NordenBladet — In the first half of the 20th century, when the world was not open to everyone, a career in diplomacy was thought to be grand and glorious. After the Second World War times had changed, and people around the world started to question the point in considering diplomacy as a career for the chosen few. Such changes in global contexts as the growing number of states and international organisations together with the development of faster means of communication meant that diplomacy had to be redefined. The Foreign Ministry’s Training Course for Newly Recruited Diplomats, Kavaku in short, turned 50 in autumn 2020.In 2018, students of the diplomatic course learned about the work of UN organisations on a study trip to Tanzania . Photo: Johannes PuukkiKavaku transformed application to a career in diplomacy in 1970sAt the turn of the 1970s, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs took note of a rapid change in the atmosphere in society. With the expanding range of tasks and responsibilities in the Foreign Service, the Ministry wanted to select trainees based on an open selection process, allowing for applicants from more diverse backgrounds to submit applications for the course. The idea was to get applicants from a variety of backgrounds to the course and to make a career in diplomacy accessible to anyone irrespective of their social background.The idea was revolutionary. When the first Kavaku courses were organised in 1970, the hierarchical administration in the Foreign Ministry was not saved from clashes between representatives of different generations. “A number of young people who had been active in international student politics in the 1960s were selected to the course. For them, it was a fascinating idea to challenge the ways common in the hierarchical and formal Ministry for Foreign Affairs. In this sense, we were radical. Foreign Ministry staff in the Ritarikatu premises fumed that ‘the kids are rebelling’ because the young people attending the course disobeyed to draft ‘a ministerial answer’ to a parliamentary survey, which critisised the organisation of the course. Since we refused to act according to the given instructions, we came to be called a rebel course. The Foreign Ministry was not used to fledgling public officials like us. There was no question of challenging any authorities at the time when Kekkonen was President,” says Pertti Torstila, one of those participating in the first Kavaku course.“We joined the Foreign Ministry in the decade of détente, which was marked by efforts to mitigate the east-west hostilities. The course taught us that attachés were mainly expected to run various errands and serve as messengers rather than being engaged in rosy big politics. However, what happened was that without further ado our first assignment was to work for the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe, the CSCE.  Having passed this acid test, we were ready to do anything.”
 Pertti Torstila: The first Kavaku course has a story of its own that none of us will forget. The same basic model continued throughout the 1970s. The course focused on international politics, international law, Finland’s foreign trade, Finnish society, and language studies. In the selection process, scoring was based on a wide range of factors and on justice.  The Ministry’s Senior Management Group had an opportunity to influence what criteria and what kind of scoring were selected. Nowadays the entire Finland is representedIn the 1880s and 1990s, more than a half of the participants in the course have been women. A record number of women was selected in 1983, when 12 of the 16 Kavaku participants were women. After that, the Ministry’s selection and training board was convened to look into the matter and, as an attempt to strengthen men’s position, it almost decided that men should be given points for military service, but the idea was dropped. Today, women have consolidated their position as the majority in Kavaku courses.  At present, approximately half of Finnish ambassadors are women. By the start of the 1990s, the Foreign Service had advanced to represent what was aimed at as early as in the 1960s. The whole Finland was represented in the Kavaku courses: participants came from different family backgrounds and held diverse educational qualifications.Middle-aged Kavaku has changed along with the times In recent years, the Ministry has updated the content of the course in order to find new ways of training public officials for their work. Our current training philosophy emphasises work-based learning. Traditional lectures have been replaced by a more participatory approach to training, which includes exercises, discussion and visits. Instead of one long course, we now have three training modules, which are linked together by practical work as trainees in the departments and missions abroad. ”Kavaku is not only a course but an entire training programme,” emphasises Director of the Unit for Human Resources Development and Occupational Wellbeing Christian Lindholm.The fact that more than 1,080 people applied for the course speak for the fact that Kavaku continues to be an attractive option.  
The latest example of the course’s resilience and vitality is that, in 2020, Kavaku 43 was conducted in the form of a virtual course because of the COVID-19 pandemic.Digital leap and remote work in 2020 Laura Hassinen, who entered the course in the middle of the coronavirus crisis, is happy that the course started despite the exceptional circumstances. She has completed her first training period in a department mainly remotely.
 Laura Hassinen will leave to work in her first post at a mission abroad next summer. “I am a mother of three small children, which is why the decision to apply for a post at a mission must be made by the whole family.  I’m happy that the Foreign Ministry pays more and more attention to the family perspective.”“I think that the pandemic’s influence on our work has been relatively significant. All so-called cool things are excluded when we aren’t able to go on official journeys and meet our foreign colleagues. However, we have really rapidly found new ways of working and contacting people,” says Hassinen.“The digital leap has been long and the threshold to organise international webinars or informal online meetings, for example, is now much lower than it was before. Anyway, I’m looking forward to real action next year.”The Ministry for Foreign Affairs recruits new talentsThe Ministry’s most recent recruitment process started on 4 December 2020. About 10 persons will be selected to a Training Course for Newly Recruited Diplomats (Kavaku) and an Induction Course for Administrative Career Staff (Halku) respectively. Applications for Kavaku and Halku is open at Valtiolle.fi until 21 December at 16.15. The courses will start in autumn 2021.The Ministry hopes to receive applications from people with diverse educational backgrounds who are interested in different fields. Work in the Ministry is rewarding for people who are curious to learn and know things, and who are resilient and willing to develop themselves. The applicants should be capable of independent work but also inspired by teamwork. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills are also assets. Success in the application process requires both professional and personal capacity and a strong motivation to work as a representative of Finland, and to serve Finland and Finnish people abroad. A career in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs comprises various tasks in the departments in Helsinki and in the global network of missions abroad. Many Finnish missions abroad are located outside the European Union, in emerging economies and developing countries. 
       

