SIM 502- 503

Speech by President of the Republic

Tarja Halonen at the ccade!ia
"a#ionale dei $incei% & Septe!ber
20'0
(chec) a*ainst deli+ery,
We are the first generation to fully realize that our planet is the shared
home of the whole humankind. In the global world, the importance of
multilateral cooperation has continued to grow. Our common challenges
are becoming broader and more multidimensional. This means that also
our cooperation must be more effective and global.
In addition to armed conflicts, peace and security are undermined by
human rights violations, extreme poverty, terrorism and contagious
diseases. atural disasters and accelerating climate change are likewise
threats to all of us. In addition, food, energy and economic crises
fre!uently call for our action. "ll in all, we need more sustainable
development.
The #nited ations is the most important global forum in strengthening
international peace, security and development and promoting human
rights. The $ood and "griculture Organization %$"O&, located in 'ome,
does significant work also from the viewpoint of sustainable development.
In addition to the #, regional organizations, the (ouncil of )urope and
the O*() play a vital role. The )uropean #nion is naturally an important
channel of action for $inland.
$inland+s foreign and security policy is based on a broad concept of
security. We understand peace in a much broader sense than simply the
absence of war. ,eace should mean democracy, respect for human rights,
human security and social -ustice. In other words, sustainable
development.
$inland, like Italy, participates in international crisis management to
promote peace and security, development and respect for human rights.
We are involved in operations led by the #, the )# and "TO.
With the nature of crises changing, we must be capable of activities that
include both military and non.military crisis management aspects. The
situations in "fghanistan, /arfur and *omalia show that peace, stability
and security re!uire more than crisis management. It is important that
military and civilian crisis management, development cooperation and
humanitarian aid are coordinated in order to achieve sustainable results.
'espect for the fundamental and human rights of all people, including
women and girls, must be ensured in all crisis management operations in
accordance with # *ecurity (ouncil 'esolution 0123 on Women, ,eace
and *ecurity.
444
This year marks a decade since the # 5illennium /eclaration and the
5illennium /evelopment 6oals were adopted. I co.chaired the *ummit
together with the ,resident of amibia and remember well the enthusiastic
atmosphere at the meeting. The progress towards the goals will now be
reviewed at a special meeting that will be held in connection with the #
6eneral "ssembly. It will be a kind of halfway assessment, which does not
look entirely good. The work must be continued with even greater
determination. "chieving the goals would have crucial effect for global
security and sustainable development.
"lmost forty years have passed since the (lub of 'ome published its
report 7The 8imits to 6rowth9 in 0:;2. The (lub of 'ome called for
humankind to re.evaluate its exploitative attitude towards humans and the
earth itself. This calling for global responsibility is even more pressing
today.
I do not want to underestimate the economic difficulties, but they should
not slow down actions against climate change. $inland has emphasized
women+s role as well as paying attention to gender aspect in climate
negotiations.
"chieving sustainable and socially -ust development re!uires broad
cooperation among different actors internationally. I have the honour of co.
chairing the <igh.level ,anel on 6lobal *ustainability, launched by #
*ecretary.6eneral =an >i.moon in "ugust, together with ,resident ?acob
@uma of *outh "frica. Our aim is to create new ideas so that the
international community can respond better to the challenges of increasing
environmental problems and promote the achievement of the 5illennium
/evelopment 6oals.
The intention is that the ,anel+s recommendations will be used in preparing
the # (onference on *ustainable /evelopment to be held in 'io de
?aneiro in 2A02. The work is expected to be completed by the end of 2A00.
)nvironmental protection and economic development are indeed not
mutually exclusive ob-ectives. *ustainable development means ensuring
the well.being of people and the nature. To achieve this ob-ective we need
new knowledge and expertise. $inland wants to be at the forefront in
developing clean technologies.
444
$inland has been a member of the )uropean #nion for 03 years. /uring
this time, the #nion has changed a great deal. The number of 5ember
*tates has nearly doubled, and the )# has gone through several treaty
processes.
The )# 5ember *tates are linked by shared valuesB human rights,
democracy and the rule of law. )urope is broader than the )uropean
#nion, however. It is good to remember that these same values were also
the basis for the establishment of the (ouncil of )urope over CA years ago.
