NordenBladet — Minister of Employment Tuula Haatainen spoke about the coronavirus pandemic and its effects on working life at the plenary session of the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) International Labour Conference on 15 June 2021. Haatainen emphasised the importance of tripartite cooperation during crises such as the coronavirus epidemic.“Some ongoing trends in the global labour market are truly worrisome, including the increased use of forced labour and child labour. In addition, there have been infringements of people’s freedom of association and collective bargaining. We must put a stop to these negative developments together and create a fair and equal labour market for all,” Haatainen said in her speech delivered online. One of the conference’s key objectives is to issue a joint declaration on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on working life.Global challenges in social security and compliance with ILO conventions on the agendaThe International Labour Conference is the highest decision-making body of the ILO and it meets once a year. The International Labour Conference 2021 will be organised mainly online and therefore exceptionally in two parts.In the first part to be held on 3–19 June 2021, the Conference will address current challenges to social security and compliance with ILO conventions in the Member States. The second part of the Conference in November–December will focus on inequality at work as well as skills and lifelong learning.The tripartite structure of the ILO means that workers, employers and governments all participate equally in the organisation’s work. Finland’s delegation also includes representatives of the Government, employers and employees.
NordenBladet — The Real Time Economy project will create the conditions for companies to move to real-time economy. Invoices and receipts will be electronic, for example, and business information will be automatically transferred between different systems. Up-to-date information and its automated processing will increase productivity in both companies and public administration.On 15 June 2021, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment set up the Real Time Economy project for 2021–2024. The Finnish Patent and Registration Office coordinates the project.“The Government wants to make Finland a leader in real-time economy. This project will develop basic solutions for the transition to real time, which in turn will help both companies and public administration to increase their productivity significantly,” says State Secretary Ville Kopra, who chairs the project’s steering group.Government to promote digitalisation and real-time economyThe Real Time Economy project will implement the objectives of Prime Minister Marin’s Government Programme, including:promoting digitalisation in administration and society as a wholedeveloping companies’ operating environmentbuilding the best public administration in the worldintroducing measures to combat the grey economystreamlining regulation and reducing unnecessary administrative burdens for companies.The project is part of Finland’s Sustainable Growth Programme and it is funded by the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). The Council of the European Union will make a final decision on whether it will approve the national programme during the summer of 2021.Private sector and authorities to implement the project together“Close cooperation between private and public operators is essential for the success of the project and for Finland to become a pioneer in the digital economy,” Kopra says.The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment has appointed a steering group that consists of representatives of ministries, agencies and stakeholders. The steering group is tasked with guiding, supporting and monitoring the implementation of the project in accordance with its objectives and managing any significant changes to the project’s costs, objectives and schedule.Composition of the steering groupChair: Ville Kopra, State Secretary Vice Chair: Antti Neimala, Director GeneralMembers:Laura Vilkkonen, Director General, Ministry of Transport and Communications Terhi Järvikare, Director General, Ministry of Finance Maria Nikkilä, Senior Adviser for Information Management, Ministry of Finance Pekka Rehn, Deputy Director General, Digital and Population Data Services Agency Antti Riivari, Director General, Finnish Patent and Registration Office Markus Sovala, Director General, Statistics Finland Timo Laitinen, Director General, State Treasury Markku Heikura, Director General, Finnish Tax Administration Leena Nyman, Adviser, Confederation of Finnish Industries EK Taina Ahvenjärvi, Director, Finance Finland Mari Kiviniemi, Managing Director, Federation of Finnish Commerce Jarkko Huovinen, Director, Association of Finnish Municipalities Jari Seppä, Managing Director, Suomen Taloushallintoliitto Joonas Mikkilä, Head of Digital and Educational Affairs, Federation of Finnish Enterprises Marja Hamilo, Adviser, Technology Industries of Finland
NordenBladet — Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari will visit South Korea on 15–19 June.The aim of the visit is to strengthen the commercial and economic relations between Finland and South Korea. The visit will be hosted by South Korean Minister for Trade Yoo Myung-hee. This will be their first bilateral meeting. During the visit, Minister Skinnari will discuss, among other things, cooperation in science and research with Minister of Science and ICT Lim Hye-sook, and regional climate questions with former UN Secretary General, climate advocate Ban Ki-moon. There will be also other high-level meetings with ministers and representatives of business and industry. In these meetings, the aim is to discuss prospects for cooperation in the commercial and economic, startup and ICT sectors as well as other topical matters. Business Finland and Finnish companies have put together a list of key questions related to efforts to boost business operations. South Korea is the fourth biggest economy in Asia and the tenth biggest economy in global comparisons. The country is particularly well known for its strong electronics sector. In the framework of its Green New Deal recovery plan, South Korea is currently investing heavily on green economy and digitalisation. The New Deal aims to bolster green growth especially by means of implementing energy sector and infrastructure reforms. In addition, South Korea wants to promote digitalisation extensively in several sectors. Information networks, the use of data, artificial intelligence (AI) and digital services are at the heart of the digital transition. The Government of South Korea aims to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.“Based on an OECD survey among its members, the South Korean economy has managed best in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. There are several examples of common interests that are shared by Finland and South Korea, including technology, digital services, and climate-sustainable solutions for various sectors. The priorities of South Korea’s Green New Deal, digitalisation and green growth, offer plenty of opportunities for Finnish companies,” Skinnari says.
