NordenBladet — Finland supports the World Food Programme (WFP) by EUR 32 million as core support for 2018–2021. “Because of the prolonged conflicts and climate change, the number of hungry people in the world has unfortunately started to rise again. WFP has a key role in combatting hunger. This multiannual core support enables the organisation to plan its operations in a way that is more timely and cost-efficient”, says Anne-Mari Virolainen, Minister of Foreign Trade and Development of Finland.
The WFP under the United Nations is one of the world’s largest humanitarian organisations, which helps annually about 80 million people in about 80 countries. It has more than 14,000 employees, about 90% of them working in the recipient countries.
WFP supplies food aid in emergency situations. In development cooperation the focus is on nutrition, especially that of mothers and children. The programme priorities include nutrition during pregnancy and for children up to the age of two, and later on the work is done especially through school meals. WFP has carried out food programmes in schools around the world for more than 50 years.
NordenBladet — An increasing share of the investment portfolio of the State’s development financing company Finnfund is now invested in the poorest countries and in high-risk projects that have significant development impacts, reveals a recent evaluation. The evaluation of the development financing company Finnfund’s special risk financing, commissioned from the consulting and auditing company KPMG by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, has been completed.
“The evaluation indicates that special risk financing has worked out as planned—that is, shifted the focus of the company’s investment portfolio to the poorest countries and to high-risk projects with significant development impacts that would otherwise find it difficult to get financing,” says Satu Santala, Director General at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
“In the post-financial crisis, low-interest rate world, the availability of short-term loans has improved even for developing countries. However, the bottleneck has been loan funding and equity funding that tolerate risks, are invested for a long term and promote sustainable development. Finnfund has been able to tackle this challenge,” Santala goes on to say.
In practice, special risk financing meant that potential credit or investment losses incurred by special risk financing investments could be partly covered with the loss guarantee granted by the State. The loss compensation commitment was valid for 2012–2015 and restricted to EUR 50 million. The guarantee covers 16 corporate projects, 14 of which have been launched without any losses so far.
Altogether, 81 per cent of investments are in LDC countries, 6 per cent in other lower income countries and 13 per cent in lower middle income countries. Ten investment projects are located in Africa, five in Asia and one has Latin America as its target area. Many of the investments are allocated to sustainable forestry and renewable energy projects.
“The share of investments in the least developed countries has been approximately 2.5 times higher than in 2008–2011, the four-year period preceding the special risk financing period. This is something to be proud of,” says Santala.
The guarantee was needed to enable the company to make investments that involved different risk levels but also exceptionally good development impacts. Factors affecting the risk level include, for instance, the destination country, the investment volume and the industry. Finnfund had carried out similar projects before special risk financing but now the company could increase their volume.
“For instance, without special risk financing, Finnfund could not have been involved in financing Africa’s largest wind power park at Lake Turkana in Kenya. It would have been too large a project in relation to the rest of Finnfund’s investment portfolio,” Santala notes.
Since the 2000s, Finnfund has shifted the focus of its investment activities to the poorest countries, a development that has been accelerated by special risk financing. Currently, LDC countries account for approximately a third (34%) and other low income countries for roughly a fifth (18%) of all investments. The shares are clearly larger than among, for instance, other European development financing companies on average.
NordenBladet — Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini will visit Kiev from 5 to 6 March. Foreign Minister Timo Soini will hold bilateral discussions with Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Pavlo Klimkin. The Foreign Ministers will discuss the relations between their countries and Finland’s increasing support for Ukraine. Other topics on their agenda will be the current situation in Ukraine, the implementation of the Minsk agreements, as well as reforms in Ukraine and its relations with the EU.
Finland’s development cooperation allocated to Ukraine will be EUR 15 million in 2018–2021. The support will be channelled to projects in the education and energy sectors. A cooperation agreement in the education sector between Finland and Ukraine will be signed during the visit.
