further its goals in the United Nations.

Finland and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality UN Women have on 16 July released a report on the sexual violence suffered by Syrian women refugees in Jordan.

The new UN Strategy of the Finnish Foreign Service has been completed. The purpose of the new strategy is to help Finland promote the country’s goals in the UN more effectively. The new strategy has a strong emphasis on sustainable development, and it defines the themes Finland will pay special attention to in the near future.

The implementation of civil and political rights in Finland will be reviewed by the UN Human Rights Committee in Geneva on 12 July. On that day the Committee will consider Finland’s sixth periodic report submitted by virtue of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) has on 9 July published its fourth country report on Finland, complete with recommendations.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs will participate in the SuomiAreena public debate forum that takes place in Pori on 17–19 July. The panel discussion organised by the Ministry on 17 July will address the influence of Finland and the Nordic countries in the UN. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs will publish its new UN strategy on the same day and the Foreign Ministry’s marquee at the SuomiAreena’s Civic Marketplace will be open throughout the event.

Finland took over the Presidency of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) at the beginning of July. The theme of Finland’s Presidency is a Clean, Safe and Smart Baltic Sea.

Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade Alexander Stubb will participate in the Meeting of the Nordic Ministers for Cooperation in Visby, Gotland of Sweden, on 2 July.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs, by decision of Minister for International Development Heidi Hautala on 19 June, has granted a total of four million euros in humanitarian assistance to the Syrian crisis and the Sahel region.