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.

Key themes during the UN high-level week will include Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, continued support for Ukraine and efforts to strengthen the conditions for a just and lasting peace. Discussions will also focus on the situation in the Middle East, including the impact of the conflict between the United States and Iran on regional stability and international shipping. More broadly, the programme for the high-level week will highlight global challenges such as sea level rise caused by climate change, pandemic preparedness, technological transformation and reform of the UN system.

The ministers will attend high-level events and hold bilateral meetings with their colleagues and representatives of the UN. Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen’s programme will focus on current crises and conflicts, especially support for Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, mediation and reinforcing multilateral cooperation in the current challenging global environment. The impact of emerging technologies and advances in artificial intelligence will also be discussed. Minister Valtonen will have several bilateral meetings with her counterparts from other countries. An informal meeting of EU foreign ministers will also take place alongside the high-level week. Foreign ministers from India, Japan, South Korea and Australia have also been invited to attend.

Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio’s programme includes bilateral meetings with the heads of UN organisations, development finance institutions and humanitarian organisations that are key partners in advancing Finland’s development policy priorities. During the same week, Minister Tavio will also travel to Washington DC to participate in the Quantum World Congress together with a Finnish business delegation representing the quantum technology sector.

The UN high-level week is a key forum for Finland’s international engagement. During the week, Finland will strengthen its relations with countries around the world and advance its foreign and security policy objectives.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs will host a high-level event during the week on the UN’s efforts to promote peace and security. The discussion will be chaired by President of the Republic Alexander Stubb.

The meetings and discussions held during the high-level week will also support Finland’s candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2029–2030 term. Finland is seeking membership of the Security Council to reinforce the rules-based international order and multilateral cooperation, and to contribute to the UN’s core task of maintaining international peace and security.

 

• Press release of the Office of the President of the Republic of Finland 10 September 2026