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Society's Commitment to Sustainable Development to be discussed in the UN

Ulkoasiainministeriövaltioneuvoston viestintäosasto
Publication date 10.7.2017 9.18 | Published in English on 10.7.2017 at 9.43
Press release 337/2017

The UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) will gather in New York. On the opening day, Monday 10 July, Finland will report on the progress made in its Society's Commitment to Sustainable Development, the key instrument in implementing the 2030 Agenda in Finland, and also inform about a new system developed to monitor sustainable development. Finland’s sustainable development priorities include a participatory society for all and improvement of the position of girls and women.

The UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted by Heads of States at the UN Sustainable Development Summit in New York in September 2015. This year, the high-level political forum will focus on eradicating poverty and on promoting prosperity in a changing world.

In Finland the implementation of the 2030 Agenda builds on two themes, derived from the Government policies: a carbon-neutral and resource-wise, and non-discriminating, equal and highly skilled Finland. Finland was among the first countries to report on the implementation of the Agenda in July 2016. Now, a year after that, Finland is represented at the meeting by a large delegation led by State Secretary Risto Artjoki.

The delegation includes companies and organisations that have committed to sustainable development in their practices, such as Finnair and Neste, the Finnish NGO platform Kepa, the Finnish NGDO Platform to the European Union Kehys and Plan International Finland as well as Anne Nuorgam, who represents the Sámi Council. As Finland also seeks to strengthen young people’s voice in sustainable development issues, Ilmi Salminen, UN Youth Delegate of Finland, represents the Finnish Agenda 2030 Youth Group in the delegation.  

Finland’s widely participatory model of implementing sustainable development in cooperation with stakeholders has been a target of much interest. The Society’s Commitment to Sustainable Development is at the heart of the activities. Companies, corporations, educational institutions, administration, political parties, cities and other actors can make their own concrete operational commitments to contribute to the implementation of the shared goals. The number of commitments has tripled to 700 in a year.

In the autumn, Finland will launch a new system to monitor sustainable development and to measure the results. The aim of the monitoring system is to produce systematically collected objective indicators, to stimulate debate on changing values and to support decision-making. 

The Society’s Commitment strategy and the monitoring system will be discussed at Finland’s side event on Tuesday 18 July. On Thursday 13 July, Finnish maternity packs will be presented at a side event co-organised by Plan International Finland. The event will also discuss the challenges of motherhood among women and girls living in extreme poverty.  The life of under-age mothers will be illustrated by presenting a maternity pack for 11-year-olds.

Inquiries: Sami Pirkkala, Counsellor, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 295 351 750, [email protected] and Marja Innanen, Deputy Secretary-General of the National Commission on Sustainable Development, Prime Minister's Office, tel. +358 295 160 027, marja.innanen(at)vnk.fi

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