NordenBladet — At their meeting in Oulu, Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering Tytti Tuppurainen and Spanish State Secretary for the European Union Juan González-Barba Pera discussed the special characteristics and development of sparsely populated areas. The programme for the meeting also highlighted the 6G flagship, which focuses on developing wireless network technologies, Oulu’s innovation expertise and the city’s cultural contribution as a future European Capital of Culture.
“Finland shares a great deal of common objectives with Spain in a variety of areas, including the development of sparsely populated areas. The State Secretary’s visit to Oulu marks an important step towards closer cooperation between Finland and Spain,” says Minister for European and Ownership Steering Tytti Tuppurainen.
The newly elected European Capital of Culture for 2026 also gave a taste of its cultural offering, as the screaming men’s choir Huutajat shouted its greetings from the Treaty of Amsterdam and other texts.
“The upcoming year as the Capital of Culture will be important for Oulu and for Finland as a whole, and it will give us a unique opportunity to present our Nordic expertise in the arts. We are happy and excited to take on this task,” says Tuppurainen.
The visit to the University of Oulu and Nokia’s 5G test laboratory provided an opportunity to present the city as a northern cluster of technology and expertise.
“Oulu’s leading technological expertise, such as the 6G flagship project, is groundbreaking on a global scale. I believe the visit has also shown the significance of funding for sparsely populated areas and EU research funding for Oulu in concrete terms. We have built success stories where the special features of the North are not restrictions but part of a well-functioning solution,” Minister Tuppurainen stated.
Minister Tuppurainen and State Secretary González-Barba Pera are colleagues on the EU General Affairs Council (GAC), which is responsible for several cross-cutting EU policies, such the preparations for European Council meetings and issues concerning the rule of law.
NordenBladet — Achieving a circular economy requires coherent guidance that addresses problem areas and takes into account the overall picture. Products must be more environmentally friendly, more repairable and longer-lasting than at present. In order to achieve this objective, we need national and international guidance, especially at the European Union level. The research project examined policy instruments in four key areas of product policy. There is a great deal of work for legislators in all four areas, according to the report published on 15 June.The joint research project, carried out by the Finnish Environment Institute, the University of Eastern Finland and Vrije Unversiteit Brussel, produced information on how the objectives of a sustainable circular economy could be integrated into product policy guidance. The research project supports Finland’s goal of being a frontrunner in the field of circular economy and was carried out in close cooperation with the steering group and leading European experts.Developing new and existing instruments to support the circular economyImportant challenges for policy instruments include the vast number of products on the market, rapid changes in several product areas and the fact that the instruments are targeted at areas of great significance for companies. The interviews conducted during the project revealed that companies often do not adapt their activities to the circular economy at their own initiative, even if it would benefit them. Companies often need more information about the environmental impacts of their products and the requirements imposed on them. With this in mind, we need policy instruments for disseminating information, creating a circular economy market and promoting innovative product design.The main existing policy instruments, such as extended producer responsibility and ecodesign, should be developed to better take into account products sold online and should be expanded to cover new product groups – and Finnish research and companies should be involved in this development work. Consumers need clearer and more reliable information on the environmental impacts of products, so it is important to make sure that environmental claims are based on common ground rules. At the same time, we should encourage a shift from the ownership of products to the use of services. One way to do this could be by testing the potential of service-based models in public procurement.In order for policy guidance to be effective, it must often be enacted at the EU level and it must be applied uniformly across all Member States. It is essential to maintain a clear overall picture of the situation: a balanced range of policy instruments should be based on comprehensive assessments of the actual impacts of the instruments and should take their coherence into account from a variety of perspectives.Attention should be paid to policy coherence and ex post analyses of policy impactsThe study found that, despite the massive attention paid to the circular economy in recent years, analyses of the impacts of policy instruments are surprisingly limited. To this effect, the researchers call for systematic ex post analyses of the impacts of circular product policies in order to maintain a science-based approach to policymaking. The researchers also identified a clear need to pay close attention to policy coherence in all of the studied areas. Further, the environmental considerations of circular policies should not be limited to the material efficiency considerations; they should also extend to impacts on the climate, biodiversity and the environment. The circular economy is only a means to an end; environmental and other sustainability considerations must remain at the heart of product policy.
