OREANDA-NEWS. August 26, 2016. Ambassador Klaus Korhonen has been elected as President of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) for the period of 2016–2017. The election took place in the Conference of States Parties (CSP) in Geneva on Thursday, 25 August 2016. The presidency will last for one year, ending in September 2017 at the third CSP.

"Election to serve in a visible and demanding task is a recognition to Finland for its long-term work," Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini notes.

 The ATT establises common standards for the international trade of conventional weapons and aims to prevent illicit arms trade. The treaty was endorsed by a large majority at the UN General Assembly in 2013 and it entered into force on the Christmas Eve of 2014. To date, 87 states have acceeded to the treaty. The ongoing session in Geneva is the second CSP of the ATT. The first one was organised in Cancun, Mexico, in 2015. State Secretary Samuli Virtanen led Finland's delegation in both meetings.

Finland was one of the initiators of the treaty and actively engaged in its preparation and enforcement. At present, Finland is one of the Vice-Presidents of the CSP.

 Klaus Korhonen has worked as Ambassador for Arms Control Affairs at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs since 2013. He has served in many prominent international positions related to, among other things, nuclear security cooperation. In 2009–2013 Korhonen served as Finland's Ambassador to the Netherlands and as Permanent Representative of Finland to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).