Ministry for Foreign Affairs will organise a seminar on challenges of the UN peace keeping operations on 31 May - 2 June in Helsinki for the New York-based UN Ambassadors of 28 countries. The seminar is organised in cooperation with the New York University Center of International Cooperation, CIC. CIC is a leading analyst of the UN peacekeeping activities.
The troops for UN peacekeeping operations increasingly come from developing countries, while financing is still largely a responsibility of traditional western countries. The above issue is one of the seminar themes including the changing nature of peacekeeping given the increasing complexity of operations and the growing importance of civilian crisis management.
The seminar keynote speakers are the former UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Atul Khare of India and Major General Juha Kilpiä of Finland. Major General Kilpiä has served as Head of Mission to the United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation (UNTSO) since spring 2011.
The seminar is a part of preparing for Finland's possible membership (2013-2014) in the UN Security Council. “This important seminar will give us ideas for developing Finland's participation in the UN peacekeeping operations in the future. The seminar will portray Finland as an accountable UN member, who is ready for listening to the views of small and large member states alike,” Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja says.
Further information: Head of Unit for Communications Keijo Norvanto, tel. +358 9 1605 5836
