National Statement of Finland at the 64th session of the Commission for Social Development (CSocD64)

Read the National Statement of Finland at the 64th session of the Commission for Social Development (CSocD64) delivered by Minister of Social Affairs and Health of Finland, H.E. Ms. Kaisa Juuso, and Youth Delegate of Finland, Mr. Cevor Tikerpuu, on 2 Feb 2026 in New York.

Chair, Excellencies, Dear Delegates,

Finland thanks Qatar for hosting the successful Summit in Doha. We also thank Belgium and Morocco for their strong leadership on the Political Declaration.

The Doha Declaration upholds our shared commitment to sustainable development, climate action, and future generations. It reminds us that social development is essential for building peaceful and inclusive societies that serve everyone.

The ongoing United Nations reform should use the ambitions of the Doha Declaration and keep social development at the center of its work. A strong, fit‑for‑purpose United Nations is vital to help Member States turn the Doha commitments into national action.

Finland is committed to the Doha Agenda and ready to work with all partners to deliver results.

Social development is built on sound economic policy and effective wellbeing structures. This is the Economy of Wellbeing approach: investing in people’s wellbeing, decent work, education, and gender equality to build resilient and inclusive societies.

Gender equality is vital for social development. Women still shoulder most unpaid care work. Social policy innovations, such as affordable early childhood education and care and equal parental leave, can change this. According to ILO, investing in universal childcare and long‑term care could create millions of jobs globally.

Finland is one of the fastest‑ageing societies. This makes intergenerational fairness and ageing with dignity key priorities for us.  Our choices must enable current and future generations to thrive.

A vibrant civil society that actively participates in political processes is essential for social development. As a concrete example, the civic sector has long been represented in Finland’s CsocD delegation.

Trust is the social capital that holds societies together. Today it is challenged by inequality, insecurity, and digital disinformation. Finland’s experience shows that trust grows through fairness and inclusion. Trust also requires transparent and reliable institutions.

The Doha Declaration points the way. Let us move forward together.

I will now pass the baton to our Youth Delegate Cevor Tikerpuu.

Thank you Minister,

Chair, Excellencies,

I speak as Finland’s UN Youth Delegate. For young people, resilience is built on safety, hope and trust. Trust that education, work and effort lead to a dignified and meaningful life. Without this trust, no society is truly resilient. 

Unfortunately, this is not the case for many young people. Across the world, we see loneliness and mental health challenges growing. Violence affects the lives of too many young people, further eroding their trust in the future. This is a social concern.

We must ensure that young people and future generations have real opportunities to build meaningful lives, families and communities. This can only happen when there is a future to believe in.

Thank you.