President Halonen: Twelve years have gone by quickly and have lasted long

Copyright © Office of the President of the Republic of Finland

President of the Republic Tarja Halonen summed up her term in office at her last press conference at the Presidential Palace on 28 February 2012.

“Twelve years have gone by quickly and have lasted long,” said President Halonen. “It is a long time in personal terms, but in a changing world things happen quickly.”

President Halonen considered that during her term in office progress had been made on a number of international issues such as the UN Millennium Goals and the promotion of fair globalisation and sustainable development. “These are not things that one person or one president can achieve, but I have had the privilege of contributing to these processes.”

President Halonen names Finland’s good relations with her neighbours and co-operation concerning the Baltic Sea as particular successes during her term in office. Progress has been made in the area of gender equality, and the institution of the presidency has become more open and more accessible to the man in the street.
Concerns include trends towards social inequality and the rise of hate speech. President Halonen regrets that Finland still has not ratified the ILO Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention. Internationally, the fact that progress has not been made in the Middle East as was hoped has been a major disappointment.

President Halonen intends to continue to participate in social debate in Finland, and she will also be carrying on with her international appointments, such as her work on the UN reporting on sustainable development, the development of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and the chairmanship of the Council of Women World Leaders.

The term of office of President of the Republic Tarja Halonen ends on Thursday 1 March 2012 as Sauli Niinistö is inaugurated as the 12th President of the Republic of Finland.