VZCZCXRO0538
RR RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHHE #0135/01 0961243
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 061243Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY HELSINKI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4911
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 0655
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0109

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HELSINKI 000135 
 
SIPDIS 
 
EUR/NB FOR MIGUEL RODRIGUES 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/07/2019 
TAGS: PREL PHUM PGOV FI
SUBJECT: FINLAND: FOREIGN MINISTER ON UN REFORM, CAMPAIGN 
FOR UNSC SEAT 2013-14 
 
Classified By: CDA Michael A. Butler for reasons 1.4(b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary:  Finnish Foreign Minister Stubb kicked off 
Finland's 2013-14 Security Council Seat campaign at a March 
17 seminar entitled "The Role of Small States in the United 
Nations Security Council"(UNSC).  Stubb defined Finland as a 
small state with proven leadership experience that would help 
drive UN reform forward.  Stubb called the UN a forum to 
provides world leadership and establish consensus around 
major issues while allowing other organizations, largely 
regional ones, to carry much of the load.  Stubb expressed 
concern that ad hoc fora such as "G-meetings" would 
marginalize the UN, especially in times of crisis.  He called 
for broad reform of the UNSC, including elimination of the 
veto in favor of weighted consensus and rotating regional 
seats.  Although Stubb offset his lofty rhetoric about the UN 
with criticism of its shortcomings, he clearly geared his 
presentation towards the small states whose votes Finland 
requires.  Stubb's comments, coming from a conservative 
politician who is Finland's most prominent advocate of NATO 
membership, reflect the weighty role that the U.S. has in 
Finnish hearts and foreign policy.  End Summary. 
 
First "a Commercial" 
-------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U)  Stubb paused at the beginning of the seminar for 
what he called a "commercial break" reminding the attendees 
that Finland is actively campaigning for a Security Council 
seat for the 2013-2014 term.  Stubb promoted Finland as a 
"pair of safe hands" and a "trustworthy handshake."  He 
showcased Finland as pro-multilateralism, with a long track 
record in international institutions, and good at "securing a 
common voice."  Stubb added that small countries need to be 
represented in balancing the "P5 big stuff."  Stubb also said 
that while Finland would be as active a campaigner as 
possible, it would not sacrifice human rights for votes. 
Stubb identified Australia and Luxembourg as Finland's 
"friendly competition".  At one point Stubb turned to the 
Swedish Ambassador in the audience and asked, with a smile, 
what Finland might trade for Sweden's vote. 
 
Looking for Strong Leadership in a World Forum 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶3.  (U)  With the commercial ended, Stubb asked rhetorically, 
"Why a strong UN?"  He saw international politics at a 
crossroads and the international system in turmoil - and an 
important role for the UN in calming the turmoil.  Stubb 
described the UN as the "linchpin" between all international 
institutions in a world that moved from bipolar to unipolar, 
and is now headed in a multipolar direction.  He suggested 
that this multipolar world needs an overarching global 
organization with strong leadership potential, and that the 
UN is that organization. 
 
¶4.  (U)  Stubb stressed that the UN is a world forum - a body 
to provide leadership and help forge a consensus on a given 
matter - not a world government. He sees the UN as a roof 
held up by the "pillars" of organizations with a global reach 
such as the EU and NATO, and others with regional impact, 
like the Nordic Council and African Union.  He expressed 
disappointment that the UN has been unable to transform.  The 
targets are there, he said - peace, security and human rights 
- but the tools are weak. 
 
 
Finland is G-34 
--------------- 
 
¶5.  (U)  As a supporter of the well-established "pillars" 
that should support the UN, Stubb lamented what he sees as a 
reliance on ad hoc fora embodied by the excessive "G 
activity."  He joked that it did not matter whether one spoke 
of G-2, G-7 or G-20, because Finland would not make the list, 
and that if Finland did not get a seat on the UNSC, perhaps 
it would establish a "G-34."  More seriously, Stubb said "G" 
multipolarity draws focus away from and marginalizes the UN, 
and that national solutions then pervade global problems. 
 
 
Stubb's Recipe for Change 
------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (U) Stubb said that to reach the goal of a stronger UN the 
international community should revisit the basic UN 
documents.  He suggested three changes:  (1) Change the 
Security Council to reflect the 21st century; the P5 has 
 
HELSINKI 00000135  002 OF 002 
 
 
"outlived its time"  and should be replaced by regional 
representation (Note:  He stated with a smile that he does 
not expect the change before the targeted Finnish Security 
Council term 2013-14.  Other Finnish officials at the seminar 
broadly predicted UNSC reform during their "lifetimes."  End 
note.);  (2) Reform peacekeeping "realistically," as the blue 
beret or helmet is the UN's best brand and the peacekeeping 
system has faced unrealistic demands; and (3) Re-examine the 
Millennium Development Goals, which Stubb said have become a 
sacred cow that cannot be criticized. 
 
 
Stubb's Security Council Vision 
------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (U) Stubb suggested that if the Security Council is not 
radically reformed, the "relevance of the UN" will wither 
away.  He believes that UNSC voting should be kept as simple 
as possible.  His reformed Security Council would ideally 
have 8 to 10 members.  A vote would require consensus, which 
he described as unanimity minus-1 or minus-2.  Stubb proposed 
eliminating the veto, which he described as a larger problem 
than the composition of the council.  In answering audience 
questions about council composition, Stubb said that he does 
not think specific regional powers would be able to 
monopolize control of allocated regional positions on the 
council. In Stubb's vision, the "pillar" organizations would 
carry much of the workload, leaving fewer matters to be taken 
up by the reformed - and presumably more efficient - UNSC. 
 
Booster Turns Critic 
-------------------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Though his presentation reflected lofty suggestions 
and expectations, Stubb did not shy away from criticizing the 
UN. In responding to questions on human rights, he said the 
UN is not a club of liberal democracies, that it is not a 
"holy organization" and that with 192 members, some are "very 
bad crooks."  He quickly added "I don't mean the P5."  He 
acknowledged difficulty in dealing with human rights within 
the UN, citing differing perspectives. 
 
The Votes Start Coming In... 
---------------------------- 
¶9. (C)  On the margins of the seminar, the Israeli DCM told 
PolOff that Finland agreed to vote for Israel in 2019 for 
Israel's vote in 2012.  He said that nothing had yet been 
agreed to on paper. 
 
Comment 
------- 
¶10.  (C) Though Stubb seemed to pause at the outset to make 
his pitch for Finland's UNSC campaign, his entire 
presentation constituted a commercial.  The engaging and 
savvy Stubb knows where to look for votes - the many other 
small states in the UN -  and crafted his message 
accordingly.  Thus, he spoke of empowering the UN while 
carving an important place for regional organizations (where 
small states may have a greater voice), as he also calls for 
reform that includes reducing the power of larger states 
within the organization.  His calculated appeal to small 
states aside, Stubb remains a committed Atlanticist, 
demonstrated by the Foreign Minister of a non-NATO country 
identifying NATO as a main pillar holding up the "roof" of 
the UN. End comment. 
 
 
 
BUTLER