Let me start by
congratulating both the President and the Secretary-
General on their elections.
We live in an era of integration and
interconnection. No country can solve all the
challenges it faces on its own. Every country should be
part of the solution. Common responses are needed
more than ever. Accordingly, the importance of the
United Nations has grown.
The United Nations, or as I like to call it — the
G-193 — has been a success story. The guiding
principles of the United Nations Charter — peace and
security, human rights and development — have served
us well for decades.
The Millennium Development Goals are more
recent examples of the global reach of the United
Nations. These Goals have inspired Governments to
introduce measures that are saving lives every single
day.
The United Nations has also been at the forefront
of support for the empowerment of women. The United
Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the
Empowerment of Women gives women and girls an
even stronger and more unified voice. I have truly
enjoyed hearing so many speakers today underlining
that important trend.
Globalization has contributed to substantial
economic growth. However, fruits of that growth have
not been equally distributed between and within
nations. That is wrong, and it is not sustainable. It is
our duty to provide a sustainable future for our planet
and its people. Sustainability, in brief, is about a
resilient planet that supports the needs of all people
worldwide.
We, the world community, have accomplished a
lot since we adopted the Millennium Declaration
(resolution 55/2) and the Millennium Development
Goals 11 years ago. Both of them have proved to be
effective tools in the eradication of extreme poverty.
But the work must continue with enhanced
determination. We must respect the interdependence of
the three dimensions of sustainable development — the
social, economic and ecological. If even one of these
dimensions is neglected, development cannot be
sustainable.
Recent events in Northern Africa and the Middle
East have once again emphasized that development,
human rights and peace and security are interlinked.
Everyone must be able to enjoy civil and political as
well as economic, social and cultural rights.
I am pleased to chair the High-level Panel on
Global Sustainability together with President Zuma of
South Africa. We will deliver our recommendations
towards the end of this year. The goal of the Panel is to
eradicate poverty and reduce inequality, make growth
inclusive, and production and consumption more
sustainable, while combating climate change and
respecting the range of other planetary boundaries. We
are fully convinced that the eradication of poverty and
sustainable development are interlinked and can be
reached together. It is really one fight.
The Panel is building bridges between economy,
ecology and social justice. The empowerment of
women and youth is vital for our goal. It is necessary
to put into use all human resources for the development
of our societies.
We have not only discussed setting the goals but
also how to reach them. I believe that expanding
11-50692 40
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) into
sustainable development goals around the year 2015
could help the world community to continue its fight
against poverty and enhance sustainable development.
In today’s world, there are far too many conflicts.
As they often take place within countries, they are
especially dangerous for civilians. These asymmetrical
conflicts usually arise from injustice, violations of
human rights and discrimination against minorities.
The President has chosen a very important theme
for the general debate, namely mediation. The peaceful
settlement of disputes, conflict prevention and
mediation are at the very heart of the United Nations.
Mediation has to be used at every stage of conflict. We
need to enhance the capabilities of the United Nations
in this field. Training and guidance are pivotal.
Women’s participation and grass-roots activities and
the work of non-governmental organizations are also
vital for our efforts if we want to win.
On the initiative of Finland and Turkey, the
General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution
on mediation in June of this year (resolution 65/283).
As has been mentioned today, this is the very first
resolution on this theme in the history of the United
Nations. The resolution aims at strengthening the role
of the United Nations in mediation. I would like to
thank the Member States for their excellent support to
this process. Let us continue our common efforts also
during the sixty-sixth session of the General Assembly.
We are ready for that.
Peace processes need to be more inclusive. I wish
to stress the importance of the full and effective
participation of women in all stages of peace processes.
The record is far from impressive at the moment, as the
number of women around the negotiation tables
continues to be strikingly low. I welcome the efforts by
UN-Women to change the situation, and I call upon us
all to make a commitment to involve more women in
this work.
Finland, my own country, is a strong supporter of
the United Nations, in word and deed. We contribute
more than our share to peacekeeping, to development
aid and to the promotion of human rights around the
world. Finland wishes to continue to carry its
responsibilities, with the Assembly’s support, in the
Security Council for the term 2013-2014. Our
commitment, our capacity to serve on the Council and
our record speak for us.
Finland warmly welcomes the Republic of South
Sudan as the 193rd Member State of the United
Nations. The implementation of the Comprehensive
Peace Agreement has been a testimony to the
importance of mediation and regional leadership. I
commend the efforts of President Mbeki and his Panel
to find solutions to outstanding issues between the
Sudan and South Sudan.
The dramatic and rapidly evolving situation in the
Arab world has been at the centre of the attention of
the international community. Women and men have
marched together for a better future. It is important that
they continue to participate side by side in also
building a democratic society. Democracy cannot be
achieved without full participation of women too.
As we welcome the new Libya into the world
community, Finland commends the National
Transitional Council for underlining the need to
continue building a sense of national unity,
reconciliation and an inclusive political system with
respect for equal civil rights and freedom of
expression. Finland gives its full support to the
transition, reflecting the aspirations of Libyan people.
We are ready to support the building of democratic
society based on the rule of law and respect for human
rights, including the fulfilment of the human rights of
women. The United Nations should play a central role
in coordinating the international community’s
contribution. We very much welcome the United
Nations Support Mission in Libya.
Reaching a solution to the Middle East conflict is
more pressing than ever. The Palestinians have a right
to their own State, Palestine. The international
community gathered here in the General Assembly
must show that it is united in its message to the parties.
We need the urgent resumption of negotiations that will
lead, within an agreed on time frame, to a two-State
solution, with the State of Israel and an independent,
democratic, contiguous and viable State of Palestine
living side by side in peace and security. There is no
time to waste.
I have had an opportunity to lead Finland’s
delegation to the General Assembly since 1995. We
have witnessed a remarkable widening of our common
global agenda. Today’s decisions will affect not only us
but also future generations. Change is necessary for the
survival of humankind. I am confident that the United
41 11-50692
Nations is the sole universal forum to respond to the
challenges that the world is facing.
I wish those gathered here all the best for the
future.