Pekka Haavisto

Personal details

Minister for Foreign Affairs, 10 December 2019 to present
Member of Parliament
The Greens in Finland
Date and place of birth: 23 March 1958, Helsinki
Place of residence: Helsinki

Political career

Minister for Foreign Affairs, 10 December 2019 to present
Minister for Foreign Affairs (Rinne), 6 June 2019–10 December 2019
Minister for International Development (Stubb), 24 June 2014–26 September 2014
Minister for International Development (Katainen), 17 October 2013–24 June 2014
Minister of Development and the Environment (Lipponen), 13 April 1995–15 April 1999

Presidential candidate, 2012 and 2018
The Greens in Finland, Party Leader 1993–1995 and 2018–2019
Green League Parliamentary Group, Chair 2011–2013, 1993,1987–1988
European Green Party, Chair 2000–2006

Member of Parliament 1987–1995, 2007 to present
Parliament work

Helsinki City Council, Member 1988–1992, 2005–2008
Helsinki City Executive, Member 1987 

Other work experience and societal responsibilities

Special Representative to the Minister for Foreign Affairs in African crises 2009–2017
Special Advisor for the UN (ASG) in Darfur peace process 2007
EU Special Representative for Sudan and Darfur 2005–2007
UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Task Forces on environmental impacts of war in the Balkans, Afghanistan, Iraq, Liberia, occupied Palestinian territory and Sudan, Chair, 1999-2005

Suomi magazine, Editor-in-Chief 1982–1987
Vihreä Lanka magazine, Editor-in-Chief 1983
Komposti magazine, Editor-in-Chief 1979–1982

European Institute of Peace EIP, Board, President 2016–2019
Finn Church Aid, Board of Directors, Member 2009–2013, 2014–2019
Finnish Federation of Settlement Houses, Board, Chair 2014–2019
Bcause Foundation, Board, Member 2014–2019
Stakeholder Advisory Panel of Neste, Member 2015–2016
WWF Finland, Board of Trustees, Chair 2011–2013
Plan Finland, Board, Member 2009–2013

Publications

Eurooppa raiteilla (Europe on rails) 2018
Anna mun kaikki kestää (What a life) 2011
Afrikan tähteä etsimässä (Looking for the Star of Africa) 2010
Hatunnosto (Raising the hat) 2010
UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme): Studies 1999–2005
Kesä Balkanilla (Summer at the Balkans) 1999
Nuori Eurooppa: inter-rail -opas (Young Europe: inter-rail guide) 1986
Tehtävä Napapiirillä (Mission at the Arctic Circle) 1983
Interrail guide 1977, 1978, 1979

Other information

Spouse: Nexar Antonio Flores
Language skills: Finnish, Swedish and English
Interests: books, cycling, cultural backyards

Profile

Pekka Haavisto was born in Helsinki on 23 March 1958. He was a Member of Parliament in 1983–1995 and was returned to Parliament in 2007. In 1995–1999, he served as Minister of Development and the Environment and in 2013–2014 as Minister for International Development. In 1993–1995 and in 2018–2019, he was Party Leader of the Greens in Finland. He has also served several years as a member of the Helsinki City Council. He stood as a candidate in the presidential election in Finland in 2012 and in 2018.

He has gained wide experience of various areas of foreign policy, for example, while chairing the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Task Forces on environmental impacts of war in the Balkans, Afghanistan, Iraq, Liberia, occupied Palestinian territory and Sudan. He has also worked as the EU Special Representative for Sudan and Darfur, Special Advisor for the UN (ASG) in the Darfur peace process, and Special Representative to the Minister for Foreign Affairs in African crises.

In addition, he has served in several positions of trust, including President of the Board of the European Institute of Peace (EIP) in 2016–2019, Chair of the Board of the Finnish Federation of Settlement Houses in 2014–2019, and Chair of WWF Finland’s Board of Trustees.

Haavisto has worked as Editor-in-Chief of several publications, including Vihreä Lanka magazine. Additionally, he has authored many books, the most recent one, Eurooppa raiteilla (Europe on rails), in 2018. His main interests are books, cycling, wooden boats and cultural backyards. Haavisto lives in a registered partnership.