Opening speech by President of the Republic Tarja Halonen at the Mongolia-Finland Business Forum on 31 August 2011

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The visit to Finland by your President, Mr. Elbegdorj, last year launched a new, more active phase in the relations between Finland and Mongolia. The visit was the first between our countries by a Head of State. I am happy to be able to make a return visit to your country so soon, less than a year after that visit.

Finland is truly interested in deepening its political, commercial and economic relations with Mongolia. Social and economic development process in Mongolia has advanced positively in recent years. This has made your country and businesses attractive partners not only for us Finns but for many other countries, too.

We have already a long history of bilateral dealings between our countries. The economic, scientific and technical cooperation within the Joint Commission of Finland and Mongolia has laid a solid foundation for the further development of our relations. As a Member State of the European Union, Finland is also pleased that the negotiations for the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and Mongolia have now been concluded – and that we will soon be able to exploit its opportunities.

Mongolia’s rich natural resources offer excellent opportunities for economic growth. However, we all know that economic growth by itself is not enough. Social stability, security and well-being are based on the respect for democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. And – in all our action – we all must operate within the planetary boundaries. We are inevitably forced to consider the impacts of human activity on the environment and climate.

All these vital elements of our future are brought together under the concept of sustainable development, built on three pillars: economic growth, social justice and environmental well-being.

This subject is highly important to Finland, and to me personally. I currently co-chair – together with the President of the Republic of South Africa Jacob Zuma – the High-level Panel on Global Sustainability appointed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The Panel is tasked with finding new ways of achieving sustainable development. Our assignment and timetable – our report is due by the end of the year – are challenging, to say the least.

Among our objectives is to produce models that allow us all to move towards sustainable production and consumption models, and towards inclusive growth. In many contexts, the focus is too often only on the costs to businesses. Instead, we should be talking about the new business opportunities that the green economy can offer.

It is positive that many businesses have seized the opportunity and have begun introducing new, environmental production methods. This change in course has of course been partly influenced by the consumers and the increasing shift in consumption patterns towards ecological and sustainable products and services.

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Finland and the four other Nordic countries are known across the world for their high standard of living, welfare and equality. The Nordic welfare state model has proved its strengths in several international comparisons – whether focusing on economy, the state of the environment or social equality.

Finland has also fared well in international education comparisons, including the PISA surveys carried out in the OECD countries. The Finnish education system provides all children and young people with equal opportunities for learning – regardless of gender, social status or place of residence. And, education is free of charge. Women and men also have equal opportunities for access to university-level education. Currently more than half of Finnish university students are actually women.

Finnish legislation prohibits discrimination in working life on the basis of political views, ethnicity, religion and gender. We have also sought various ways of facilitating the reconciliation of work and family life.

Today’s world is changing rapidly. This is why we in Finland have placed a particular emphasis on lifelong learning. Without highly trained workforce, Finnish businesses would not be competitive and the public sector would not be able to produce high-quality services efficiently. Education and the support of human know-how are vital tools for society in responding to economic changes and the challenges of globalization.

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I am confident that the representatives of the business delegation accompanying me on this visit will have interesting solutions to offer the Mongolian economy and Mongolian society at large. In their respective fields, the Finnish companies in the delegation represent world-leading expertise in the green economy and in environmentally-friendly production and products. Furthermore, I am confident in saying that Finnish companies – on the basis of their Finnish origin – are familiar with the implementation of corporate social responsibility, including fundamental workers’ rights and decent working conditions.

Finally, I would like to wish you a rewarding and fruitful Business Forum. I hope this day will help you in establishing new contacts and partnerships between our countries.