Office of the President of the Republic
Press release 29/2019
17 September 2019
President of the Republic of Finland Sauli Niinistö will travel to New York to attend the opening week of the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly on 22–25 September 2019. President Niinistö will deliver Finland’s National Statement at the Opening of the General Debate of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, 24 September.
On Monday, 23 September, President Niinistö will speak at the Climate Action Summit, hosted by UN Secretary-General António Guterres. The summit aims to boost ambition and accelerate actions to implement the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
In addition to delivering Finland’s National Statement, President Niinistö will attend on Tuesday, 24 September, the UN Secretary General’s State Luncheon, and a Reception hosted by President of the United States President Donald Trump.
On Wednesday, 25 September, President Niinistö will attend the UN Sustainable Development Summit and will chair a discussion on its actions. The summit will, among other things, assess the progress of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
During the opening week, President Niinistö’s programme will also include several bilateral meetings, for example with the UN Secretary-General, the Executive Director of UN Women and the Presidents of Georgia, Poland and Kazakhstan.
President Niinistö will serve as Chair of the Delegation of Finland at the UN General Assembly. The delegation will also consist of Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto, Minister for Family Affairs and Social Services Krista Kiuru, Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari and Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Krista Mikkonen.