Speech by President of the Republic Tarja Halonen at the seminar The UN and Reforms, Hanasaari, 2 March 2007

The UN links the nations of the world in their work to promote freedom, security and equality. Finland has been an active member of the United Nations ever since we joined, and intends to continue so. The world has changed a lot during the past 60 years. The UN’s membership has nearly quadrupled, and today the majority of its 192 member states are in the developing world.

Many important successes in maintaining international peace and security can be written up to the UN. Its achievements in economic and social matters are also indisputable. The UN’s specialized agencies, funds and programmes have helped save human lives, alleviate suffering and create the preconditions for a life of human dignity.

In reducing poverty, we still have a long way to go. The importance of succeeding here is underlined by our recognition that it is also important in conflict prevention. Globalization has intensified the interdependence between us all. In addition, new threats such as pandemics, terrorism and the new major threat of climate change are all things that can only be tackled effectively through multilateral cooperation.

These shared challenges have increased awareness of our common responsibility and made the need for greater collaboration much more insistent. This has also led to repeated demands for reform within the UN itself. In fact, it was already the UN’s second Secretary-General Dag Hammarsskjöld who launched intensive reforms of the Secretariat. Since then, every Secretary-General has proposed changes, some of which have been carried out.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s most significant reform initiative derived from his recognition of the link between security, development and human rights. Annan wanted the UN system to provide powerful support for achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. It was in this connection that I myself worked with him. The proposals of the World Commission set up by the ILO concerning a fairer globalization gained his support. Personally, one of my most wonderful experiences was in December 2004, when I was present when the UN General Assembly approved the Commission’s targets. At the same time, promises were made – as part of implementation of the Millennium Development Goals – to incorporate targets concerning decent work for all, including women and young people, in both national and international policy, and in national development strategies. Promoting employment is an effective antipoverty policy.

Achievement of such excellent targets also requires a more efficient UN. The comprehensive reform process launched with the ‘In Larger Freedom’ report is still partly incomplete and still being discussed by member states, but some proposals have already reached the implementation stage. For instance, decisions on intensification of ECOSOC’s activities were made at the end of last year. Work should continue on implementing the reform. As well as the UN itself, its specialized agencies should be evaluated and if necessary modernized. I have myself contributed to developing the workings of UNCTAD, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, through the so-called Wise Persons Group.

The new Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, has only held his demanding office for two months. He has promised to continue with the ongoing reform process. But we should not just stand on the sidelines: carrying out reforms calls for support and flexibility from the member states. On Finland’s behalf, I can say that we support Secretary-General Ban in his demanding task.

The UN’s most important functions are support for multilateralism and the Security Council’s appointed responsibility for maintaining international peace and security. Reform of the Security Council is also viewed as the most important item on the list, but also the most difficult.

The composition of the Security Council should be changed to reflect the reality of today’s world. It should be enlarged by increasing the number of both permanent and non-permanent members. The authority and credibility of the Security Council require its permanent members to be the main developed and developing countries on the various continents. Finland has been critical concerning the impact of the veto, and does not support the extension of that right to any new permanent members.

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The UN’s Blue Berets have earned global respect. Our own country has been a long and, in terms of size, important supporter of UN peacekeeping. However, building lasting peace calls for a much broader approach than conventional crisis management or humanitarian assistance. We must dig deep to the roots of conflicts and create the preconditions for sustainable development.

The Peacebuilding Commission set up last year on the initiative of former Secretary-General Annan is an important step in the right direction. The Commission’s basic function is to prevent a state recovering from one crisis from slipping back into a new one. In cooperation with the target country, a comprehensive approach is formulated which combines security, development, human rights, democracy and progress towards the rule of law, while also creating a foundation for lasting peace and development.

Women must be involved in peacebuilding and peace negotiations at all levels. In 2000, the UN Security Council passed the resolution ’Women, peace and security’, which deals with the status and rights of women amid conflicts and women’s role in peace-building and conflict prevention. Unfortunately, Resolution 1325 is not very well known. The UN and its member states and also NGOs should work actively on behalf of the matters covered by the Resolution. I hope that the Finnish national action plan on implementation of the Resolution will soon be ready.

Women’s grass-roots activism creates a foundation for sustainable solutions. That means it is important to support projects aimed at strengthening peace work by women and creating the preconditions for local action.

I have been supporting the initiative of the UN’s women’s organization UNIFEM aimed at building dialogue between Israeli and Palestinian women. We arranged a function on this theme last September during the UN General Assembly, and Minister Haatainen raised the issue at a meeting of UN and Mediterranean countries’ gender equality ministers during the Finnish EU Presidency. I intend to continue promoting this project – and believe that other women leaders will join us.

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The great Millenium Development Goals were formulated jointly by developing and developed countries. Implementing them also calls for input by both. The developing countries must acknowledge their own responsibility, and the developed countries must redeem their pledges about the amount and type of assistance they will provide.

The UN’s financial contribution in countries receiving assistance is often rather small, and should be increased. The world body’s advisory role could also be expanded. Currently its actions are haphazard and sometimes also poorly coordinated.

Finland believes that the report published last November by the High-Level Panel on System-Wide Coherence set up by Secretary-General Annan is a welcome account of how UN operations could be intensified in recipient countries. Its key concept ‘Delivering as One’ is right. I hope that the pilot programme now starting up will succeed and also encourage other countries to sign up for the experiment. The pilot countries include three beneficiaries of long-term Finnish development aid: Vietnam, Mozambique and Tanzania. We are monitoring the pilot’s progress carefully, and in Vietnam, for instance, the reform programme is already well under way.

Recognition for the importance of sustainable development has also given the environment an increasingly important standing in UN operations. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has announced that he is making climate change one of his top priorities. Recent reports show there can no longer be any doubt: climate change demands urgent solutions and broad multilateral cooperation. We must already look forward to the post-Kyoto period after 2012, when a new and more comprehensive – truly global – agreement will be needed.

I have recently had the chance to talk to heads of state and business leaders in many countries on my visits to India, Australia and New Zealand, and when I attended a meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. I have been pleased to note that global solutions to combat climate change are broadly recognized as essential.

The UN environment programme UNEP should also be strengthened. Finland supports future transformation of the programme into UNEO, the United Nations Environment Organization.

The third important element in the reform package is human rights. Last year, member states reached agreement on the foundation of a new Human Rights Council, thus raising human rights to the same level as security and development also in institutional terms. It is still early days for the new Council, and it is still to some extent seeking its role and modes of operation. I hope the Council becomes a strong and courageous body. A decent life is not possible without democracy, respect for human rights and functioning rule of law.

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Finland wants a strong and effective UN. During our EU Presidency in the second half of last year we worked to promote some important matters, and in the UN, the EU in many respects acts as a conciliator. In future, too, I hope that the Union will continue to play a prominent role in building up the global responsibility needed to conquer global challenges.

Of course, action is also needed here in Finland. Every possible actor must be involved in cooperation. This applies equally to central government, business and industry, and NGOs. It gives me great pleasure to see you all here today. This generation’s most important task is to ensure that upward progress is what we pass on to future generations.