Current affairs
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16.9.2026
Ministers Valtonen and Tavio to attend high-level week of UN General Assembly in New York
The high-level meetings of the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 81) will begin in New York on 21 September. Finland’s delegation will be led by President of the Republic Alexander Stubb, who will deliver Finland’s statement at the general debate on 22 September. The delegation’s vice-chairs are Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen and Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio.
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15.9.2026
National Statement of Finland at the UN General Assembly General Debate on Strengthening the role of mediation in the peaceful settlement of disputes, conflict prevention and resolution
Read the National Statement delivered by H.E. Ms. Elina Kalkku, Permanent Representative of Finland to the United Nations on 1 June 2026 in New York.
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9.9.2026
Water for All: The Road to the UN Water Conference 2026, remarks by H.E. Ville Tavio, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development
Roundtable by Centre for Peace Mediation of the Finnish MFA and the Embassy of United Arab Emirates on the UN Water Conference 2026, 9th September 2026
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1.9.2026
National Statement of Finland at the Executive Board of UNICEF, Second Regular Session 2026
Read the National Statement of Finland delivered by H.E. Ms. Heli Lehto, Chargé d'Affaires, Deputy Permanent Representative of Finland to the United Nations, at the Executive Board of UNICEF, Second Regular Session, on Sep 1, 2026.
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1.9.2026
Joint Nordic-Baltic Statement at the UN General Assembly Plenary Meeting on the situation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine
Read the Joint Nordic-Baltic Statement delivered by H.E. Ms. Heli Lehto, Chargé d'Affaires, Deputy Permanent Representative of Finland to the United Nations, at the UN General Assembly Plenary Meeting on the situation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, on Sep 1, 2026.
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31.8.2026
Young peacebuilders from around the world to gather in Helsinki to deepen their expertise
Finland and South Africa launched their joint mentoring programme for young mediators in Pretoria, South Africa, in July 2025. Fifteen young people from across the world are participating in the one-year programme to deepen their expertise in mediation. This week, they are meeting in Helsinki for the fourth, and final, in-person phase of the programme.
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26.8.2026
National Statement of Finland at the Executive Board of UNDP, UNFPA and UNOPS, Interactive Dialogue with the UNDP Administrator
Read the National Statement of Finland delivered by Mr. Lauri Voionmaa, Bureau Vice-President of the Executive Board of UNDP, UNFPA and UNOPS, at the Executive Board of UNDP, UNFPA and UNOPS, Second Regular Session, Interactive Dialogue with the UNDP Administrator on August 26, 2026.
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25.8.2026
National Statement of Finland at the Executive Board of UNDP, UNFPA and UNOPS, Second Regular Session, Item 5: UNFPA structured funding dialogue
Read the National Statement of Finland delivered by Mr. Lauri Voionmaa, Bureau Vice-President of the Executive Board of UNDP, UNFPA and UNOPS, at the Executive Board of UNDP, UNFPA and UNOPS, Second Regular Session, Item 5: UNFPA structured funding dialogue on August 24, 2026.
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19.8.2026
Nordic Statement at the Security Council, Open Debate on Working Methods, 10210th meeting
Read the Nordic Statement delivered by H.E. Ms. Heli Lehto, Chargé d'Affaires, Deputy Permanent Representative of Finland to the United Nations, at the Security Council, Open Debate on Working Methods, 10210th meeting, on August 19, 2026.
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14.8.2026
New Heads of Mission appointed to Riyadh, Jakarta and Finland’s Permanent Mission to the UN; Deputy Director General appointed to Foreign Ministry’s Legal Service and non-resident Ambassadors to five countries
At the presidential session on Friday 14 August, the President of the Republic appointed Jukka Pajarinen Head of Mission at Finland’s Embassy in Riyadh, Pirjo Suomela-Chowdhury Head of Mission at Finland’s Embassy in Jakarta and Janne Taalas Head of Finland’s Permanent Mission to the UN in New York. Pajarinen and Suomela-Chowdhury will take up their posts on 1 September and Taalas on 1 November 2026. At its session on Thursday 13 August, the Government appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Sami Leino to the post of Deputy Director General of the Foreign Ministry’s Legal Service for a fixed term from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2030.