Finland: New publication by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs: Finland benefits from supporting multilateral international cooperation

NordenBladet — Strengthening multilateral cooperation is a key long-standing objective of Finland’s foreign policy. A new publication of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, issued in August 2021, underscores Finland’s commitment to both multilateral international cooperation, the rules-based approach and international law. It also presents examples of Finland’s strengths and opportunities.Solving global cross-border challenges requires cooperation that is based on the rules-based approach and international law.

A recent policy paper by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, “Era of New Cooperation: The Contribution of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland to Strengthen Multilateral Cooperation” presents objectives and examples for ideas on how to support multilateral cooperation.

The publication gives examples of themes that are based on Finland’s strengths, which the Ministry for Foreign Affairs aims to focus on in multilateral international cooperation in the coming years. These themes include equal rights and participation, climate change and environmental change, responsibilities in the new information environment, expertise in matters related to peace and security, just and democratic world, and smart societies of the future. Rather than being separate from each other, the themes are characterised by interdependencies.

“Multilateral cooperation has helped us achieve a tremendous amount of good things in the world. For many of us, these are so self-evident that we do not always recognise them. What would our society be like if we had no functioning judicial system or no human rights? What about a world without the UN food aid, the World Health Organization or international law?”

Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto
Multilateral cooperation is an integral part of our security
According to the Programme of the current Government and the Government Report on Finnish Foreign and Security Policy from 2020, multilateral cooperation is an integral part of the security and wellbeing of Finland and its people. Finland’s multilateral activities are based on both its national interests and the desire to make the world a fairer and better place for everybody.

Finland must continue its determined work in international forums and communicate about its own objectives to be able to influence the direction of development. The Foreign Ministry’s publication aims to respond to this need. It also supports Finland’s campaign for membership of the UN Human Rights Council for 2022–2024 and, in the longer term, candidacy for membership of the UN Security Council for 2029–2030.  Era of New Cooperation: The Contribution of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland to Strengthen Multilateral Cooperation -publication