YouSaid · the spoken record

Marjatta Rasi

lines on the record: 34
first: 2000-09-24
most recent: 2003-09-24
sittings or episodes: 2
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“In the work of the General Assembly Finland underlines the importance of setting clear priorities, tackling the issues that are most relevant in today’s security environment. People throughout the world might find it difficult to understand the Organization’s trying to resolve the problems of yesterday’s world. Before concluding, let me express my Government’s deep satisfaction with the fact that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has become a reality and is operational. The ICC is the cornerstone of efforts to enhance respect for international humanitarian law and human rights. We remain committed to ensuring the Court’s success and appeal to States which have not yet ratified the Rome Statute to become parties to it.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“We agree with the Secretary-General that the United Nations and the Security Council should look at the enforcement of regimes against weapons of mass destruction. The United Nations has valuable expertise and experience in verification. Finland believes that this verification and inspection competence should be maintained. By focusing on weapons of mass destruction, I do not want to suggest that small arms are any less dangerous. They need due and growing attention by the international community. In some countries and in 21 some crises small arms are a means of massive destruction and a major cause of loss of life, mostly of civilians. The multilateral institutions should respond to new challenges. Being multilateral is not sufficient in itself.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“We urge all States that have not yet done so to sign and ratify it as soon as possible. In combating the spread of weapons of mass destruction, new initiatives and new approaches are called for. In order to complement international instruments, we need fresh perspectives on how to confront the problem of weapons of mass destruction. Finland welcomes new efforts, open to all, such as the G-8 Global Partnership against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction. The United Nations and in particular the Security Council have the primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security. Finland is in favour of enhancing the role of the United Nations in issues related to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“The international community cannot tolerate precedents of non-compliance with the legal undertakings, which would put at stake the whole non-proliferation regime. In cases where States have difficulties in implementing treaty obligations due to lack of legal or technical verification expertise, appropriate support and assistance should be offered by the relevant organizations and participating States. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty remains the cornerstone of our efforts to curb the spread of nuclear weapons. In our view, the Comprehensive Nuclear- Test-Ban Treaty constitutes an essential and irreplaceable building block for containing the proliferation of nuclear weapons, thus contributing to nuclear disarmament. Finland attaches great importance to its entry into force.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery is clearly an issue that affects the international community as a whole. No State can ignore these dangers. Today more than ever, we need to step up our collective efforts to halt the proliferation worldwide. The most effective way to address global security threats is the multilateral system of binding international agreements. The existing system of treaties, built over the decades, needs to be strengthened, not weakened. We need to reinforce our commitment to the prohibition of chemical and biological weapons and to the prevention of the spread of nuclear weapons, with the objective of their total elimination. Promoting adherence to multilateral treaties and obligations is not enough. It is equally important to ensure that commitments are fully implemented.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“A global approach to international peace and security and a multilateral security system based on cooperation are largely axiomatic principles for Finland and for our partners in the European Union. But security problems linked to globalization, and solutions to them, threaten to divide the international community. Peace is much more than the absence of war nowadays. Development and peace are inseparably intertwined, and both of them are being affected by globalization. Another major issue that requires multilateral cooperation is weapons of mass destruction and prevention of their proliferation. Effective global governance requires universally agreed norms and rules setting standards for behaviour to be followed by all States as well as by non-State actors.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“We will also focus on the global economic agenda and on human security. The international players in globalization include, in addition to States and multinational companies, the continually growing network of non-governmental organizations. Many of those organizations take a critical or negative stand on globalization, but do not hesitate to adopt procedures that are characteristic of globalization or to build networks across national borders. Out of a vast array of organizations, I could name two that are perceived as opposite: the World Economic Forum and the World Social Forum. Both, however, are concerned with the same challenges in the same world. One of the aims of the Helsinki Process is to bring these two processes closer to each other.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“But we must be able to influence, through the United Nations and other international organizations, corporate and public sector decisions that direct globalization. There are many ongoing processes that try to make globalization more inclusive and allow everybody to share its benefits. The Finnish Government, together with the Tanzanian Government, is launching the Helsinki Process on globalization and democracy. Ultimately, the global governance pursued by the Helsinki Process is characterized by the democratization of international 20 relations, by the way that globalization and its by- products can be managed through more equal participation in deciding on international rules and norms. One of the key tasks of the process will be to devise and develop new solutions for global problems.