Finland Times

 

Minister for International Development Sirpa Paatero. File Photo – Lehtikuva.

International Development Minister Sirpa Paatero and Interior Minister Päivi Räsänen, accompanied by a large Finnish business delegation, are scheduled to begin their visits to New York and Washington in the USA today.

 

The participating Finnish enterprises are highly knowledgeable and experienced players in the development and crisis business, said an official press release on Friday. 

 

The aim of the Team Finland’s four day trip, organized in cooperation with Finpro, is to promote the possibilities for Finnish enterprises and research institutions to participate in the procurement and programmes of UN agencies, the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank.

 

Minister of the Interior Päivi Räsänen. File Photo – Lehtikuva.

In New York, the ministers will take part in a UN procurement seminar and will meet, among others, Yukio Takasu, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Management, the management of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the UN operational development organizations. They will also become familiar with the UN corporate sector cooperation.

 

In Washington, the ministers will meet, among others, the sector management of the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank Executive Vice-President Julie Katzman. In addition, the ministers have meetings with representatives of the US administration.

 

The United Nations has revised its procurement activities. The participation of enterprises in the bidding competitions of UN actors has been facilitated by the establishment of the UN Global Marketplace, a global network service containing announcements of tendering competitions and participating instructions.