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Discretionary government grants for developing civil society organisations’ work to combat racism In May and June 2025, the Prime Minister’s Office organised a call for applications for discretionary government grants to support civil society orga...

Progress of the government action plan to combat racism The government action plan to combat racism and promote equality implements the policies set out in the equality statement issued by the Government. The selected measures are based on an asse...

13.2.2026 | An interim report has been published on the project implementing the Government’s Equality Statement. The report brings together information on the project’s progress between 2023 and 2026. According to the report, the work has already led to legislative reforms and increased concrete anti‑racism measures across different sectors.

18.6.2025 | Today, the Government appointed the Advisory Board for Ethnic Relations (ETNO) for the next four-year term 2025–2029.

21.10.2025 | The Prime Minister’s Office has awarded a total of EUR 240,000 in discretionary government grants for work to combat racism in 2025–2026. The grants were available to civil society organisations representing ethnic minorities and were intended to strengthen the organisations’ core activities and develop new ways to combat racism.

18.3.2025 | Differences and disparities related to origin and ethnicity are strongly visible in various areas of children’s and young people’s lives, such as education, working life, health, wellbeing, inclusion, family life and safety. This is evident from a study by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) on the realisation of ethnic equality among people under 30 years of age in Finland.

12.5.2025 | Civil society organisations representing ethnic minorities can now apply for discretionary government grants to develop their work to combat racism in 2025–2026. The Prime Minister’s Office opened the call for applications on 12 May.

11.3.2025 | Prime Minister Petteri Orpo invited representatives from Finland’s six largest cities (Helsinki, Espoo, Tampere, Vantaa, Oulu and Turku), immigrant organisations, religious communities and public officials to explore ways to promote good relations between population groups in Finland. The event was organised in cooperation with the City of Vantaa on 11 March.

5.9.2024 | On 5 September, the Government adopted a resolution on an action plan for combating racism and promoting equality. The action plan elaborates on the statement on promoting equality, gender equality and non-discrimination in Finnish society, which the Government submitted to Parliament on 31 August 2023.

14.10.2024 | The Government discussed the recommendations, decisions and conclusions issued to Finland by the international human rights monitoring bodies on 3 October. The discussion was held as part of the implementation of the Government's equality statement. Based on the discussion, the State Secretaries of the parties in Government decided on further measures related to the recommendations.

17.12.2024 | The Ministry of the Interior has submitted to the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman a follow-up report on the preparation of the allocation of the refugee quota. The report requested by the Ombudsman was also submitted to the Chancellor of Justice. As the matter is of major importance to society and of interest to many, the Ministry of the Interior will make the report available to the public.

17.12.2020 | The Government appointed the Advisory Board for Ethnic Relations (ETNO) for the next four-year term 2020–2024 today.

15.3.2022 | The secretariat of the Advisory Board for Ethnic Relations has been contacted a number of times regarding hate speech and harassment directed towards Russian speakers living in Finland. The Advisory Board condemns all racism, hate speech and other harassment against people of Russian origin, Russian speakers and people from the former Soviet Union in Finland. Adults are responsible for ensuring that there is zero tolerance for intimidation and bullying against children and young people.

15.6.2022 | The voice of immigrants and multilingual Finns is not being heard in decision-making and public debate. A report published today by the Advisory Board for Ethnic Relations (ETNO) examines what kind of barriers to participation and exerting influence in society there are among immigrants and multilingual Finns and presents solutions for removing them.

18.12.2024 | The Prime Minister's Office organised the first national anti-racism forum for civil society organisations on Friday 13 December at Paasitorni in Helsinki. The event, which is part of the Government’s action plan for combating racism and promoting equality, brought together some 170 professionals from across Finland who are working to combat racism.

6.9.2023 | Prime Minister Petteri Orpo gave a presentation speech to Parliament on the government statement on promoting equality, gender equality and non-discrimination on 6 September 2023. Speech to be checked against delivery.

7.3.2023 | on March 7 2023 in Doha

11.11.2022 | Opening statement by Minister Pekka Haavisto at the Fourth Universal Periodic Review of Finland at the UN Human Rights Council on 9 November 2022.

EN 1 EN SFC2021 INTERREG Programme CCI 2021TC16RFCB013 Title (Interreg VI-A) Finland-Estonia-Latvia-Sweden (Central Baltic) Version 3.0 First year 2021 Last year 2027 Eligible from 1 Jan 2021 Eligible until 31 Dec 2029 EC decision number C(2023)38...

8.3.2022 | Democracy is eroded every time a woman or girl faces harassment, hate speech or online violence. Thus, the strengthening of democracy requires also the strengthening of gender equality.