Pääministeri Petteri Orpo esitteli Suomen Agenda2030-maaraportin YK-kokouksessa

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo presented Finland’s third Voluntary National Review at the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in New York on Tuesday 22 July. Speech to be checked against delivery. Puhe vain englanniksi.

Mr. President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Finland’s commitment to the multilateral system, with the United Nations at its core, is unwavering. The UN is the only truly global platform for dialogue and action to resolve the most pressing issues of our time. 

For small countries, the value of the UN is existential. The UN80 reform must succeed in a way that strengthens, not weakens, the UN’s ability to act.

Mr. President,

This year, Finland was once again ranked as the happiest country in the world. We also topped the rankings in the UN Sustainable Development Report for the fifth time. I say this with humility, because a lot remains to be done in my country as well. But I am confident in saying that the rankings are  not  mere coincidences. 

Over the past 80 years, Finland has made its way from a poor post-war country to an SDG champion. A high level of trust, a strong and well-functioning democracy and institutions, the rule of law and security are fundamentals for wellbeing. Investing in gender equality and ensuring free education and universal healthcare have similarly been success factors in Finland’s development story. 

Despite the high rankings, we still have a great deal of hard work ahead of us.

I am honored to present Finland’s third Voluntary National Review to you today. The SDGs are about leadership. Achieving them requires long-term political commitment at all levels. In my country, it has been the responsibility of the Prime Minister to coordinate national efforts towards sustainable development since 1993. 

Government measures and leadership are important, but concrete actions are taken by companies, civil society organizations, cities and municipalities, along with citizens.

Finland also supports the implementation of the SDGs through development cooperation and funding. Among other key themes, Finland’s development cooperation focuses on the rights of women and girls, including their sexual and reproductive health and rights, as well as education and climate action. 

Armed conflicts around the world are draining the resources needed for sustainable development. My country is unfortunately no exception. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its imperial aspirations are forcing us to reallocate resources to safeguarding our security and national existence. 

Mr. President,

I will now present more detailed findings of our VNR.

Sustainable economic growth is a key driver for achieving the SDGs. We have taken measures to strengthen the preconditions for work, entrepreneurship and investments. A strong economy makes it possible to invest in education, research and development. This is the key to creating cleaner solutions that put less burden on nature, the climate and people. With this in mind, we have invested heavily in research and development and in clean energy. 

Finland has made significant progress in advancing gender equality, with women increasingly occupying leadership roles in political decision-making, public life and the economy. For example, we have the second highest number of women cabinet ministers in the world. Finland supports more equal parenthood and guaranteed access to early childhood education. The number of parental leave days taken by fathers has doubled since 2022.

However, Finland continues to struggle with gender-based violence, particularly violence against women and girls, as well as domestic violence – an issue I personally am particularly concerned about. We have also taken action: our new government action plan for gender equality includes a number of measures to combat gender-based violence in all its forms.

The Finnish government, in collaboration with our private sector, municipalities, scientists, civil society organizations and citizens, has set an ambitious goal: to reach carbon neutrality by 2035. This makes us one of the most ambitious countries globally when it comes to climate action. We believe this target is achievable. We see it not only as our responsibility but also as an opportunity. 

My government is committed to preserving natural capital as a part of responsible economic policy, and to halting biodiversity loss. Our aim is for the world to be able to utilize Finnish expertise in moving beyond reducing the carbon footprint to pioneering the environmental handprint. 

Mr. President,

I have stressed the importance of participation by all of society. In this spirit, I am happy to give the floor to Kati ter Horst, the CEO of Outokumpu Corporation, to present the views of Finnish businesses. After her, our HLPF Youth Delegate Jenni Palukka will speak about how young people see Finland’s work to achieve the 2030 Agenda.

Mr. President,

we need to foster hope, together, if we want to be able to push forward. And most importantly, we must act to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Thank you.