International United Nations Day
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President Tarja Halonen, speaking at the Palais de Finland for the 50th anniversary of Finland’s membership in the United Nations, said Finland fully supports UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in reforming the world organization. According to Halonen, the UN can help make the world a safe place for people to live. She stressed that Finland should be an active and responsible member of the world organization.
The Finnish military has been taking part in UN actions since 1956, when 250 Finns were sent to support UN forces in the Suez operation. Since then, about 43,000 Finns have taken part in 24 operations. About 1,000 Suomi citizens are currently serving in the UN peacekeeping force.
Finnish Defense Minister Jan-Erik Enestam stressed that, unfortunately, there is always a certain degree of risk, although governments are doing everything to ensure the safety of UN forces. According to the Finnish ministry, about 1,000,700 people died in UN peacekeeping operations from 1948 to 2001, including 44 Finns.