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

NordenBladet — On 16 December, Finnish and Russian Foreign Ministers Pekka Haavisto and Sergei Lavrov exchanged letters of congratulation on 100 years of diplomatic relations between their countries. Diplomatic relations between Finland and Russia were established 100 years ago on New Year’s Eve, 31 December 1920.Letter from minister Haavisto (pdf, 156 KB)Letter from minister Lavrov (pdf, 2 MB)The 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations was also commemorated at a Finnish-Russian history seminar held last week on 8 December 2020, which featured speeches from experts on the history of relations between the two countries. The event was held simultaneously at the National Archives of Finland in Helsinki, at the Finnish Embassy in Moscow and online. A recording of the event is available for viewing until 25 December 2020.  Lisätietoja:Niklas Lindqvist, yksikön päällikkö, Venäjän yksikkö, [email protected], puh. +358 295 351 517

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

NordenBladet — Based on the OECD Talent Attractiveness Index, Finland is an interesting target country for international students and entrepreneurs alike. That said, when it comes to attracting skilled workers, Finland lags far behind the other Nordic countries and the Netherlands. Finland should learn from the experiences of these and other successful comparison countries when developing measures to improve its attractiveness to international experts and when working to speed up the processing of work-based residence permits.Improving Finland’s visibility through clearly defined target groups and tailored measuresA shortage of skilled labour and difficulties with internationalisation present significant obstacles for the growth of Finnish companies. With this in mind, attracting international talent is central to a successful economy. Even in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, decision-makers should consider how to improve Finland’s visibility and attractiveness on the international stage.The Attraction and Work-related Residence Permit Process Models in Comparison Countries report seeks to learn from other countries through a series of 13 case studies.  In the light of the experiences of the comparison countries, Finland could improve its visibility among international experts by more clearly defining its target groups and implementing measures specifically tailored to them. Key measures to reach the desired target groups include focusing on Finland’s competitive advantages, investing in centres of excellence and making diverse use of digital channels.“It can be difficult for small countries to distinguish themselves from the competition. That said, Finland has a lot to offer to international experts, and targeted measures can help to create visibility for Finland among the most important groups,” says Analyst Juho-Matti Paavola from Oxford Research, the consulting firm that carried out the project.More efficient processing of work-based residence permits will boost Finland’s ability to attract talentFinland already processes residence permits for specialists relatively quickly when compared internationally, but developing the work-based residence permit process more broadly could be helpful in attracting talent to the country. Finland should look to Sweden, Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands for lessons on how best to develop the process. For example, Finland could consider adopting a model through which experts could obtain a visa as soon as the decision has been made to grant them a work-related residence permit. Other measures taken in the comparison countries to increase the efficiency of the process include expanding the role of employers, centralising the process and harmonising practices.“Experiences from other countries are useful in determining how to attract talent and improve the effectiveness of work-based residence permit processes in Finland. We will put these results to use in the Talent Boost programme,” says Migration Director Sonja Hämäläinen from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, who chaired the project steering group.The publication is part of the implementation of the Government’s plan for analysis, assessment and research for 2019.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

