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20.4.2026 | The Ministry of Transport and Communications and the agencies in its branch of government, the Transport and Communications Agency, the Transport Infrastructure Agency and the Meteorological Institute, have drawn up a joint operational plan on gender equality and non-discrimination for 2026–2030.

3.3.2026 | Finland’s development cooperation has strengthened the sustainable use of forests and water, improved access to clean energy, and supported disaster risk management in several partner countries, according to a new independent evaluation. The evaluation assessed results in the environment and natural resources sectors from 2010 to 2024, as well as opportunities for private-sector collaboration.

4.12.2025 | Opening remarks by the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland Elina Valtonen at the OSCE Ministerial Council in Vienna 4 December 2025.

The amended programme document Interreg AURORA 2021-2027 VERSION 3.0 After reallocation of Interreg NEXT Kolarctic and Interreg NEXT Karelia 1 CCI 2021TC16RFCB027 Title (Interreg VI-A) Sweden-Finland-Norway (AURORA) Version 3.0 First year 2021 Las...

2.11.2024 | UN Biodiversity Conference COP16 ended with a skinny agreement on Saturday morning after having gone into overtime. A benefit-sharing mechanism for digital information on genetic resources (the Cali Fund) was established and the role of indigenous peoples was strengthened, but no understanding was reached on monitoring the implementation of biodiversity targets or mobilising finances. As the meeting dragged on and some of the negotiators had to go home, there was no quorum to make decisions.

15.11.2024 | The Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU will hold an informal meeting of the ministers responsible for demography in Budapest on 18 and 19 November 2024. The meeting will exchange views on the basis of background documents prepared by the presidency. No decisions will be made at the informal meeting. Director General Annakaisa Iivari will represent Finland at the meeting.

18.11.2024 | Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering Joakim Strand will visit Brussels on 18–19 November. The programme for his visit will include an event focusing on recruiting more Finns to EU institutions, a discussion event on protecting and strengthening European democracy and a meeting of the EU General Affairs Council.

26.2.2024 | In accordance with established practice, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs invited civil society organisations (CSOs) to comment on Finland’s activities at the 55th session of the UN Human Rights Council on 12 February. Representatives of more than 40 CSOs participated in a discussion with Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen. The discussion focused on the rights of children and the safety...

23.2.2023 | The Government's cross-sectoral working group on gender equality has assessed the progress of the action plan and prepared a final report. The final report concludes that a large number of the measures in the gender equality action plan were achieved, despite the crises that shook the world. The Government discussed the progress of the Action Plan for Gender Equality in its evening session on 22 February.

8.3.2024 | The 68th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) will take place in New York between 11 and 22 March 2024. Finland will be represented at the session by a broad-based delegation headed by Minister Sanni Grahn-Laasonen, who is responsible for gender equality issues.

21.11.2023 | EU ministers responsible for education, youth, culture and sport will meet in Brussels on 23–24 November. Minister of Education Anna-Maja Henriksson will represent Finland in the Education Council; Minister Sandra Bergqvist is Finland’s representative in matters related to young people, sport and culture. The EU ministers will discuss a range of topics, including digital skills and digital educati...

24.10.2023 | Minister of Youth, Sport and Physical Activity Sandra Bergqvist will represent the EU on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Foundation Board.

5.12.2023 | The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry will organise two side events and act as a partner in several other events at the UN Climate Conference COP28 in Dubai. The programme themes are sustainable food systems, climate change adaptation and low-carbon construction.

20.3.2023 | The priority theme of the 67th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), held in New York from 6 to 17 March 2023, was technology, innovation and education. The theme of technology and gender equality is important for Finland, and Finland is one of the leaders of the Action Coalition on Technology and Innovation for Gender Equality, which is part the Generation Equality Forum, a global campaign led by UN Women.

2.12.2022 | The 15th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity will be held in Montreal, Canada on 7–19 December 2022. “The Conference in Montreal must mark a turning point in terms of halting the loss of biodiversity by 2030, somewhat in the same way as the Paris Climate Change Conference did for preventing climate crisis,” says Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Maria Ohisalo, who leads Finland’s delegation.

27.10.2022 | More and more countries around the world are calling their foreign policy ‘feminist’. The concept has been discussed in Finland, too. Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto will convene an international conference at the House of the Estates in Helsinki in November, discussing foreign policy that promotes gender equality.

11.5.2023 | A new playbook ‘Circular Economy in Consumer Trade’ offers companies in the retail sector information, solutions and examples of how to introduce and implement the sale, rental, maintenance and repair of used products in brick-and-mortar shops and online stores and platforms. The retail sector plays an important role in enabling people to make sustainable consumer choices.   

11.5.2023 | A new playbook ‘Circular Economy in Consumer Trade’ offers companies in the retail sector information, solutions and examples of how to introduce and implement the sale, rental, maintenance and repair of used products in brick-and-mortar shops and online stores and platforms. The retail sector plays an important role in enabling people to make sustainable consumer choices.

16.12.2022 | United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk will visit Finland from 18 to 19 December. He will meet Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto, who will be hosting the visit, and Prime Minister Sanna Marin.

16.12.2022 | Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Maria Ohisalo gave the Finland's National Statement at the High-Level Segment of the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity on 16th of December 2022.