Consolidating & Reaching Out: Europe as a Global Actor

15 February 2007

Her Excellency, Ms Tarja Halonen

The European Union (EU) has huge potential to enhance its influence in the world with its 27 Member States and almost 500 million citizens. Europe is also increasingly connected to the Asia-Pacific area – in terms of economic relations, crisis management, global environment and climate issues.

What are the challenges for the external relations of Europe? How to tap the potential of the Europe-Australia relationship? This address is a unique opportunity to listen to the views of the President of the Republic of Finland whose country held the presidency of the EU for the last six months of 2006, steered thousands of meetings to coordinate the EU's policies, and conducted hundreds of sessions to discuss international topics with other countries.

Broad Topics: Arts and Social Sciences

Sub-topics: Law, Justice & Law Enforcement, Policy & Political Science

Areas: ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences

Tarja Halonen was elected Finland’s first female head of state in 2000, and re-elected in 2006. With a Master of Laws degree she made a professional career as trade union lawyer. She joined the Social Democratic Party in 1971 and was elected to the Parliament in 1979. She held her parliamentary seat in five consecutive elections and served in three cabinets as Minister of Social Affairs and Health, of Justice, and for Foreign Affairs.

Throughout her career Ms Halonen has been interested in issues of human rights, democracy, civil society, and social justice. During her presidency she has co-chaired the World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization, established by the International Labour Organisation, and served on the Panel of Eminent Persons of the United Nations Board of the Oslo Centre for Peace and Human Rights.