NordenBladet — The interim report of the cross-sectoral working group surveying the data protection and security of sectors of key importance for the functioning of society has been submitted for statements on 15 December 2020. The working group’s main observation was that good data security culture is created as a result of data security requirements in the legislation, not on the basis of instructions or other voluntary measures.The working group found that data security requirements for critical sectors should be defined more precisely in the legislation of each sector and the implementation of the requirements should also be monitored actively. The authorities need more resources and the cooperation between the authorities should be more organised and efficient than currently.In November, the Ministry of Transport and Communications appointed a working group to identify needs to amend the legislation on data security and protection in sectors of key importance for the functioning of society and to submit a proposal to the Government for policy guidelines on them.The working group’s report concentrated on the key sectors of society, such as health care, energy supply, the financial sector, water supply, traffic and digital infrastructure and its services.Higher data security requirements for the critical sectorsThe working group emphasises in its interim report that the digital society sectors are dependent on each other, which means that a disruption in one sector may have far-reaching impacts. Therefore, it should be ensured that the regulations concerning the data security and protection of the critical sectors is sufficiently clear and obligations set for each sector are targeted correctly.In the policy proposals, the working group suggests that higher data security requirements be set for the critical sectors. Furthermore, sector-specific data security requirements should be specified and regularly assessed in order to ensure that they are up-to-date. It was also proposed that the compliance with the data security requirements be monitored more closely and that enough resources be allocated to these authorities’ actions.A separate statute on cooperation between the authoritiesThe working group also suggests improving the data security competence of the operators and boost the cooperation in monitoring the data security requirements between the authorities.The cooperation would be strengthened by enacting a separate statute that is inspired by the Act on Cooperation between the Police, Customs and the Border Guard (PCB). The statute would provide details for information exchange between different authorities in certain situations and the coordination of the authorities’ actions in general in cases of data breaches concerning multiple authorities and their prevention, among other things.The interim report also provides an assessment of additional needed resources, with a focus on developing the operational capacity of supervisory authorities. In addition, the working group highlights the significance of the public sector as the key operator in society and emphasises the role of the National Cyber Security Centre in particular in supporting other operators. In terms of data protection, the policy proposal underlines the role of the Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman and increased use of data protection certification.Data security is part of society’s preparednessAccording to Minister of Transport and Communications Timo Harakka, the cyber security triangle consists of the binding legislation, clear division of responsibilities and sufficient resources.“Data security is perhaps the most important part of the preparedness for exceptional circumstances in society. In this team effort, everyone must take initiative in their own roles to create the world’s most reliable and secure infrastructure and digital services.”The working group is chaired by Laura Vilkkonen, Director General at the Ministry of Transport and Communications. The group consists of representatives of different ministries and authorities.What next?The interim report of the working group has been submitted for statements on 15 December 2020. The deadline for submitting statements ends on 6 January 2021.Statements may be submitted by all organisations and citizens at www.lausuntopalvelu.fi or by email to [email protected]The term of the working group ends on 31 January 2021, after which the final report of the working group will be published.Additional information:Director General Laura Vilkkonen, tel. +358 40 500 0817Press release 9 November 2020: Working group to look into ways to improve the data security and protection of sectors of key importance for the functioning of society
Lausuntopalvelu.fi: Selvitys tietoturvan ja tietosuojan parantamiseksi yhteiskunnan kriittisillä toimialoilla; työryhmän väliraportti (VN/24348/2020) (in Finnish)
Government Project Database: Yhteiskunnan kriittisten toimialojen tietoturvan ja tietosuojan parantaminen (LVM073:00/2020) (Improving the data security and protection of sectors of key importance for the functioning of society) (in Finnish)

