Speech by President of the Republic of Finland Sauli Niinistö at the South African Institute of International Affairs in Johannesburg on 26 April 2023

President Sauli Niinistö emphasizes that the world is facing a series of interlocking crises—including climate change, food insecurity, and the war in Ukraine—that cannot be solved by any single nation. He highlights the disproportionate impact of climate change on African countries and commits Finland to increasing international climate finance for developing nations. Niinistö also discusses Finland's decision to join NATO as a security measure in response to Russian aggression in Ukraine, while advocating for a just peace for Ukraine and the importance of African leadership in global governance.

• The global community is facing a set of interlocking crises, including the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, food and energy crises, the COVID-19 pandemic, and inflation, which reinforce one another.
• Climate change is described as the most significant test for the global community, with a rapidly closing window to ensure a sustainable future; it disproportionately affects those least responsible, particularly in many African countries.
• Finland intends to significantly increase its international climate finance for developing countries and emphasizes the need to maintain commitments made at COP26 in Glasgow as part of the Champions Group on Adaptation Finance.
• Russia's war in Ukraine has caused global instability, exacerbated the food crisis by impacting grain exports and logistics, and prompted Finland to apply for NATO membership to maximize its own security.
• Africa is identified as having increasing geopolitical influence and potential due to its fast-growing economies and the fact that its population will exceed 25% of the world's total by 2050.

APA

Niinistö, S. (2023). Speech by President of the Republic of Finland Sauli Niinistö at the South African Institute of International Affairs in Johannesburg on 26 April 2023. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/research/speech-by-president-of-the-republic-of-finland-sauli-niinisto-at-the-south-african-institute-of-international-affairs-in-johannesburg-on-26-april-2023/

Chicago

Niinistö, Sauli. Speech by President of the Republic of Finland Sauli Niinistö at the South African Institute of International Affairs in Johannesburg on 26 April 2023. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2023. https://saiia.org.za/research/speech-by-president-of-the-republic-of-finland-sauli-niinisto-at-the-south-african-institute-of-international-affairs-in-johannesburg-on-26-april-2023/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Niinistö |first1=Sauli |title=Speech by President of the Republic of Finland Sauli Niinistö at the South African Institute of International Affairs in Johannesburg on 26 April 2023 |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=26 April 2023 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/speech-by-president-of-the-republic-of-finland-sauli-niinisto-at-the-south-african-institute-of-international-affairs-in-johannesburg-on-26-april-2023/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{niinist2023speech, author = {Niinistö, Sauli}, title = {{Speech by President of the Republic of Finland Sauli Niinistö at the South African Institute of International Affairs in Johannesburg on 26 April 2023}}, publisher = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2023}, month = apr, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/speech-by-president-of-the-republic-of-finland-sauli-niinisto-at-the-south-african-institute-of-international-affairs-in-johannesburg-on-26-april-2023/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }