Foreign Minister Soini to attend Arms Trade Treaty Conference in Geneva

Press release 153/2017
7 September 2017

Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini will visit Geneva on 11–12 September. The Minister will attend the Third Conference of States Parties to the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT).

The ATT is the first international treaty that regulates trade in conventional weapons. The treaty also seeks to prevent illicit transfers of arms.

Finland has presided the session of the Conference of States Parties to the ATT in 2016–2017. The next Presidency will be elected in Geneva on 11–15 September. The Conference will adopt guidelines for strengthening of the implementation of the Treaty and encourage new countries to accede to the Treaty. Special themes on the agenda include ways in which the ATT can support the attainment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Minister Soini will hold the opening address at the event.

Additionally, the Minister will speak at the UN Human Rights Council and at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. Foreign Minister Soini will also have bilateral meetings, among others, with Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter, UN Special Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura, and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Hussein and UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.

Inquiries: Jussi Tanner, Diplomatic Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, tel. + 358 295 350 663

Ilkka Rentola, Desk Officer, tel. +358 50 440 9274 (Arms Trade Treaty questions)

The Foreign Ministry’s email addresses are in the format [email protected].