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“In addition to what was said in the Italy’s statement on behalf of the European Union, I should like to focus on two issues that require multilateral cooperation in particular: the issue of harnessing globalization and that of weapons of mass destruction. The biggest challenges in the future will be those to international peace and security, which become broader and broader in their scope, and the globalization process, as well as managing these two together through multilateral cooperation. Globalization affects everyone. Some can benefit from it. Some become more marginalized by it. Globalization stems from a countless number of decisions made in the private sector and beneath or outside public institutions.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“The development and strengthening of the United Nations pose a major challenge at this particular juncture. United Nations structures — the Security Council included — require reform, and the whole Organization requires better resources. This is a prerequisite also for a comprehensive implementation of the Millennium Declaration, which forms a demanding agenda for the United Nations for years to come. Despite different emphases and definitions given to freedom of action or joint actions, all the prerequisites exist for strengthening multilateral cooperation. As a member of the European Union, Finland is involved in the discussion on the significance of multilateralism and on the terms for promoting global security. This, too, should be one of the main topics in this session of the Assembly.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“International cooperation is needed in crisis management and prevention, in disarmament and arms control, in promoting human rights and international law in general, in enhancing sustainable development, in strengthening global governance with regard to environmental issues and in creating coherence and cooperation on economic and social issues, among other things. In order to do this, a more efficient and effective United Nations is needed. The United Nations system must deliver solutions to increasingly complicated challenges, be it Iraq, the Middle East, coherence between trade and development, or financing for development. Through their political will, Member States should give the United Nations the support it requires in order for it to be a true actor in world affairs. We need to be more efficient and more result- oriented.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“I have the honour to make the following statement on behalf of His Excellency Mr. Erkki Tuomioja, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland. Multilateralism and the United Nations have gone through a trying time since the last session of the General Assembly began. At the same time that multilateralism has been challenged by unilateral actions, it has been proved that multilateralism and multilateral cooperation — as well as the United Nations — are needed, perhaps more than ever before. The discussions at the World Trade Organization Ministerial Meeting in Cancún also point to the need for open and broad discussions on preserving a multilateral trading system based on mutually agreed rules.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Strong partnerships are needed to meet the challenges posed every day in the present world. This trend should be strengthened and encouraged.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Charter obligations related to the payment of contributions must be fulfilled by all, on time, in full and without conditions. Cooperation between the United Nations, Governments and non-governmental organizations has been very successful, and it must be intensified and facilitated. It has to be extended to cover the whole of civil society. Present challenges are too heavy for the United Nations to carry alone. I commend the Secretary-General for his several initiatives in this respect. In particular, I would mention his Global Compact initiative, which seeks to engage corporations in the promotion of equitable labour standards, respect for human rights and the protection of the environment. Cooperation with civil society is a necessity for the new millennium.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“The role and ability of the Secretary-General must be enhanced to enable the Organization to act when it is otherwise threatened with paralysis. In this context, I want to make it clear that the crisis management capacity under construction in the European Union will be at the service of the international community. It is not intended for unilateral interventionism. The Union will contribute to international peace and security in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter and the principles and objectives of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Charter on European Security. For this kind of a multilateralism to work, United Nations finances must be put on a sound, sustainable and equitable basis. This is crucial for its strength and credibility.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“There are many reasons why multilateralism is the preferred, as well as perhaps the only sustainable, way to deal with problems. It involves all the actors that are needed for the long-term solution of conflicts. It provides the transparency that modern conflict resolution requires. It strengthens respect for international law in general. Last but not least, it diminishes the possibility that force will be used unnecessarily or disproportionately. A tendency towards unilateralism would only reopen old divisions or create new ones. The United Nations is a stronghold of multilateralism, and it should be used to safeguard the primacy of multilateral action. In this respect, we must ensure that the United Nations is able to act effectively when the need arises.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Finland welcomes the initiative of the Secretary- General to offer an opportunity to sign any treaty or convention of which the Secretary-General is the depositary. In this connection, I should also like to make reference to the Tampere Convention on the Provision of Telecommunication Resources for Disaster Mitigation and Relief Operations. As the host country of the relevant conference, Finland would like to encourage all States to sign and ratify the Convention in order to bring it into force as soon as possible. The purposes enshrined in the Charter and the new challenges the United Nations is facing require unwavering support for the United Nations and for multilateralism from its Member States. The United Nations is an expression of the will of its Member 21 States to deliberate and act multilaterally.