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

NordenBladet — The amount of business support has multiplied during the COVID-19 pandemic and, at the same time, the policy objectives for business support have completely changed from those applicable in normal times. At the beginning of the crisis, the main aim was to help companies with liquidity problems avoid bankruptcy. In the longer term, financial business support should be directed to the development of business activities.This is the conclusion of the report drawn up by the Research Division on Business Subsidies focusing on the COVID-19 financial support for businesses. The report does not include a detailed assessment of the COVID-19 support, but provides guiding principles for future evaluation by the Research Division. A broader assessment of the support for business development is to be published in spring 2021 as part of the annual report.Support must develop business activities in the long termIn the report, the COVID-19 pandemic is divided into three stages and the focus is on the impact on the economy and businesses. These stages are the partial closure of the economy, the recovery phase and the return to normal conditions.In the early phase of the COVID-19 crisis, the economy partially closed down. Strict restrictive measures quickly weakened companies’ liquidity, but uncertainties about the depth and duration of the crisis restricted companies’ willingness and possibilities for borrowing. This also reduced the effectiveness of guarantees and loans as forms of business support. This speaks in favour of using direct financial support for businesses.In the recovery phase, the role of business support will decrease as the economy returns towards normal conditions. Once companies and their financiers are able to anticipate the future and business risks again, the importance of guarantees and loans as forms of support will increase substantially and the importance of direct support diminish.In the long term, the aim is to reintroduce business support measures that help develop companies and their production rather than maintain the existing business structures and level of employment. Prolonged support periods can maintain business and industry structures that no longer meet demand after the crisis. This increases the risk of companies that are financially less profitable and can only remain in business with the help of financial support that does not encourage them to develop their activities.COVID-19 affects services and private consumptionThe report also compares the COVID-19 crisis with the two previous recession periods which began with the 1990s economic depression and 2008 financial crisis. The findings are very preliminary, as the coronavirus pandemic is still ongoing.The effects of COVID-19 on industrial production seem moderate compared to the financial crisis in particular. The effects of COVID-19 are largely felt by services. Compared to the previous crises, COVID-19 has heavily targeted private consumption, while the impact on investments has been moderate. In terms of the impact on unemployment, the 1990s recession is in a class of its own.Research Division on Business Subsidies will carry out an impact assessment of business development supportAn independent Research Division on Business Subsidies was established in 2019 under the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. It produces information on the development of the business support scheme and promotes high-quality impact assessment and utilisation of research in policy-making and societal discussion. In 2019–2023, the Research Division is chaired by Seija Ilmakunnas (Professor of Practice, University of Jyväskylä). Its members are Minna Martikainen (Professor, Hanken School of Economics), Mikko Puhakka (Professor, University of Oulu), Hannu Salonen (Professor, University of Turku) and Rune Stenbacka (Professor, Hanken School of Economics).In August 2020, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment launched an independent assessment of the business support made available to companies to address the liquidity problems they were experiencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first stage involves assessing the short-term effects of the COVID-19 support.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

NordenBladet — Procedural errors in public procurement processes have decreased in light of the case-law, according to a report released by the Public Procurement Advisory Unit maintained by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment and the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities. The purpose of the report was to gain information on those procedures of the procurement process which the Market Court has ruled to be in breach of the Act on Public Procurement and Concession Contracts.For the report, the Market Court’s decisions between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2019 were analysed. The findings are comparable to those of a similar report compiled by the Unit in 2011.Based on the contract notices published, in 2017–2019 over 40,000 procurements were implemented in Finland in accordance with the 2017 Act on Public Procurement and Concession Contracts. Altogether 364 of the procurement decisions were referred to the Market Court for review, which is 1–2 per cent of the implemented procurements. The corresponding figure was approximately 5% in 2011.The value of the Finnish public sector’s procurements is approximately EUR 35 billion, or on average 16% of the country’s GDP annually. Public procurement often accounts for about half of the general government budget.An error in less than half a per cent of procurementsThe Market Court ruled that a procedural error had been made in 161 cases during the period under scrutiny, which corresponds to only about 0.4 per cent of the implemented procurements. The errors were typically related to an exclusion of a tenderer or tender from the competitive tendering.– The situations to which the Act on Public Procurement and Concession Contracts is applied have become somewhat more complex. Luckily, however, this does not show up in the statistics on case-law, says Senior Legal Counsel Katariina Huikko from the Public Procurement Advisory Unit.Legislative reform has led to fewer procedural errorsThe Public Procurement Advisory Unit assessed in the report that the 2017 amendments to the Act on Public Procurement and Concession Contracts have significantly contributed to the decrease in the number of cases and errors. The reform of the Act raised the national thresholds, made the procedural rules governing national procurements more flexible, and relaxed the regulations related to procurement decisions. In addition, court fees were raised.– The 2017 Act on Public Procurement and Concession Contracts is an improvement on the previous situation. However, it is important that we continue to monitor the situation while developing the procurement legislation, says Antti Neimala, Director General at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment.The Public Procurement Advisory Unit will make use of the results in its own activities, seeking to provide advice especially on the stages and themes of the procurement process that present most challenges.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

