Let me begin by welcoming you, Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, to Helsinki. It is a great honor to have you here with us today. I am also glad to see all other distinguished participants in the Finlandia Hall today filled with such a variety of UN experience, interest and support.
We have gathered here to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Finland’s membership in the United Nations. At the same time, it is the 70th anniversary of the United Nations. The UN with its 193 member states is a unique organization with its universality, legitimacy and convening power. Its task continues to be as vital now as it was in 1945 when the UN Charter was agreed upon in San Francisco. Läs talet