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“It is important now to build on what has been achieved in and after the Rome Conference and to secure the early establishment of the ICC, fully respecting the integrity of its Statute. More and more States, including my own, are approaching the stage of ratification of the Rome Statute. We are confident that, in the long run, all States will recognize the benefits of a permanent International Criminal Court. Terrorism is an evil we must combat decisively and effectively so that everyone can live and travel freely in the world without having to fear crime and kidnappings. We have negotiated 12 major anti- terrorism conventions within the United Nations framework that make it clear that terrorist acts are criminal and can never be justified by any ends. This obviously also applies to the means used to combat terrorism.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“We need to ensure that the few countries remaining outside the NPT regime do not develop weapons of mass destruction. Also, conventional arms, and in particular anti-personnel landmines, small arms and light weapons, remain a concern in regional and internal conflicts. The United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects should aim at achieving significant results in adopting a comprehensive approach integrating security and development. Enhanced international action is also needed in humanitarian demining, particularly in post-conflict situations where civilian populations continue to be victims of anti-personnel landmines. I wish to join the Secretary-General's call on all States to sign and ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) at the earliest possible date.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Disarmament is a part of comprehensive and integrated action in preventing conflicts and in promoting a global dialogue on peace and stability. Arms control agreements, including the Treaty between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Limitation of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems, remain a cornerstone of international security. The successful outcome of the Review Conference of the States Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) created a new momentum in nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty must be ratified by all. We hope for a swift entry into force of the START II Treaty and we are looking forward to the commencement of the START III negotiations. One of the main concerns is the regional arms race.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Complementarity and cooperation are the friends, and rivalry the enemy, of any operation. Coherent action is needed to address the situations, bearing in mind the comprehensive concept of security. I stress the need to enhance our civilian crisis-management capabilities in all relevant fields. Complex crises need expertise in the fields of civilian police, the rule of law, human rights, justice, electoral assistance, institution-building, economic reconstruction and rehabilitation, as well as impartial media. As stated in the Brahimi report, doctrinal shifts and more thorough strategic planning are needed at the United Nations to address complex and often intrastate conflicts. Peace and security are indivisible.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Addressing them requires cooperation among different organizations, such as the United Nations, the European Union, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the Organization of African Unity and the Organization of American States, to mention but a few. The complexity of crises has shown that no single organization is capable of dealing with all aspects of a crisis military, civilian and humanitarian. Sad experiences, for example from the Balkans, remind us that many weaknesses still exist in the conflict-prevention and management capabilities of the international community. A clearer division of labour between the organizations is needed. They must concentrate on what they can do best, following the principle of comparative advantage.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Recent incidents in West Timor against United Nations personnel, however, jeopardize the progress and the capabilities of the United Nations system to help. We also strongly support the Secretary-General's efforts to achieve a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem. Developments in Africa have not been encouraging. I regret deeply that the safety and security of United Nations personnel have not been guaranteed in all United Nations operations, such as that in Sierra Leone. However, Eritrea and Ethiopia have reached an agreement and international monitoring can start. I am happy to announce that Finland will participate in the United Nations mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea. The continuum of multidimensional crises must be prevented, managed and solved with appropriate 20 multidimensional means.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“There have been positive developments in some crises that have long been on the United Nations agenda. A most encouraging example is the rapprochement in the Korean peninsula. Finland welcomes the positive development to bring peace, stability and reunification to the Korean peninsula and encourages the two parties to advance the process of dialogue. Finland also welcomes the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon in accordance with Security Council resolution 425 (1978). We hope this leads to a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East. The nation-building process in East Timor has started successfully. I hope that the present transition period will soon lead to full independence for East Timor.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Prevention continues after crises in post-conflict peace-building, as we need to minimize their consequences and their duration, not to speak of their repetition. Kosovo is a prime example of this. I am stating the obvious when I say that the United Nations needs a rapid-reaction capability, qualified and experienced personnel to perform the operations, as well as the money to pay for them. This would make it easier to address an increased demand for United Nations peacekeeping. The critical approach taken in the Brahimi report should also be extended to other fields and activities of the United Nations in order to attain efficiency within the Organization. Reorganization and prioritization would free both human and financial resources for the core areas of our responsibilities.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Finland welcomes the Secretary-General's initiative to take a critical look at the United Nations peace operations by a Panel of eminent persons. The Brahimi report suggests a comprehensive reform of peace operations. We need a detailed discussion on the report without delay. There are lessons to be learned for the United Nations and its Member States. We should particularly learn from the failures so as not to repeat them, but we also must learn from successes and see what works. We need to address the whole continuum of peace operations from the standpoint of prevention. It is most important to try to prevent crises from erupting. Prevention is an important element during a crisis as we try to stop its escalation.