23 September 2020. Sauli Niinistö, the President of the Republic of Finland, declared his country´s “unwavering support” for the UN´s efforts in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and in particular WHO.
President Niinistö told the annual General Debate at the UN General Assembly that a pandemic requires a global response.
“No country is able to combat this common enemy alone. No one is safe, until all are safe. An effective global response can only come from all of us together. From the United Nations. I would like to reiterate our unwavering support for the UN system in general, and the World Health Organization in particular, for their efforts to manage the fight against the pandemic. I also would like to express my appreciation for the strong leadership Secretary-General António Guterres has shown during this crisis,” Mr. Niinistö said.
The Finnish President said that it was important “not l to ose sight of the even more persistent existential threat to humanity. Climate change.”
“Our lives may have been on lockdown this year, but climate change has not stopped for a moment. The urgency of bold and swift climate action is growing by the day… The Finnish Government stands firmly behind its aim to make Finland climate neutral by 2035, and thus the world ́s first fossil-free welfare society.”
See also the President´s speech on video: http://webtv.un.org/search/finland-president-addresses-general-debate-75th-session/6193839635001/
And in print:
https://estatements.unmeetings.org/estatements/10.0010/20200923/bVdkQECcmuDt/ahytya6tlE37_en.pdf
