Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja to Geneva

Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja will travel to Geneva on Monday, 9 March. Minister Tuomioja will participate in the UN Human Rights Council and the UN Disarmament Conference, and he will visit the South Centre.

At the UN Human Rights Council (HRC), Tuomioja will deliver an address, prepared under the direction of Finland and Mexico, in honour of International Women’s Day. The address is supported by more than 80 UN Member States. The address highlights, among other issues, the participation of women in decision-making at all levels of society, the right to decide about one’s own body and one’s own life in accordance with international human rights, as well as the role of men and boys in promoting the rights of women. The aim is for gender equality and the empowerment of women to be one of the post-2015 development goals.

In his address at the UN Conference on Disarmament (CD), Tuomioja will focus on topical issues pertaining to arms control and disarmament, such as the situation of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) ahead of the 2015 NPT Review Conference to take place in April as well as promotion of the implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty.

Tuomioja’s visit to Geneva is associated in part with the bilateral cooperation programme between Finland and the South Centre, which has its headquarters in Geneva. The South Centre is a think tank formed by the Governments of 51 developing countries. Its mission is to promote mutual dialogue among developing countries and their cooperation on international economic and development policy issues. Finland is a financier of the South Centre’s operations.

During his visit, Tuomioja will discuss topical matters pertaining to sustainable development and the global agenda with members of the Board of the South Centre, chaired by Benjamin Mkapa, Emeritus President of Tanzania. He will also give the keynote speech at the dicussion forum ‘Multilateral Cooperation 2015 in a World of Crises’, organised by the South Centre in the UN premises.

Additional information: Tarja Kangaskorte, Diplomatic Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, mobile tel. +358 40 181 9257

Regarding the HRC: Counsellor Stefan Lee, Permanent Mission of Finland in Geneva, tel. +41 22 919 4242; and Counsellor Ann-Mari Fröberg, Unit for Human Rights Policy, tel. +358 295 350 641.

Regarding the CD: Counsellor Jyri Järviaho, Permanent Mission of Finland in Geneva, tel. +41 79 598 3781; and Counsellor Lauri Hirvonen, Unit for Arms Control, tel. +358 295 351 794.

Regarding the South Centre: Senior Researcher, climate finance negotiator Folke Sundman, mobile tel. +358 40 569 6630.