The (ouncil of )urope+s strong human rights standards and the *trasbourg
)uropean (ourt of <uman 'ights, which exercises supranational authority,
have had a key influence on legislation and the development of legal
security in the )uropean #nion+s 5ember states.
In the )uropean #nion we can be proud that human rights and
fundamental freedoms are implemented well in our countries as a rule. =ut
there are still challenges. We have not yet succeeded in completely
eliminating discrimination. 5inorities such as the 'oma and immigrants are
in a very difficult position in many countries. The 'oma face discrimination
all over )urope and their fundamental rights are implemented poorly. They
are often victims of human trafficking. To eliminate discrimination and
human trafficking we need determined action from the governments of the
5ember *tates and the )uropean #nion.
Diolence against women will receive special attention at the # this
autumn. #nfortunately, it is a familiar problem in )urope as well. Our
continent is a significant destination for human trafficking. /omestic
violence is also part of everyday life for many )uropean women.
While $inland, Italy and the )uropean #nion work to promote human
rights, democracy and the rule of law globally, it is important that we have
the courage to recognize violations of human rights and the need for
development in our own countries.
With the 8isbon Treaty the )# now has better preconditions to work for
these values. The will of the 5ember *tates to promote a common policy
is also important. The better we can speak with one voice, the more
influence and authority the #nion will have.
In recent years, the work of the )# has focused on economic and
international issues. (urrent crises and problems draw the main attention.
The common values of the )uropean #nion are often regarded so self.
evident that they receive less attention.
$inland has consistently supported the enlargement of the #nion. We
believe that it strengthens stability, democracy and prosperity throughout
the continent. $inland supports )# membership for all the Western =alkan
countries and Turkey. We consider it important, however, that candidates
meet the re!uired criteria. $inland is also satisfied that the accession
negotiations have begun with Iceland.
444
The ordic welfare model is based on strong democracy, -oint
responsibility and social -ustice. ,eople value high.standard services, such
as education, health care and social services, which include a daycare
system and services for the elderly.
The welfare state is a positive thing for both individuals and the society. I
strongly believe that e!uality of women and men is a human rights issue,
and that it also provides opportunities for developing society. This is clearly
reflected in international comparisons, too.
Of course, balancing work and family life is a challenge for many women
and men in $inland as well, although it is easier than in many other
countries. Thanks to excellent maternal care, family leave system,
childrenEs daycare and pre.school system and, for instance, free warm
meals at school, both men and women can participate actively in working
life as well as take care of their families.
The $innish education system repeatedly achieves good results in
international comparisons. We do not take this for granted but constantly
aim to develop it. We believe that education plays an important role both in
e!uality between people and the nationEs competitiveness and economic
success. 5odern democracy also re!uires that people are well.educated.
444
=ilateral relations between $inland and Italy are excellent. Interaction is
lively and diverse.
Italy is an important trade partner for $inland, traditionally among the top
ten. Trade has grown steadily. The economic recession affected our trade
figures last year, but this year the trend has already turned upwards.
"round FA $innish companies have established operations in Italy.
6eographically our countries are located in different parts of )urope. 5any
factors nevertheless connect us. We are border countries of the )#. $or
$inland the =altic *ea and for Italy the 5editerranean are vital in many
respects. =oth seas also face great environmental challenges. I hope that
we can also exchange experiences and enhance cooperation in this area.
It goes without saying that Italy+s significance in the history of )uropean
culture is well known in $inland. *tudents and pilgrims have travelled here
since the 03th century. 8ater on many $innish artists came to admire Italy+s
art treasures and also sought inspiration from your beautiful country.
Gueen (hristina of *weden, which at that time included $inland, lived
opposite this very building in the 0;th century.
owadays interaction in the cultural field is vibrant in both directions.
5ultifaceted cultural and scientific cooperation receives support from the
$innish Institute for (lassical *tudies in 'ome %Dilla 8ante& and from the
Italian (ultural Institute in <elsinki. Dilla 8ante promotes research in the
arts, anti!uity and Italy but also assists researchers in other fields. The
direct and indirect significance of Dilla 8ante is great, since over 3,AAA
$innish researchers and artists have studied or worked there.
444
I have tried to tell you briefly about $inlandEs interest in Italy and raise your
curiosity about $inland. I believe that it would benefit both of us.
Thank you for the attention.
SIM 5'3
Speech by President of the Republic
Tarja Halonen at a se!inar -."
