Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs supports the promotion of physical activity and sports in international contexts

Sports and physical activity are among the various areas that the Ministry for Foreign Affairs uses as a means of promoting international cooperation. On 19 June 2019, the National Sports Council published its scorecard concerning physical exercise and activity in the ministries.

The scorecard applying to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs notes that the Ministry works in collaboration with other ministries and operators in order to highlight the importance paid to physical activity and sports in Finland in international contexts.

Only a small number of people in Finland engage in enough physical activity to keep them healthy. The lack of physical exercise has an impact on both individual wellbeing and quality of life and, more broadly, on various sectors in society. 

The Foreign Ministry’s aim to underline the significance of physical activity and sports is connected to the promotion of Finland's international position, sustainable development, equality, democracy and human rights.
Physical activity and sports are matters that the Ministry emphasises in the promotion of international cooperation and matters that are important for Finland. In 2019, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs participated in the China-Finland Year of Winter Sports theme year.

Some of the development cooperation projects funded by the Foreign Ministry also underscore the importance of physical activity.

The scorecard proposes that the administrative sector of the Foreign Ministry should focus on developing ways of using sustainable physical exercise and physical activity in its development cooperation activities and in matters important to Finland such as an ambitious climate policy, human rights, non-discrimination and equality.