Minister for International Development at the Annual Meeting of Finnish Heads of Mission: Finland must honour her commitments

Press release 208/2011
22 August 2011

"Our aim is a 'devoted development policy', which means that Finland listens and holds a genuine dialogue on the direction of development but also has the courage to take the side of citizens in developing countries when they need support in defending their rights," Minister for International Development Heidi Hautala said at the Annual Meeting of Finnish Heads of Mission.

Minister Hautala stressed that continuity and coherence should be emphasised in all our development policy, both domestically and in international contexts. It isn't enough that the policy lines of the Development Policy Programme are incorporated in foreign and security policy; they must also be included in, for instance, trade, agricultural and energy policy as well.

In development policy and development cooperation, Minister Hautala promised something old and something new for the coming years:

"We shall continue, and develop further, the good weightings of the previous Government Programme and my predecessor, such as development that is ecologically, economically and socially sustainable. At the same time, development policy will be revised so that it corresponds with the needs of the future better than before."

The Minister stated that in the Arab nations in turmoil as well as in the Horn of Africa experiencing a humanitarian crisis, the underlying causes of problems are largely the same: a democracy gap, social and economic inequality, and the lack of opportunity to participate.

In the Minister's view, the priorities of the Government Programme - rule of law, democracy, human rights, education, decent work, reduction of youth unemployment and improvement of the position of women and girls - are the right ones.

"We must consider how the requirement of human rights and democracy and developing countries' ownership can be combined," the Minister continued.

Although development cooperation already yields good results, work to improve the results will continue. Among actors there is still a need for additional cooperation, coordination, coherence, developing countries' ownership - and new sources of financing. Commitments concerning climate funding also require this, Minister Hautala said.

"New types of partnerships are needed between the public and private sectors and civil society actors. As the Minister responsible for the State's corporate steering, I shall also stress the corporate social responsibility of enterprises."

The budget negotiations of the coming weeks will determine the future of development cooperation appropriations, at the same time determining how Finland will keep pace with her international commitments.

"The decisions taken are important to our entire foreign and security policy, and to Finland's profile and our credibility in international forums," Minister Hautala stated.

In her speech, Minister Hautala pointed out that the policy of future years is being shaped now. During autumn the new Government will compile a development policy programme, for which an open consultation process is being launched. Talks on important themes will be held both within the foreign service and with other segments of the State administration and external stakeholders.

Additional information: Milma Kettunen, Press Attaché to Minister Heidi Hautala, mobile tel. +358 40 522 9869