Resolution '325 /0o!en% Peace and
Security/ Ten 1ears after
$aunchin*2 on 22 3ctober 20'0
It is really a pleasure to welcome all of you to this seminar marking the ten.
year anniversary of #nited ations *ecurity (ouncil 'esolution 0123 on
women, peace and security. 'esolution 0123 set forth new criteria for
viewing conflicts and peace.processes by promoting the protection and
inclusion of women. 5ost importantly, it asserted that women are powerful
actors in resolving conflicts and promoting sustainable peace.
We all know the important role of )lisabeth 'ehn and )llen ?ohnson.
*irleaf in the birth of the 'esolution. It is a real pleasure that you are here
today )lisabeth.
In a decade, progress has been achieved. The role of women in building
peace, security and development is already widely recognised, as the #
6eneral "ssembly in *eptember clearly demonstrated. There is an
increased awareness and understanding of gender perspective and the
human rights dimension of conflicts.
We know that conflicts increasingly affect civilians who are not involved on
fighting H especially women and girls. They are left unprotected and often
directly targeted by conflict parties. 5ore concrete actions are needed to
protect women and girls from violations and enhance their involvement in
all levels of peace processes. To accelerate the efforts, we need
collaboration across borders and organizations. There is still much work to
do to fully implement 'esolution 0123.
'esolution 0123 can be described as a 7living9 resolution. ational and
regional action plans have become the primary tool in implementing 0123.
We in $inland completed our own plan in 2AAF. It is based on the idea of
mainstreaming the gender perspective and the different needs of women
and men in all activities and policies. 6ender aspects have, for example,
become an important dimension in developing civil and military crisis
management. (ombating violence against women in our own country is
also part of our 0123 plan.
We have also established a so called twinning cooperation with >enya on
0123 to produce their national action plan. I have understood that the
process has been very fruitful. Through this cooperation we have an
opportunity to learn from each otherEs experiences.
The #nited ations has also actively sought to strengthen the
implementation. The *ecurity (ouncil has adopted several new resolutions
H 0F2A, 0FFF, and 0FF: H that are based on 0123. The position of *pecial
'epresentative on *exual Diolence in (onflict was also created last year.
We trust this position will help achieve the much needed progress in the
implementation. I am very glad that *pecial 'epresentative 5argot
WallstrIm is with us today.
The establishment of a new gender entity 7# Women9 is also very
welcome. We believe that it will offer a holistic approach to gender.
sensitive decision.making in the #nited ations context. 6ender e!uality is
also a key dimension in reaching the # 5illennium /evelopment 6oals.
The implementation of the 6oals will improve especially the situation of
women and girls, not forgetting the men.
4 4 4
8ast year, we convened together with ,resident of 8iberia )llen ?ohnson.
*irleaf the International (ollo!uium on women+s leadership, empowerment
and security. early 2AAA women and men attended the 5onrovia
meeting. It sent a strong message about the need to fully implement this
'esolution.
I have proposed that one concrete step forward would be to classify
systematic rape as a forbidden weapon of war. This proposal is included in
the 5onrovia meetingEs (all to "ction on 'esolution 0123. 'eintegration
support should be tied to effective surrender of weapons and eradication of
violence, including rapes. Involvement of women in peace negotiations and
peace.building in post.conflict societies is of crucial importance. It brings
out a clear picture of the concrete situation.
*ecurity must mean security for everyone, women and girls included.
)!uality, human rights, and -ustice are needed before any conflict can be
solved or prevented. <arming women and children harms the whole
society. Diolence may cause a lifelong trauma for the victims. This is why
reintegration is of utmost importance in post.conflict reconstruction.
)ducation and economic empowerment of women is a key to success.
(onsistent and coherent work against impunity related to war crimes and
grave human rights offences remains an important goal at the global level.
The ad hoc International (riminal Tribunals for the $ormer Jugoslavia,
'uanda and the *pecial (ourt for *ierra 8eone have made pioneering
work in ending the impunity for sexual crimes through their prosecutions
and consecutive -udgments.
The 'ome *tatute of the International (riminal (ourt is a milestone as it
defines the gravity of sexual violence as comparable to a crime against
humanity. It also establishes sexual violence as a war crime in both
conflicts of an international and non.international character. The I(( gives
victims, including women and children, a platform to have their voices
heard through participation at the proceedings.