NordenBladet — Finland will chair the session of the Conference of States Parties (COSP) to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) on 15–17 June 2021. Representatives from more than 180 countries are expected to attend the Conference, which will be held both virtually and at the UN headquarters in New York. A large number of representatives of civil society organisations and UN agencies, dedicated to promoting the rights of persons with disabilities, will also attend the Conference. Finland’s delegation will be led by Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto.The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was adopted in 2006 and it has currently 182 parties. Finland ratified the Convention in 2016. The States Parties meet annually in New York to discuss the implementation of the obligations laid down in the CRPD and other topical questions. Finland is President of the 14th Conference of States Parties (COSP14). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the session will be held in a hybrid format, that is, partly in New York, partly online.The COSP has become a significant annual event where the rights of persons with disabilities are discussed. It is attended by not only states but also by a large number of non-governmental/civil society organisations that promote the rights of persons with disabilities. The realisation of the rights of persons with disabilities is among the priorities of Finland’s human rights policy and a cross-cutting goal of development policy.All of the central ministries are represented in Finland’s delegation, which will be led by Foreign Minister Haavisto. Every year, the Finnish delegation selects a representative of organisations for persons with disabilities to attend the COSP. The main theme of the COSP14 will be recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic in a manner that takes into account persons with disabilities. Other themes on the session’s agenda are protecting the rights of persons with disabilities in armed conflict and humanitarian emergencies; living Independently, being included in the community; and right to education, challenges with inclusive education and accessibility during COVID-19. Additionally, there will be dozens of side events discussing the rights of persons with disabilities. In side events organised by Finland, speakers include Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services Krista Kiuru and Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Krista Mikkonen.The meeting is webcast live on the UN Web TV Channel at webtv.un.org. The side events can also be followed online.
NordenBladet — Working groups appointed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry propose a five-year experiment to allow wolf hunting for population management purposes if the population is at a favourable conservation status. The Ministry will assess the possibility to allow hunting after the Natural Resources Institute Finland has published its interim report on the reference values for the favourable conservation status of the wolf population.The report describes the key conditions for allowing the hunting of wolves to manage their population and gives proposals concerning the grounds for this and the measures to be taken. The whole process is mainly based on the preliminary ruling of the Court of Justice on wolf hunting for population management purposes issued in 2019. The report points out that the aim of the restricted hunting is to control the growth of the wolf population, thus reducing the socio-economic conflicts related to wolves and promoting the acceptance of wolves so that the favourable conservation status of the population can be secured.“Hunting is an important part of the management of large carnivore populations, and now the aim is to use it for wolves as well. The groups have done a good job and the report provides a solid basis for this kind of hunting. The Ministry is ready to proceed quickly in the implementation if the conditions for allowing the hunt are fulfilled,” Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Jari Leppä says. Hunting for population management purposes is one of the measures of the Management Plan for the Wolf Population in Finland.“Managing the wolf population is a balancing act. We want to ensure a viable wolf population while at the same time responding to the needs of people living in areas inhabited by wolves. The plan concerning hunting for population management purposes is one of the tools for the sustainable management of the wolf population,” says Jaana Husu-Kallio, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.Based on the reference values for the favourable conservation status in the interim report, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry will decide whether wolf hunting for population management purposes can be started in Finland. If the population is at a favourable conservation status, hunting will start as a five-year experiment. More detailed grounds for allowing the hunt are described in a decree of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and its background memorandum. “The five-year experiment will enable us to react to changes in the wolf population. Regulating the numbers hunted in accordance with the population management targets has worked well for bear and lynx,” says Vesa Ruusila, Senior Ministerial Adviser at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and chair of the working group responsible for preparing project.The report also states that it is particularly important to provide adequate training to hunting masters, their deputies and hunters if hunting for population management is started as an experiment. The report was drawn up as part of the project concerning the planning and definition of wolf hunting for population management purposes. