In progress at UNHQ

PKO/71

FINLAND JOINS STANDBY ARRANGEMENTS FOR PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS

30 March 1998


Press Release
PKO/71


FINLAND JOINS STANDBY ARRANGEMENTS FOR PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS

19980330 Finland today became the sixteenth country to sign a memorandum of understanding on the standby arrangements for United Nations peacekeeping operations.

The Defence Minister of Finland, Anneli Taina, signed the memorandum for her country, at a ceremony which took place at United Nations Headquarters. The Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Bernard Miyet, signed it for the United Nations.

The 15 countries which have signed the memorandum to date, are Argentina, Austria, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Denmark, Ghana, Italy, Jordan, Lithuania, Malaysia, Nepal, Nigeria, Singapore, Ukraine and Uruguay.

To date, 71 countries have officially expressed their willingness to participate in the standby arrangements regime, which was created in 1994 as a means to accelerate the deployment of United Nations peacekeeping operations. Côte d'Ivoire and Latvia are the latest additions to that group of countries.

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For information media. Not an official record.