4 4 4
This event is an opportunity to share our experiences in implementation of
0123, and I am very happy that all of you are here together to continue this
work.
SIM 5'5
Speech by President of the Republic
Tarja Halonen at the se!inar
-0o!en and the 4hallen*es of
5lobal 6cono!y2 in Helsin)i on 20
3ctober 20'0
(chec) a*ainst deli+ery,
#I$)5 and the )uropean (ommission 'epresentation in $inland have
really addressed a current and important topic. The challenges of the
global economy affect the lives of women all over the world, also here in
$inland. 6lobalization has a diverse effect on e!uality and the role of
women.
On the one hand, global economy has given many people a new
opportunity for employment and an improved livelihood. On the other hand,
globalization appears to have led to increasing ine!uality and a weakening
in the status of women. We need more research into the impacts of
globalization on women. Information can help us draw right conclusions.
Only a fair globalization can be a positive force for all the peoples of the
world, both women and men. The benefits of globalization must reach a
greater number of people and be more e!ually distributed both among and
within countries. In addition, economic growth must tie in with ecological
framework. The world needs an understanding of global development
which is economically, socially and environmentally sustainable. Women
who are often responsible for everyday choices in domestic life play a key
role in developing green economy.
4 4 4
There has been a clear change in the discussions in the #nited ations
6eneral "ssembly this autumnB the role of women in building peace,
security and development has been widely recognized. 5oreover, several
outstanding women have been recently appointed to key duties within the
#.
The establishment of a new gender entity 7# Women9 is very welcome. It
will offer a holistic approach to gender.sensitive decision.making in the
#nited ations context.
WomenEs vital role in sustainable development is well known. The #
*ecretary.6eneralEs <igh.level ,anel on 6lobal *ustainability, which I
chair together with the ,resident of *outh "frica, has an e!ual gender
distribution. The gender perspective will undoubtedly be visible in the work
of the ,anel.
6ender e!uality is also a key dimension in reaching the # 5illennium
/evelopment 6oals. 5ost of the 6oals, when implemented, will improve
specifically the situation of women and girls. ,romoting gender e!uality
and improving the status of women especially through education is one of
the main 6oals %5/6 1&. "nd vice versa, promoting the rights of women
and girls is also a re!uirement for achieving the other 6oals of the #
5illennium /eclaration.
,overty often has the face of a woman. Work is the best cure against
poverty and economic self.determination for both women and men.
WomenEs employment and earnings lead to improved e!uality in the
society at large. Through employment, women gain access to decision.
making within the trade union movement, too. )mployment also increases
womenEs participation in political activity and societal discussion.
Women work hard everywhere in the world but, more often than men, they
are employed in informal sectors, in other words, without an employment
contract and the payment of taxes, and lacking sickness insurance and
pension security. They also work in agriculture along with their husbands
without own income or ownership of land. This means that their right to
decent work is not realised. It is extremely important that the e!uality
perspective is included in the concept of decent work.
)conomic e!uality is still far away. )ven though women perform two thirds
of all work in the world, they only earn one tenth of the income. Women
own only one per cent of all property in the world and less than two per
cent of all land.
)ntrepreneurship is often the only way for women to secure their income
and well.being. 5icroloans and microcredit have achieved encouraging
results. <ere in $inland, too, microcredit has helped many women to set up
their own business. In many developing countries legislation needs to be
changed so that women would get their legal right to their own income and
the results of their work.
4 4 4
$inland came in third in the recent 6lobal 6ender 6ap 'eport by the World
)conomic $orum. )!uality is at the heart of the ordic welfare society. The
report shows that e!uality and competitiveness are closely interlinked.
We should take pride in our excellent performance. "t the same time, we
need to acknowledge that, even in $inland, full e!uality is not yet reality.
The labour market is divided into -obs for men and women H and into pay
for men and women. The share of women at the top of the business life is
modest. Too many women hit the glass ceiling. (ombining work and family
life proves difficult in many ways. Temporary employment is the reality
facing many young educated women today.
" more harmonious reconciliation of work and family life will not only help
women but is also a contribution to humanity and to taking care of each
other. It is vital that men are strongly welcome to this field.
4 4 4
<alf of the worldEs population are women. 5eeting the challenges of the
economy and sustainable development re!uire that all human resources of
our planet be put into use. )mpowering women is the best way to build a
better world, but we need both women and men.