Lehtomäki attends the ministerial meeting of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development

Press release 134/2005
20.4.2005

In conjunction with her visit to the United States, Paula Lehtomäki, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, attends the ministerial meeting of the 13th session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development on 20 April.

The meeting, being held on 11-22 April in New York, will decide on measures promoting implementation of already agreed international commitments associated with water, sanitation and human settlements, with a view to achieving the goals for these sectors set out in the UN Millennium Declaration and the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. Among the meeting themes pertaining to the UN Millennium Development Goals are elimination of abject poverty and cutting the number of people living without clean water in half by the year 2015.

Finland’s experiences indicate that promotion of sustainable development is not in conflict with economic competitiveness, Minister Lehtomäki stressed at the meeting. The World Economic Forum has named Finland a model country as concerns sustainable development while at the same time the country ranks highly in competitiveness.

In her address the minister emphasised the importance of water, sanitation and human settlements in furthering sustainable development and achievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals. Clean drinking water, for instance, is a requirement for achieving these goals in poverty reduction and improving the position of women. It’s time to act if the millennium goals are to be reached by 2015: the UN’s 2005 Millennium Summit, a five-year follow-up meeting, will be held in September 2005. Action is needed on the part of developing countries as well as donor countries. The links between poverty on the one hand, and trade and environment-related issues on the other hand, should figure prominently in developing countries’ own poverty reduction plans.

Minister Lehtomäki stated that Finland is committed to international development goals associated with water, sanitation and human settlements, and also strives to promote international environment administration. Finland is committed to the goal of raising the nation’s development cooperation allocations to 0.7 per cent of the gross domestic product by the year 2010.

The vice-chairman of the Finnish delegation is Stefan Wallin, State Secretary to the Minister, Ministry of the Environment. In addition, representatives of various ministries, universities and organisations, as well as Members of the Finnish Parliament, take part in the meeting.

Additional information: Press Attaché Anna Tonttila, tel. + 358 9 160 55356, First Secretary Jyrki Nissilä, mobile tel. + 358 40 7409 154, Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Taina Pieski, Assistant Director, Information, Finnish Ministry of the Environment, tel. + 358 9 1603 9615, mobile tel. + 358 40 5061 173