Press Release: Ambassador Katja Kalamäki at Multilateralism Matters Event

Windhoek, 17 November 2025

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Multilateralism matters

This year, we are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the African Union-European Union partnership. The flagship event will be the African Union-European Union Summit in Luanda, Angola, from 24-25 November. 

The partnership between the African Union and the European Union is truly unique and strategic. Over the past 25 years, African Union-European Union cooperation has supported peacebuilding, climate resilience and youth empowerment across the continent. The partnership has shown resilience in the face of geopolitical challenges, reaffirming that our shared future lies in closer cooperation and collective action for the mutual benefit of the peoples of Africa and Europe. 

We enter the next 25 years of cooperation with confidence in an ever-deepening strategic partnership.

Going forward, we need a stronger global commitment to multilateralism. The African Union and the European Union must work together to ensure effective multilateralism and a world that respects and adheres to international law, with the United Nations and its Charter at the core.

In his address to the United Nations General Assembly this autumn, the president of Finland, Alexander Stubb, emphasised that every member state – regardless of size – has a say in how the new world order will look. It is important that we use this power wisely and responsibly. While our interests may differ depending on our geographical location, history, state of development or culture, and fundamental values are something we should all share. We have commonly defined some of the most essential of them in the United Nations Charter.

A stronger voice for Africa in the United Nations Security Council

The composition of the United Nations still reflects the world of 1945. As the global landscape has changed, so should decision-making at the United Nations. Finland supports reforming the Security Council to give underrepresented regions a stronger voice. This includes increasing the number of permanent members at the Security Council by adding new seats for Africa, Asia and Latin America. No single state should hold veto power. If a member of the Security Council violates the United Nations Charter, its voting rights should be suspended. These changes are necessary in order to maintain the United Nations’ central role in international relations.

Finland is strongly committed to the work of the United Nations and will remain so. Therefore, we are also standing for election to the Security Council for the 2029-2030 term. Should we be elected, Finland pledges to be a principled and pragmatic partner for peace. We are principled in our commitment to international law. We are pragmatic in seeking solutions that truly advance international peace and security, confident that decisive joint action lays the foundation for lasting peace.

Namibia and Finland share a long-standing relationship rooted in solidarity and cooperation. Finland supported Namibia’s struggle for independence and has since remained a trusted partner in promoting democracy, education and sustainable development. Today, the partnership extends to areas such as vocational training, clean energy and the circular economy, reflecting our shared commitment to multilateral solutions for global challenges. 

Namibia’s active work in gender equality and in promoting the Women, Peace and Security agenda, together with Finland’s advocacy for inclusive international governance, demonstrates how even geographically distant nations can work together to strengthen multilateralism and uphold the principles of the United Nations Charter.

We must take the world as it is, but also understand where the world is going and what it could be. Wishful thinking is not a strategy. The African Union and the European Union have a unique opportunity to shape a common strategy that serves the interests of our continents and contributes to global peace, prosperity and sustainability.

Katja Kalamäki
Ambassador of Finland to Namibia

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