Addressing the General Assembly on Wednesday, Halonen called on industrialised countries to ensure that developing countries have access to environmentally sound technologies. Halonen urged that a global agreement be reached on a post-2012 climate regime "as soon as possible".
She also called for an international arms trade treaty, a solution to the Kosovo question, and "decisive measures to promote gender awareness across the entire UN system". More specifically she stressed "the importance of engaging women in all phases of crisis management".
Halonen referred to Wednesday's developments in "Burma-Myanmar, where the fight of the people for freedom and human rights has been suppressed," adding that "We must react".
Her speech also touched on issues ranging from Darfur to UN administrative reform.
Dinner with Bush, Ban and Bachelet On Tuesday evening Halonen met with President Bush at a dinner hosted by Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon. The two were seated at the head table, along with Ban, Chilean president Michelle Bachelet and others. Heads of state from 25 countries attended the event. It has been more than five years since Halonen and Bush last met officially. Busy Week for President and Ministers
On Tuesday Foreign Trade and Development Minister Väyrynen flew to New York to join Halonen and Foreign Minister Ilkka Kanerva for the opening week of the UN General Assembly.
Halonen and Kanerva are to meet together with Ban. Kanerva is also to attend meetings with EU foreign ministers, an EU meeting with Russia's foreign minister, and a trans-Atlantic meeting of foreign ministers hosted by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. He is also hosting a meeting with his Nordic colleagues.