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry appointed the preparation and steering groups for the project in 2020. The English and Swedish language versions of the working group report will be published soon.Management Plan for the Wolf Population in Finland Planning and definition of wolf hunting for population management purposes in the Gateway to Information on Government Projects (in Finnish)Earlier press releases (in Finnish): Press release 18 November 2020: Planning of wolf hunting for population management purposes proceeds Press release 23 January 2020: Working groups to study wolf hunting for population management purposes
NordenBladet — For the first time, Finland has been ranked number one in an international comparison of sustainable development. The esteemed ranking by the UN and the Bertelsmann Foundation is published annually, and Finland has also been in the top three in earlier years, together with Denmark and Sweden. The comparison assesses countries’ progress on implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals.According to the ranking, Finland has achieved or is close to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals related to poverty alleviation, health, education, water, energy, reducing inequality, peace, and the rule of law. Finland’s greatest challenges are related to the fight against climate change, the need for more sustainable consumption and production patterns and halting biodiversity loss. Prime Minister Sanna Marin, who also chairs the Finnish National Commission on Sustainable Development, emphasises that Finland’s first place ranking is the result of long-term work and the contribution of all of Finnish society. “Credit for this recognition is due to all Finns, who work persistently to build a more sustainable society. We are proud of our ranking, but we still have a lot to do in order to achieve all of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. The most crucial thing now is figuring out how we can safeguard our wellbeing within the limits of our planet’s carrying capacity in the future,” says Marin.COVID-19 pandemic has increased inequalityThe results were published in a report by the UN’s Sustainable Development Solutions Network and the German Bertelsmann Foundation on Monday 14 June. Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari will represent Finland at the virtual release event on Monday afternoon.Skinnari highlights the importance of the Nordic welfare model in the results of the ranking: Sweden, Norway and Denmark are also among the top ten countries.Skinnari stresses that, in the post-pandemic world, Finland and other wealthy countries need to focus on supporting the most disadvantaged worldwide. The core idea of the 2030 Agenda is that no one should be left behind.“The pandemic has led to a global increase in extreme poverty and inequality and has weakened gender equality. We need to make sure that everyone stays on board with the development and that we are able to close the gap between the most successful and worst-performing countries.”Finland praised for participatory approachFinland has received international praise for how society as a whole participates in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. This past spring, the Finnish National Commission on Sustainable Development received the international Catalyst 2030 Award for sustainable development. The Commission brings together a broad range of stakeholders from different areas of society.“A participatory approach has been an important part of Finland’s work on sustainable development for several decades. We are building a sustainable society together with the state, municipalities, businesses and organisations. Every Finn’s contribution is important,” Skinnari says.
NordenBladet —The Environment Minister of Iceland, Guðmundur Ingi Guðbrandsson, has announced that Lundey Island off the north coast of Reykjavík has been declared a protected area due to the ten thousand seabird pairs that nest on the island every year.
Lundey joins the declaration of protected areas alongside its neighbors within Reykjavík’s Kollafjörður fjord, including Engey, Viðey, Þerney, and Akurey. These islands are already on the Nature Conservation Register, with the latter declared as a protected area in 2019. Once inhabited by people, this collection of islands now host a variety of bird and plant life.
“Akurey in Kollafjörður was the first area to be protected in a protection campaign that I launched in 2018 and now it’s time for her sister, Lundey,” explained Guðbrandsson.