Foreign Minister Soini will also meet Hanna Hopko, Head of the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee of Ukraine, and Gizo Uglava, Deputy Director of the National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine, and Finnish experts working for the EU, the Council of Europe and the World Bank. Finland and Ukraine are celebrating the centenary of diplomatic relations between their countries this year.
NordenBladet – Denmark’s government presented its plan to tackle social problems in what it defines as ‘ghettos’ on Thursday as eight ministers visited the Mjølnerparken area of Copenhagen. Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said the plan – which contains a number of potentially controversial elements – was not about race or religion.
But too many Danish residents of non-Western backgrounds were not contributing to society, and the government was not prepared to accept that, the PM said according to newspaper Politiken.
Rasmussen made his comments as he, along with seven other ministers, presented the ‘ghetto plan’ in Mjølnerparken, an underprivileged area of Nørrebro in Copenhagen that is included on the Ministry of Transport and Housing’s ‘ghetto list’.
The plan – titled ‘One Denmark without Parallel Societies: No Ghettos in 2030’ – was also published on the government’s website regeringen.dk on Thursday.
NordenBladet – Øresund Bridge closes in both directions after accident. The accident involved a single lorry that lost control and collided with the central reservation, Copenhagen Police confirmed. No injuries occurred.
The Danish Road Directorate wrote earlier on Wednesday that it did not know when the bridge would reopen, but traffic is now set to begin moving again.
Snow and ice have resulted in hazardous driving conditions across Denmark and southern Sweden on Wednesday.
NordenBladet – Earlier this week it emerged that those volunteering at NorthSide festival would have to pay a deposit this year as the festival wants to curb the number of workers skipping their shifts. Now NorthSide has produced yet another incentive (to go and to skip your shift): this time a positive one.
The festival has unveiled 17 new artists including three additional headliners for this year: US hip-hop group N.E.R.D featuring Pharrell Williams; US indie rockers The War On Drugs; and Body Count, the US metal/rap combo band with Ice T.
“We are perhaps broader than ever before in terms of genres and styles, and the overall result looks very, very exciting and something we are super proud of,” John Fogde, the head of communications for NorthSide, told DR Nyheder.
“We can really see that our guests want to see the new big new international stars. So we’re prioritising new international music ahead of a broad Danish range.”
There are currently 41 bands lined up for NorthSide, and with the likes of Beck, Björk, Queens of the Stone Age, The National, A Perfect Circle and Liam Gallagher also headlining, it is promising to be quite the festival this year.
There are also some big Danish hitters in the mixer, including Dizzy Mizz Lizzy, CV Jørgensen and Nik & Jay.
The festival, which was first held in 2010, will take place at Ådalen in Aarhus from June 7-9.
NordenBladet — Last Saturday, on February 24 th , Estonia celebrated 100 years of independence. Sweden was represented by the King’s Company, part of the Royal Guards, in the yearly independence parade.
Several countries participated in the parade to support Estonia’s 100 years of independence. The King´s Company attended with 11 men and was one of the bigger units to take part in the celebrations (not originating from Estonia). The public interest was big and the streets of Tallinn full of people cheering the parade and the Swedish King’s Company when they paraded down the streets. After the parade the Embassy of Sweden served “fika” to thank the King’s Company for their participation.
The King’s Company would like to give a big thank you to the Estonian people who cheered them down the streets in both Swedish and Estonian. The King’s Company felt very welcomed!
Pictured are the President of Estonia, Kersti Kaljulaid, when she greets the Swedish King’s Company at the Freedom Square, just before the parade started.
NordenBladet – The first festive event of the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia was hoisting the flag on the Pikk Hermann tower on Tallinn’s Toompea Hill at sunrise. Every day, the Estonian flag is hoisted at sunrise, and taken down at sunset. On Independence Day this is a special event that attracts plenty of people every year. Representatives of student organizations, choirs, and other groups close to Estonian traditions attend it.
