UN General Assembly
1991

The old world order is passing into history, and a new one is emerging. In Europe, this has led from confrontation to co-operation. A new comprehensive European architecture is currently being worked out. In order to cope with new conflicts that emerge and to safeguard peaceful and democratic change, the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) will have to be strengthened. The basic principles of CSCE are solid, but its working methods and operational capabilities need to be further improved. We hope and expect that the CSCE follow-up meeting and the summit to be held in Helsinki next year will break new ground in this regard. Tragically, in Yugoslavia, political ferment has led to increasing violence with potentially unsettling consequences for the whole of Europe. Finland supports the efforts of the CSCE and the European Community to stop the cycle of violence and to help find a political solution in Yugoslavia. United Nations support for these efforts is also vital.