Lundey is playfully nicknamed as puffin island as puffins are the prominent species that breed there, while kittiwakes, black guillemots, and eider ducks are also residing on the island. Plantlife, including common meadow grass, green sorrel, arctic fescue, and meadow buttercup, also call the island home.
Guðbrandsson comments, “It’s appropriately named, as the island is an important breeding and nesting area for puffins, which are under threat, and the protection is part of protecting the species here in Iceland.”
NordenBladet – Children began their summer holiday (Friday was the end-of-school year ceremony) and thus the endless chauffeuring around between Saku and the city centre ceased. We still wake up early and the days are pleasantly long. The weather has been extraordinarily sunny and beautiful and so we have spent a lot of time outside. Twice we have made it to the SPA, during the corona restrictions these were all closed.
Thursday morning I worked on several bookkeeping reports for my businesses together with my accountant and in the evening we had a little Murimäe village Midsummer bonfire. I prepared myself + grabbed from the store champignons stuffed with blue cheese, fresh tomato-sprout salad with sour cream, coleslaw salad, several packs of meat in blueberry marinade, ketchup, and for dessert some juicy marzipan plaited bun and grapes + A. Le Coq beer. For children we set up a large trampoline and seated ourselves nicely in the large open tent close to the bonfire. We chatted endlessly and there was also a lot of slandering, for that, looking back to it I am quite embarrassed. ?? I usually do not defame much, now as a grown-up almost not at all. I believe that people’s souls are sent to this world with a mission to grow, and this includes making mistakes, and when I talk about someone behind their back or say something bad about someone, then afterwards I ALWAYS feel super bad about it. Who am I to judge, comment or argue? Who am I to say bad things behind someone’s back.. as if I had too few flaws myself?! Unfortunately you cannot take back your words, so just the regrets remain, and a proper lesson is learnt. However, what concerns our little village, then we have a super nice community here and it is so nice to have a neighbour’s lady drop by every week for a coffee and for a chat.
On Friday I had my second vaccine shot (with AstraZeneca vaccine). You can read about my first vaccine shot and its side effects HERE. The second shot came without any side effects – no drowsiness, no temperature, no aches in the arm – not to say anything about the major side effects. So it is good that the shots are now done and I’ll be able to travel again some time soon. Regarding NordenBladet it is already time I visited Finland and Sweden, and I wouldn’t say no to a nice weekend at the French Riviera neither.
(read about today’s activities after the photo gallery)
Today we woke up at about seven o’clock. Since I knew that it would rain in the afternoon, we set our steps outdoors at once. The garden is so large that indeed it is not even correct to call it a garden – it is rather a plot. It has everything here – a tiny grove, a patch of meadow, and endless pockets of the yard. Wonderful! It is a real luxury to live in the countryside and to own a large plot. Then again of course this all requires work and the garden can actually consume all the time you have. I regard gardening as a hobby and as a workout, I like to “communicate” with nature, and be around nature, admire the plants, and pamper them. In warm weather I always sprinkle the plants with water, at the same time smiling to myself that now they feel so good… hahahaaa. Ok, enough of this. Today we trimmed, mowed, and weeded the garden, and we fertilized the soil in one corner, and we stirred through the compost pile with the garden fork. We added to the compost some Biolan nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium based compost awakening aid for the first time – this should speed up the decomposition process and advance the fertility of the compost soil. Now let us hope so, because our compost pile is ca 3x5m large! I’d love to create a nice huge lavender bed on the spot!
Gardening works completed, we washed ourselves, and then reserved a table in Keila at an American-style family restaurant “Legends Diner” (Paldiski Road 32a, Keila, 76606 Harju county) and went there to enjoy a two-in-one meal (late dinner and early supper). The waiter happened to be very nice and the food was excellent as always! I ordered as an appetizer the “Handmade cheese balls with house sauce” and for the main course the “Blue cheese chicken steak” (chicken fillet, grilled pineapple and vegetables, sweet potato french fries, blue cheese sauce) and for dessert the hot Caife Gaelach (Irish coffee) with sugar, Irish whiskey and cream. I also dare recommend their ribs, the “Grilled ribs” (grilled ribs, coleslaw salad, arugula, steakhouse french fries, smoky mayonnaise) and ice cream shakes! My children’s favourite is their strawberry-raspberry ice cream shake.