Flag hoisting to the sounds of the Estonian anthem
Estonian Male Choir Association male choirs and the Estonian Police and Border Guard Orchestra
Conductor Hanno Põldmäe
Speech by the President of the Riigikogu Eiki Nestor
“Eesti Lipp”
Music by Enn Võrk, lyrics by Martin Lipp
Estonian Male Choir Association male choirs and the Estonian Police and Border Guard Orchestra
Conductor Peeter Perens
Speech by Tallinn Secondary School of Science final year student Mathias Kübar
“Jää vabaks, Eesti meri”
Music and lyrics by Viktor Konstantin Oxford
Estonian Male Choir Association male choirs and the Estonian Police and Border Guard Orchestra
Conductor Indrek Vijard
Words of blessing by EELC Archbishop Urmas Viilma
“Hoia, Jumal, Eestit”
Music by Juhan Aavik, lyrics by Aleksander Leopold Raudkepp
Estonian Male Choir Association male choirs and the Estonian Police and Border Guard Orchestra
Conductor Ants Soots
Estonian Declaration of Independence, read by fourth year student of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, winner of Voldemar Panso Prize Priit Põldma
“Kodumaa”
March for brass band by Raimund Kull
Estonian Police and Border Guard Orchestra
Conductor Hanno Põldmäe
Approximate end of the ceremony 8.10 a.m.
The ceremony is followed by an informal celebration together with the Estonian Folk Dance and Folk Music Association. You can brush up on your dancing skills with Folk Culture Society Koidupuna, Pelgulinn Community Centre mixed folk dance group Tontar, Folk Dance Society Pääsuke, Tallinn French School dance group Leesikad, Folklore Society Leigarid, and Saku Recreation Centre group Kohevad ja Tugevad.
Fotod: Estonia 100. Flag hoisting ceremony on February 24 (Riigkogu fotoarhiiv/Erik Peinar)
NordenBladet — The situation in Ghouta, Syria has in the last couple of weeks escalated drastically and the Syrian military is conducting a massive bombardment against both rebels and civilians in the city. Today, the UN Security Council will vote on a resolution concerning a ceasefire in Syria, which also encompasses Ghouta.
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Anders Samuelsen says: ”What is happening in Ghouta at the moment is completely inhumane. Apparently, there is no limit to the brutal measures the Assad-regime is willing to employ against its civilian population to enforce its rule. This is completely unacceptable. I call on the UN Security Council to act when they vote on a ceasefire later today. Regrettably, the Security Council has failed many times before when it comes to Syria. The responsibility for this lies in particular with one member: Russia, which has already signaled that it does not want a solution to the problem. Russia should bow its head in shame if it does not change its course. I strongly urge Russia to show decency and vote in favor of the resolution for a ceasefire, which is expected to come to a vote later today. Both for political reasons, but not least to ensure humanitarian access to the distressed civilian population.”
NordenBladet — Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen today participated in a summit on the West African G5 Joint Force that seeks to fight terrorism, organised crime, and irregular migration in the Sahel region.
At the summit, Denmark announced a contribution of DKK 99 million over a three-year period for regional peace and stabilisation efforts. The efforts will, among other things, focus on fighting organised crime and terrorism as well as strengthening the justice system and other initiatives aimed at providing support for the G5 Joint Force. In addition, Denmark announced a contribution of DKK 7.5 million directly aimed at making the G5 Joint Force operational. Both contributions are financed under the Danish Peace and Stabilisation Fund that contains commitments from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defence.
Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen “Today, Denmark sends a clear signal that we will actively contribute to the stabilisation and development of the Sahel region. With the collapse of Libya and instability in North Africa, terrorism, radicalisation and irregular migration have become challenges that affect us directly in Europe and in Denmark. If we do not tackle the great challenges to stability in the Sahel, direct consequences will be felt, also for Denmark, in the form of increased migration flows and the risk of extremism and terrorism spreading. We have a shared interest with the Sahel countries in addressing these challenges. This is why we are now taking steps to strengthen our efforts even further.”
