Opening speech by FM Elina Valtonen at the LDC Future Forum

Opening speech by Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen at the LDC Future Forum in Helsinki on 19 May 2026.

Distinguished Ministers, Under-Secretary General, Permanent Representatives, Excellencies, dear Guests,

Warmly welcome to the fourth LDC Future Forum and to Helsinki. I appreciate everyone’s dedication and wish to thank Zambia once again for hosting last year’s Future Forum, held for the first time in an LDC.

Societal transformation through the empowerment of young people a topic close to my heart. As your discussions will show, education, innovation, and inclusive growth is here is key.

I completed my two master’s degrees some 20 years ago, majoring in computer science and in financial economics. While working in the financial sector, I programmed my first neural network and wrote my master’s thesis based on it. I have been passionate about AI since my early career.

Today AI is fueling economic growth, enhancing productivity, and contributing to sustainable development. At the same time, it also raises complex security questions.

As discussed at the last LDC Future Forum in Helsinki, our shared responsibility is to ensure that AI becomes a force for inclusive progress – available not only to the most advanced economies, but also to countries and communities that risk being left behind in the AI transition.)

As Finnish Foreign Minister, I am often asked how Finland has become the happiest country in the world. My answer always turns to our people. From an early stage on, Finland invested in what we believed in: people, education, and ensuring that every child and every person has equal opportunities to rise, grow, and make a difference.

This was not the case just a little over a hundred years ago, when Finland was a poor agrarian country where most adults could read but only few could write. Not only the power of education - accessible to all - but the right for everyone to work and start a business; full property rights and trust in the public sector, emerged in the coming decades as a foundation for Finland’s success. Today, Finland is a technologically competitive economy, keen to diversify relations with different countries. Our example shows that everything is possible.

For all nations to thrive, it is essential that the global order is based on shared rules. The world’s challenges are too great for any nation to solve alone. International cooperation and partnerships are essential for progress. Finland is a committed partner in promoting sustainable development and resilience, peace and prosperity. We have been an active, dedicated partner to the UN for more than seven decades. We remain a staunch defender of effective multilateralism.
 

Excellencies, dear guests,

 The disruption of Strait of Hormuz has exposed deep structural vulnerabilities in global production chains. It is also evident that this systemic shock is highly asymmetric as its burden falls most heavily on the most vulnerable countries. Finland is consistently calling for restraint from all parties and a return to a diplomatic solution.

This situation underscores the need for more diversified energy systems, among others. At present, Finland is supporting Ukraine's process from centralized, fossil-fuel-dependency to decentralized, renewable energy sources. We are eager to explore further opportunities for collaboration in this field with LDCs too.

In addition to reliable and affordable energy, climate resilience is another crucial factor for inclusive growth. Finland is a trustworthy partner in building resilience to weather and climate related disasters.

As a result of our bilateral cooperation, improved weather and climate services and early warning systems are indirectly benefiting more than 700 million people in over 50 countries. As extreme weather events become more frequent, precise data is essential.

Dear guests,

To return to the importance of education. We are pleased to host the UNICEF Global Learning Innovation and Innovative Finance Hubs here in Helsinki. To find solutions for the global learning crisis, UNICEF is empowering teachers as co-creators of digital transformation – an approach which you can observe while visiting Finnish schools tomorrow.

The Learning Innovation Hub identifies and supports developing countries’ innovations and connects them with partners in countries such as Finland. In doing so, the Hub helps these solutions to grow and contribute to the creation of globally competitive businesses from the Global South.

Finnish EdTech actors, such as Eduten and GraphoGame, are amongst the leaders in digital pedagogy innovations. This holds significance since displacement, disaster, and deep inequality mean more young learners are without access to education.

In addition to private actors’ technological solutions, more private sources of development finance are critically needed. Public funding can help create an enabling environment, but lasting change requires private actors, investments, and capital. Limited public or concessional resources can be used to absorb specific risks to help crowd in commercial investment.

Dear participants,

In Finland’s experience, youth empowerment is strongest when rooted in gender equality. Ensuring girls and young women equal access to quality education, digital skills, innovation and decent work unlocks their full human capital and fuels productivity.

Even as we are faced with global challenges, the world offers at least as many opportunities as obstacles. International cooperation remains our best tool for tackling challenges that cross borders.

I encourage us all to benefit from shared insights and expertise over the next three days. New, inspiring ideas will emerge from this Future Forum and working together unlocks solutions that also transcend borders.

 I thank you.