Finland Times

 

Minister for Foreign Affairs Erkki Tuomioja and Minister for International Development Heidi Hautala are going to attend the opening week of the 68th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York beginning from Monday, said a press release of the foreign ministry.

Erkki Tuomioja, who will lead the Finnish delegation to the United Nations General Assembly, would deliver Finland's statement to the General Assembly on September 27.

The foreign ministry said Finland would give prominence in particular to mediation, women's rights, development issues, disability rights, and arms control in the assembly.

This year, the General Assembly would focus especially on the UN Millennium Development Goals and the Post-2015 Development Agenda following thereon, as well as on the situation in Syria.

The foreign minister, together with the foreign minister of Turkey, will host a ministerial meeting of the Group of Friends of Mediation on September 26. The meeting would be the fourth ministerial-level meeting on the Finnish-Turkish joint initiative.

The foreign minister will also deliver the statement of the co-authors of the international Arms Trade Treaty at the High-level event dealing with the international Arms Trade Treaty (ATT).

Minister for International Development Heidi Hautala will deliver Finland's statement at the Special Event towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals on Wednesday.

On the same day Finland, together with Liberia and UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality, would organise a meeting on the elimination of violence against women and girls.

Development Minister Hautala and Tunisian foreign minister would co-chair a roundtable discussion at a meeting on disability and development.

Tuomioja will also speak at the Political Forum on Sustainable Development, dealing with the implementation of the Rio+20 Conference conclusions.

In addition, both the ministers would have numerous bilateral ministerial-level meetings and meetings with leaders of the UN agencies.