Speech by Minister for Foreign Trade and Development of Finland Ville Tavio at the LDC Future Forum
Special Address by the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development of Finland, H.E. Ville Tavio at the LDC Future Forum on 20 May 2026, Helsinki, Finland.
Distinguished Ministers, Under Secretary-General, Permanent Representatives,
Ladies and gentlemen,
A year ago, I had the pleasure to participate in the third LDC Future Forum in Lusaka, Zambia. It was the first time that the Forum was held in the African continent. Today, it is my pleasure to be here with all of you in Helsinki at the fourth LDC Future Forum.
Last year’s agenda in Lusaka focused on enhancing resilience. Those discussions built a firm base for this year’s Forum with the focus on empowering the youth through education, innovation and inclusive growth.
These discussions are topical as continuous geopolitical changes pose new challenges for all of us. The outbreak of war in the Middle East is estimated to slow global economic growth, increase inflation and may trigger the risk of recession.
The European Union, amongst other key actors, should use the tools available to alleviate the impacts of the war in Iran. Rapidly rising food prices and transport costs have increased humanitarian needs. Addressing rising humanitarian needs in the most vulnerable and fragile countries that are impacted in other regions is crucial.
Despite disruptions, there are new growth opportunities. According to the International Monetary Fund, emerging markets and developing economies growth is projected at 3.9 percent for 2026 and 4.2 percent for 2027. The corresponding rates for advanced economies are 1.8 and 1.7. The geopolitical uncertainty has made it clear that we all need new markets, more diversified and more equal partnerships. These partnerships need to be win-win situations.
In Finland, at the beginning of this governmental term, trade and development were consolidated into one Government Report. This reflects the fact that our trade and development policy objectives strongly align. They are also essential part of Finland’s foreign and security policy.
When we give funding for development, it’s worth addressing that funding is not automatic, nor unconditional. Finland has made the readmission of nationals and support for the international rules-based order the conditions for our development cooperation. Finland will not give development funding to governments or entities that support Russia’s war of aggression. Finland supports the EU’s efforts to encourage third countries to readmit their nationals.
Education is one of Finland’s development policy priorities and a critical element of our own development story. We have invested in education, innovation and youth even during fiscally tough times. This choice has helped our nation to transform from a poor agrarian country into a modern knowledge-based economy.
By providing equal educational opportunities to everyone, we get closer to the goal of leaving no one behind. It is important that every child and young person has an equal chance to develop and use their potential. This benefits the individual, economy and employment.
Finland believes that education system should offer holistic support for learners. One concrete example of this is free school meals. For more than 70 years, Finland has been offering free school meals for all children. Initially, school meals served to address post-war poverty and malnutrition. At the time, Finland was also resettling 430 000 internally displaced people and 50 000 orphans.
Since then, the school feeding system has become an important part of Finland’s education success story. Equal access to education and free-of-charge school, from pre-school to tertiary level, have also supported our economic growth.
We believe that Finland’s historical story of education and creative approach is something that resonates with other countries. Finland is a proud co-chair, together with Brazil and France, of the global School Meals Coalition, which already has 113 member countries. 38 of the member countries are LDCs, which means 86 % of all LDCs worldwide are part of the Coalition. This is a very good number.
The Coalition is a success story of multilateral co-operation. Since its establishment in 2021, more than 80 million additional children are now covered by school meal programs. The fastest growth has taken place in Africa. I would like to congratulate all our African Coalition partners of this development.
School meals are a smart investment. They deliver educational, health, and economic returns, often far beyond the cost of the meals themselves. They have a well-documented positive impact on learning outcomes and cognitive skills. School meals also increase school enrollment, especially for girls.
We give financial support for school meals program also in Ukraine, which is brutally attacked by Russia. This is just one of the many ways how we help Ukraine in these times of the full-scale war. It is important that countries from all over the world acknowledge how Russia is violating the UN Charter.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Digitalization, including the development of AI, provides useful opportunities and solutions for education. It can also increase accessibility for all learners, if utilized and developed responsibly. It is important to understand the potential of technology as a tool in education.
Finland continues to collaborate closely with the UNICEF Learning Innovation Hub based in Helsinki, which we will be able to learn more about later today here. Public policy and private investment need to align when we talk about the use of AI and technology in education. Governments can create enabling frameworks, but scale and impact depend on corporate action.
Even in times when we are witnessing huge technological leaps – or perhaps especially then – teachers will be needed. Their role as respected professionals is vital. In Finland, the profession is popular, and highly educated teachers are trusted experts.
Finland is committed to linking our social and technological innovations with the LDCs’ efforts to unlock the talent and potential of their youth. Our team is here at your disposal to connect you with Finnish public and private sector actors with specific knowhow and a comprehensive set of solutions. I am confident that yesterday’s field visits to Finnish educational institutions were beneficial in this respect too.
Just a few examples to illustrate the impactful collaboration:
- Omnia, which some of you visited yesterday, is the Finnish partner in Cambodia in a project that promotes girls’ equal access to quality technical and vocational education, skills development, and decent employment opportunities. It also encourages girls to enter growing sectors such as technology.
- The Regional Teachers Initiative for Africa is part of the EU–Africa Global Gateway Investment Package. It is a partnership between the European Union, EU member states France, Belgium and Finland, UNESCO, and the African Union. Its goal is to tackle the critical shortage of qualified teachers in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- In Nepal, Finland has supported water, sanitation and hygiene services in schools. This has had a direct impact on girls’ education as their school absence has fallen.
- In Ethiopia, Finland supports the development of vocational skills training through the European Union. This capacity building puts specific emphasis on ensuring gender and disability inclusion.
The LDC Future Forums’ multisectoral approach is one of its biggest assets. Therefore, I encourage you to take advantage of the encounters with different actors during this year’s Forum as well.
In Finland, multi-sectoral collaboration is a well-established way of working. However, public–private partnerships are not yet fully utilized to support young people in developing the skills needed in today’s world. We require innovative approaches for variety of partnerships, including partnerships between public and private, with civil society, with foundations, and other actors.
Finland’s development policy emphasizes cooperation with the private sector, resulting in the creation of jobs and new businesses. These provide people, including youth population, with opportunities to earn an income, generate tax revenues, and strengthen a positive cycle of economic growth.
Sustainable economic growth creates jobs and improves well-being in any country. Overcoming many challenges, such as addressing the skills gap and building vibrant youth innovation ecosystems, requires private sector’s expertise, products and services.
Dear participants,
The LDC Future Forum series, with five Forums in 2023–2028, is a concrete example of Finland’s long-lasting commitment as a reliable partner to the LDCs.
Since the beginning, support for the LDCs has been at the core of our development cooperation both bilaterally and multilaterally. I value highly this collaboration between LDC countries, Finland, the UN and other stakeholders. I have made it a priority to attend these Forums annually as Minister.
By turning ideas into action, these Forums play a vital role in enabling LDCs to maximize their potential and advance sustainable development in an inclusive manner. In addition, LDC Future Forums are a platform for constructive multilateral dialogue, and in this regard, highly valuable in today’s geopolitical environment.
I want to extend my sincere thanks to the Office of the High Representative for their dedication and professionalism, and the partners – UNU-WIDER and the OECD Development Centre – for their support. Moreover, I encourage everyone to learn from each other and share concrete ideas as the Forum continues.
Thank you.