Finland

May I begin by congratulating Mr. Vuk Jeremić on his election as President of the General Assembly at its sixty-seventh session. Let me assure him that Finland is fully behind him as he fulfils his important duties. We look forward to close cooperation with him. I have the pleasure and honour to address the General Assembly for the first time as President of the Republic of Finland. The United Nations is the forum to which our peoples’ expectations are directed when challenges that affect us all need to be addressed. We in this Hall must recognize our responsibilities. We all must be ready to shoulder them. A profound change is sweeping over the globe. Rapid economic growth in the countries of the global South has already made greater well-being a reality for hundreds of millions of people. More people have the chance to lift themselves out of poverty. More people have the opportunity for political participation. These developments will make our world more just and less prone to conflict. That is in Finland’s interest. It is in the interests of us all. At the same time, the tectonic plates of economic power are shifting. Global instruments are needed to manage that shift. The United Nations and the various “G Groups” need to work together better. We recognize that such groups have an important role to play in making the United Nations a more dynamic and relevant player in the world economy. Finland sees itself as a responsible member of the international community — a good global citizen, if you will. We support the United Nations in word and in deed because it is in our national interest to do so. The United Nations is a genuinely universal forum for cooperation. It has unique legitimacy. For us, it is an indispensable means to promote international peace and security, development and human rights. As a small country — there are only some 5 million of us Finns — a world order based on respect for the United Nations Charter and international law is a must. It is not an option. Finland is a candidate for non-permanent membership in the Security Council for the term 2013-2014. We wish to shoulder the responsibility that membership in the Council entails. We believe that we could make a contribution. Finland would approach the issues on the Council’s agenda as an engaged Member State. We would be ready to look for constructive and even-handed solutions to common problems. We believe that as a small and militarily non-aligned Member State, we have what it takes. Finland’s candidacy enjoys the full support of the other Nordic countries — Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. The ability to prevent conflict around the world remains the United Nations core mission. It is the yardstick by which United Nations successes or failures are measured. It is the Security Council that shoulders the main responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. Peacekeeping mandated by the Council is an important means at our disposal in that regard. Finland has participated in United Nations peacekeeping as long as it has been a Member State. We are also ready to share with other Members and regional organizations the expertise that we have gained with respect to training peacekeepers. Our training centre, the Finnish Defence Forces International Centre, is at the service of the United Nations. Peacekeeping is indispensable but is not enough. Soldiers are needed to secure the conditions for peace to begin to be built. However, in the end, peace is built by civilians. That is why Finland has long paid special attention to civilian crisis management. Finnish experts — police officers and experts in the rule of law, gender equality and human rights — participate in peacekeeping operations in many parts of the world. Effective mediation is also a must. Finland has made a strong contribution to mediating conflicts. My predecessor, President Martti Ahtisaari, won the Nobel Peace Prize for his decades-long career as a successful mediator. At the initiative of Finland and Turkey, a resolution was adopted in this Hall last year that strengthened the normative basis for mediation (resolution 65/283). I am glad that the Secretary- General will soon make his guidelines on mediation available to all Member States, regional organizations and other actors. I encourage him to make full use of the powers that the Charter grants him in that regard. Respect for the rule of law is part and parcel of building peace in post-conflict societies. Impunity often leaves behind the seeds of another conflict. In the long run, economic development is sustainable only if the rule of law is respected. It is encouraging that the High-level Meeting on the rule of law yesterday showed that there is indeed the political commitment to further such efforts. Respect for the rule of law instructs us to honour the beliefs of others, but it also requires us to condemn all violence. Finland, together with the other Nordic countries, will again introduce a draft resolution on the protection of diplomatic missions in the General Assembly. Upholding diplomatic rights and immunities is in our common interest. Poverty reduction is the ultimate means to secure peace in many parts of the world. That requires, above all, economic growth and a level playing-field for all. Development cooperation can assist, especially in the least developed countries. Those countries that already suffer the effects of climate change are particularly vulnerable and in need of our support. Finland has a record of being a reliable partner for developing countries stretching over half a century. Despite the well-known budgetary pressures within the euro zone, Finland has increased its outlay fordevelopment cooperation to an annual level of about $1.5 billion in recent years. Weapons of mass destruction remain an existential threat to international peace and security. Finland has been a strong supporter of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons from the very beginning. The non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, disarmament and the right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy are all necessary parts of the whole. Finland is prepared to host a conference on the establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction this year. The task has been described as difficult but, rest assured, we will do our utmost to complete it. Nuclear material cannot be allowed to fall into the wrong hands. Finland is on track to fulfil the commitments that we undertook at the Washington conference in 2010. National measures and international cooperation are both needed to stop nuclear terrorism. As a user of peaceful nuclear energy, Finland is strongly committed to continuing the process. Chemical weapons were totally banned some years ago. The treaty is not yet universal, though. The Finnish Institute for Verification of the Chemical Weapons Convention is an established and respected institution. Should the need arise in the Middle East, Finland is ready to put its expertise at the disposal of the international community. The conventional weapons trade clearly needs better global regulation. It is regrettable that the negotiations on the arms trade treaty ended without the desired outcome. The goal is in sight, however. It is important to ensure that the process continues within the United Nations context. As one of the sponsors, Finland continues to reach out for a substantive treaty and one that is as universal as possible. In Libya, the United Nations was instrumental in laying the groundwork for a new and hopeful future for its people. In Syria, the tragic situation is, if anything, getting worse. The Security Council has not been able to take the leading role that it is expected to take under the Charter with respect to threats to peace such as in that country. The General Assembly has, on the other hand, sent a strong signal that the international community cannot remain indifferent. The killings of civilians must stop. All members of the Security Council must cooperate to find a way out of the crisis. The authority of the United Nations will suffer if efforts to end the crisis move elsewhere. The Syrian conflict has overshadowed the Middle East peace process. That is something that the parties and the international community can ill afford. A two- State solution, within which an independent, viable and contiguous Palestinian State lives in peace and security with the State of Israel, is slipping out of reach. The Palestinians have waited patiently. The negotiations must restart. That is the only way forward. Renewed negotiations need to result in a sustainable solution that leads to the establishment of a Palestinian State, while respecting Israel’s legitimate security concerns. Settlements are squarely a contravention of international law and a growing obstacle to peace. The Security Council has powers, but with authority comes responsibility. I hope that, in a few weeks, at an election held here in this Hall, Finland is entrusted by fellow Member States with such powers and the attendant responsibility for two years. Finland will act in the Council in accordance with the United Nations Charter and on the basis of our values. We will work constructively and pragmatically in order to maintain and strengthen international peace and security to the best of our ability.