Current affairs

National Statement by Minister of Social Security Sanni Grahn-Laasonen on 26th of September at the High-Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance: “Investing in the present and securing our future together: accelerating multisectoral global, regional and national actions to address antimicrobial resistance”

Maintenance of international peace and security: Leadership for Peace

Statement by Permanent Representative of Finland, Elina Kalkku on 17th of September 2024 at the Emergency Special Session.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has sent out for comments a proposal for a new Decree of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs on Fees for Services Produced by the Foreign Service in 2025. It is proposed that several of the Foreign Ministry's services which are currently provided free of charge should be made chargeable.

The high-level meetings of the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 79) will start in New York on 24 September. Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen and Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio will attend ministerial events in New York and have bilateral meetings with their counterparts and with representatives of the UN.

United Nations Security Council Debate, Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Addressing the historical injustices to Africa from lack of effective representation in the Security Council on 12 August 2024, 10.00 – 13.00 at Security Council Chamber, New York Statement by Ambassador Elina Kalkku, Permanent Representative of Finland to the United Nations

The reform of the Foreign Service of Finland took a step forward on 1 August, when the reorganisation of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the updated rules of procedure took effect. The purpose of the organisational reform is to lay a suitable foundation for the Ministry’s work in the current international situation and in terms of Finland’s foreign policy change. At the same time, cooperation across organisational boundaries has become even more important.

The Government approved the proposal for the Report on International Economic Relations and Development Cooperation on 11 July 2024. The report complements the Report on Foreign and Security Policy with more detailed trade and development policy measures.

Finland is participating in the UN High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development in New York on 8–17 July. The Forum assesses annually what progress has been made in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in different countries.

Based on predetermined criteria, the contract was awarded to VF Worldwide Holdings Ltd, which is the current provider of the outsourced application services to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.