A member of the Stop Ecocide International advisory board, Ambassador Emeritus Mikko Pyhälä, along with colleagues, had compiled a truly memorable program for the CEO and Co-Founder of Stop Ecocide International Jojo Mehta’s visit to Finland. 👏 The program for week 18 consisted of press interviews and meetings with significant experts ranging from diplomats and politicians to academics, NGOs, activists, and cultural leaders. Our Ecocide Law Finland team was actively involved in the arrangements.

The photo was taken at the Finland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where we met a brilliant group of legal advisors and diplomats (from left to right):

• Raila Knuuttila, Co-founder and Coordinator of Ecocide Law Finland
• Johanna Hossa, Legislative Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Elina Lemmetty, Embassy Counselor, International Criminal Law / IHL, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Ambassador Päivi Kaukoranta, Chair of the Assembly of States Parties to the International Criminal Court for 2024-2026, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Jojo Mehta, Founder and CEO of Stop Ecocide International
• Mikko Pyhälä, Ambassador Emeritus; Member of Stop Ecocide’s International Advisory Council
• Ambassador Marja Lehto, Ambassador of International Law; former special rapporteur for the International Law Commission on the protection of the environment in relation to armed conflicts
• Pertti Salolainen, Finland’s former Deputy Prime Minister; Member of the Support Group for Stop Ecocide International
• Ingmar Ström, Embassy Counselor Emeritus; Volunteer for Stop Ecocide International

The Criminalizing Ecocide seminar was convened by Krista Mikkonen, Chair of the Parliamentary Environment and Nature Group, and its honorary chair, Pertti Salolainen, with additional comments from Mikko Pyhälä. The seminar was opened and chaired by Member of Parliament and former Minister of the Environment, Krista Mikkonen. Following Jojo Mehta’s speech, she was interviewed by the minister, founder and honorary chair of WWF Finland, Pertti Salolainen. Other speakers included MEP Sirpa Pietikäinen, Secretary-General of the Committee for Sustainable Development, Professor Eeva Furman, CEO of Houdini Sportswear and Ecocide Law Alliance activist Eva Karlsson, and Raila Knuuttila of Ecocide Law Finland. The seminar, which drew a very diverse audience, discussed the criminalization of ecocide from various perspectives. The event included participants from ten partnership communities of a major choir concert, authorities, researchers, members of parliament and representatives from the Confederation of Finnish Industries and corporate responsibility leaders.

The week’s program culminated in the Let’s Change the Rules! large choir concert directed by Merzi Rajala and Kirsi Kaunismäki-Suhonen and panel discussion (Jojo Mehta, Ida Korhonen, Kaarlo Hildén, Ville Niinistö, host Panu Halme) at Helsinki Music Centre. A recording of the concert can be found here!

Our next briefing (Lucy Rees/Stop Ecocide International) for those interested will be held on 20.8.24. The time will be confirmed closer to the date, please register by sending a message to info@ecocidelawfinland.org.

#EcocideLaw #StopEcocideInternational #ChoirsForEcocideLaw