Statement of Finland at the UNGA72

Nuclear weapons/DPRK: “The North Korean nuclear weapons programme is a threat to global peace and stability, and it must be stopped. The United Nations Security Council's co-operation on North Korea has been successful. It is important that unity prevails.”

NPT/nuclear weapons: “Nuclear weapons represent a severe threat to mankind. As long as nuclear weapons exist there is a risk of a catastrophe. The NPT remains the cornerstone of global non-proliferation and the foundation for nuclear disarmament.”

Nuclear weapons: “Finland's approach to nuclear disarmament is result-oriented and pragmatic. It is imperative that the countries possessing nuclear weapons are on board on any negotiations. I call on all nuclear weapon states and countries possessing these weapons to promptly take concrete actions in nuclear disarmament. It is important that the nuclear deal on Iran is honoured by all parties. I also welcome the recent talks on strategic stability between the United States and Russia. It is our hope that they will restart the arms control talks in Europe and globally.”

Gender: “Transparency, accountability, efficiency and gender balance should be the guiding principles of the UN System.”

Conflict Prevention: “Successful conflict prevention saves lives and financial resources. Finland continues to advocate the use of mediation in conflict resolution. Mediation efforts, when successful, prevent conflicts and decrease human suffering.”

Protection: “Those who are marginalized must be given a voice in peace processes. Women, children and
adolescents often pay the highest price in conflicts but they can also help to pave a way out of
the crisis.”

Participation: “Finland has contributed to the establishment of a Nordic network of women mediators. It aims at sustaining peace through the inclusive and meaningful participation of women in all phases of peace processes.”

SGBV: “Finnish police officers, including a specialized team on sexual and gender based violence in UNMISS, are now deployed in seven UN operations.”

Ukraine/Syria: “In wars, there are no winners. Yet the conflicts continue. In 2016,157 000 lives were lost in violent conflicts globally. There are almost 68 million refugees in the world today. The conflicts in the Middle East, Africa and Eastern Ukraine are all examples of untold human suffering. But they are not the only ones.”