Finnish peacekeepers,
This year we celebrate 60 years of Finnish peacekeeping. Since 1956, around 45,000 Finns have served in over forty peacekeeping and crisis management operations. However, peacekeeping is not only a part of our history. Even now, almost 500 of you Finnish peacekeepers are building and securing peace in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Israel, Iraq, Kashmir, Kosovo, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mali, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria and the Mediterranean in a total of thirteen military crisis management operations and related headquarters within the framework of the United Nations, European Union, NATO and separate coalitions. In addition to this, around 300 soldiers are standing by in detachments designated for European Union and NATO crisis management duties.
In the end, the success of peacekeeping depends on the people participating in it in the crisis areas. Finnish peacekeepers are greatly valued around the world. We treat all parties involved in a crisis equally and fairly, and we act in a way that does not aggravate the situation.
Although the number of armed conflicts in the world has decreased during the last decades, the need for crisis management has not disappeared. The nature of crises has changed, and we now have to be able to respond more comprehensively to more multiform crises. Today, the task of soldiers is to build sufficient security in crisis areas, for example in order to be able to start rebuilding a country that has collapsed internally also using means of civilian crisis management. Tasks now also increasingly include training and guiding local actors. Through military crisis management, we also develop the Finnish Defence Forces' capabilities and preparedness.
No matter what the nature of activities in crisis areas, there are always risks and dangers. Therefore it is important that the in-service safety of peacekeepers is as comprehensive as possible. The government has recently submitted a bill to Parliament regarding an act that aims to improve compensation for service-related accidents and illnesses, and standardise the in-service safety of all persons taking part in crisis management. The status of crisis management veteran that you peacekeepers have also been granted is a sign of society's gratitude for the work that you do, and at the same time, the veteran card that all peacekeepers have received acts as common national identifier and also entitles you to separately negotiated benefits.
I thank you for the valuable work that you do in the crisis areas of the world and for your efforts in striving for mutual peace. I wish you and your loved ones a peaceful Christmas and a successful year 2017.
Commander of the Finnish Defence Forces
General Jarmo Lindberg