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“In the new millennium, we must focus on the accelerated implementation of the plans of action adopted at these conferences. Still, our agenda keeps growing. Children, HIV/AIDS, racism and racial discrimination, financing for development, least developed countries as well as sustainable development and the environment require more profound attention from the world community. Even with these issues, I am afraid that our agenda is not exhausted. The growing agenda poses valid demands of coherence on the United Nations system and its work, as well as on the Member States. No matter how well we implement the global agenda and no matter how much we resort to preventive actions, we have to have improved means to solve crises and conflicts as peacefully and rapidly as possible.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Computerization and Internet literacy are not an end as such. They should serve the purposes of development: education, literacy, health care, empowerment and inclusion. By closing the digital gap, we help developing countries join the knowledge-based global economy. In the long run, the digital revolution has the greatest potential for the developing countries. Information and communication technology (ICT) will make technological leap- frogging possible for developing countries. The global agenda set in the United Nations conferences and summits in the 1990s addressed many such basic needs of human life which need common attention in the process of globalization. Progress was made on human rights, gender equality, population, social development, sustainable development, drugs, environmental issues and many others.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Trade liberalization and trade rules under the auspices of the WTO should be implemented in such a way that they benefit all, particularly the poorest, as well as safeguard our common environment. One aspect of managing globalization is the need to enhance stability, transparency and responsible behaviour in international financial markets. We must counter disturbances caused, for example, by short- term speculative capital movements. Initiatives such as currency transaction taxes, the so-called Tobin tax, deserve careful consideration. If, as some studies indicate, such a tax is unworkable, it is all the more important to propose and adopt other means and instruments to achieve the same aims. 19 One of the most recent challenges is the digital divide created by the revolution in information and communication technology.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“As such, this is not to be deplored; but, at the same time, too many people are losers in the same process. Many more fear the potential threats and losses they perceive as negative effects of globalization. Still more are anxious as to whether global processes are under control any longer. For these reasons, it is of the utmost importance for us to be able to face the challenges of globalization and to counter many of its negative effects. The United Nations, the Bretton Woods institutions and the World Trade Organization (WTO), as well as other international actors, must join forces in adopting and implementing the common rules needed to harness the positive power of globalization.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“The United Nations is the only global organization primarily mandated to ensure respect for human rights. It should devote more attention and resources to the full realization and enjoyment of these rights universally. Globalization is not only an unavoidable process but also something which is on the whole beneficial for human development. Globalization today is not merely a continuation of the familiar process of internationalization of trade, market integration and growing interdependence. In these processes, we encounter the phenomenon of quantity changing into quality. The development of new technologies greatly multiplies the effects, both positive and negative, of globalization. I believe that the great majority of the world's population have benefited from globalization. Some have certainly made vast profits from it.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Poverty is also an affront to human dignity. Trying to halve the proportion of people living in extreme poverty requires common efforts. Democracy and respect for human rights are important preconditions for all development and for poverty eradication to be sustained. Without democratic decision-making, respect for the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms, gender equality and good governance, it is unrealistic to expect sustainable results in poverty reduction. Demand for respect for human rights will continue to shape the destiny of humankind in the future. One of the greatest achievements of the United Nations has been the codification of a core set of human rights standards. Governments have the obligation to implement these standards.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“I should like to elaborate on some of her ideas a little further, fully supporting the statement made by the French Foreign Minister, Mr. VÈdrine, on behalf of the European Union. One of the most inspiring concepts that the Secretary-General has advocated is the culture of prevention. If we want the United Nations to be relevant, we must equip it with the means to be one step ahead of developments. Successful prevention requires a profound understanding of underlying causes. By understanding these causes, we can establish an early warning system that allows us to act in time, before the conflicts erupt. One of the root causes of conflicts is poverty. As almost half of the world's population still have to make do with less than $2 dollars a day, and struggle for existence, conflicts can flare up easily.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“I will deliver this statement on behalf of Mr. Erkki Tuomioja, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland. The heads of State and Government have just completed the largest-ever United Nations gathering, the Millennium Summit. They adopted a forward- looking and ambitious Millennium Declaration. This, together with the Secretary-General's report for the Summit, sets a demanding agenda for the United Nations for the new millennium. A new spirit was kindled in the Summit. We need to keep that spirit alive in the Assembly, which now has the responsibility to start the implementation of the Millennium Declaration. The President of Finland made a statement on the need for the United Nations to be relevant for the Member States and their people.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)