Speech by President of the Republic Tarja Halonen at the promotion and appointment ceremony for officer cadets 12 April 2006

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I congratulate you on successfully completing your officer’s examinations. I hereby promote you to the rank of First Lieutenant and appoint you to your respective posts in the Defence Forces and the Frontier Guard.

The most important duty of our Defence Forces is to defend Finland and the Finns — our country and people — under all circumstances. The Defence Forces must in all cases be able to conduct territorial surveillance and to defend the sovereignty and integrity of the country.

Through foreign policy, through ensuring the operating capacity of our society and through maintaining a credible defence, we both prevent crises from emerging and prepare to meet potential threats.

Our credible defence rests on general conscription and a territorial defence system covering the entire country. Safeguarding the security of Finland is the duty of every Finnish citizen. We Finns see the Defence Forces as belonging to us, and we are world leaders in our will for national defence.

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This year, we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of Finland’s peacekeeping activities. Nearly 50,000 Finns have participated in peacekeeping operations around the world. These operations are always demanding, and today particularly so because the world has changed and new risks require increased competence in crisis management. However, participating in these operations is important for maintaining international peace and security, and it enhances the performance of Finnish troops and thus improves our national defence too.

The new Act on Finland’s participation in international crisis management came into force at the beginning of this month. The greatest interest in its preparation was focused on the decision-making procedure and the issue of UN mandates.

The new Act stipulates that the ground rule for Finland’s participation in international crisis management is still a mandate from the UN Security Council. But in exceptional cases, Finland may participate even without such a mandate. However, this requires truly exceptional circumstances in each individual case.

The Crisis Management Act also specifies the rules of engagement for Finnish crisis management troops and an individual peacekeeper’s right to use force. With these revisions, it is hoped that Finnish crisis management troops and Finnish peacekeepers as individuals can function better and more safely.

Finland is not just an actor in international crisis management but also an active developer in the field. We are making determined efforts to introduce the latest technology in crisis management and to improve cooperation in both civilian and military crisis management in the European Union and in other international contexts. In this cooperation, we have much to give and much to learn.

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The most conspicuous duty of the Defence Forces in peacetime is training conscripts. Entire age groups are still today given the opportunity to undergo military service, and over 80% of men in any given age group do so. You, young officers, carry a great responsibility for the training of conscripts and the young women who volunteer for military service.

From your very first day at work, you will be doing an important job with Finland’s young people and reservists, while setting an example to your subordinates. Your homeland is a country which respects democracy, human rights and the rule of law. The training of over 30,000 conscripts and reservists annually builds up not only our national defence but our society as a whole.

Rector of the National Defence College, leaders and teachers! I thank you for a job well done. It is thanks to you that the Finnish officer training programme is of such a high quality by international standards. Your teaching and your leadership have given these young officers the means with which to succeed in their demanding careers.

I wish you all every success in your future duties.