NordenBladet — EU home affairs ministers will hold an informal videoconference on 14 December 2020. Finland is represented by Minister of the Interior Maria Ohisalo. The ministers will continue the discussion on the reform of the EU’s migration and asylum policy. Other items on the agenda include the future of internal security and cooperation between law enforcement authorities. No decisions will be made at the informal meeting.

The German Presidency will present a progress report describing the issues where consensus has already been reached and the issues that need to be clarified. The ministers will cover key elements of the reform of migration and asylum policy, including the Common European Asylum System, return issues, relations with non-EU countries and legal pathways. The Presidency will not seek formal approval for the report from the Member States, but Finland supports a comprehensive summary of the discussions held during the autumn as the basis for further work.

“Progress on the migration and asylum policy reform is important for Finland. The work on the basis of the Commission’s proposals of September is only just beginning. Finland consistently emphasises respect for fundamental and human rights and that due consideration is given to the needs of vulnerable persons, such as victims of human trafficking, children and women,” Minister Ohisalo says.

Internal security conclusions promote cooperation between law enforcement authorities of the Member StatesThe ministers will discuss the conclusions on internal security and the European police partnership at their meeting. The conclusions deal extensively with various aspects of internal security and law enforcement cooperation. Finland endorses the Council conclusions on internal security and the European police partnership.

“When it comes to internal security, it is essential to anticipate and develop the capacity of the authorities to respond to changing security threats and to protect the security of citizens, while respecting fundamental and human rights,” says Ohisalo.

The conclusions call on Member States to further strengthen cross-border law enforcement cooperation by making full use of the existing information exchange instruments.

They also emphasise that the threat of terrorism arising from all types of violent extremism remains high in the EU and call for the swift adoption of the regulation on preventing the dissemination of terrorist content online. At the meeting, the German Presidency will inform ministers on the latest developments concerning the regulation.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

NordenBladet — On Friday 11 December, the President of the Republic decided on three side-accreditations.

The President of the Republic decided to authorise the Head of the Finnish Embassy in Canberra, Ambassador Satu Mattila-Budich, to represent Finland in Vanuatu, the Head of the Finnish Embassy in Maputo, Ambassador Anna-Kaisa Heikkinen, to represent Finland in Madagascar, and the Head of the Finnish Embassy in Nur-Sultan, Ambassador Soili Mäkeläinen-Buhanist, to represent Finland in Kyrgyzstan.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

NordenBladet — The Ministry of Finance has set the base rate to -0.50 per cent as of 1 January 2021 until the end of June 2021. The base rate has been at -0.25 per cent since 1 January 2020ia.

The base rate, calculated twice a year, is determined on the basis of the average for the 12-month market interest rate quoted over the three months prior to the rate being set. The Ministry of Finance sets the base rate to the nearest one quarter of a percentage point (Act on certain reference rates 996/1998)

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

NordenBladet — The number of new coronavirus infections is still at a high level and a number of regions are in the community transmission phase. It is possible that the epidemic will take a sudden turn for the worse across the country. However, there are indications that the sharp increase in new cases we saw in mid-November seems to have levelled off. We will have to wait a few weeks more before we can see the effects of the regional restrictions and recommendations. Between 30 November and 6 December, a total of 3002 new cases were reported to the communicable diseases register, representing an increase of 132 from the previous week. The incidence of new cases was 54 per 100,000 inhabitants, while in the previous week it was 57.

The total number of new cases in the last two-week period (23 November–6 December) was 6136, which was 1895 cases more than in the preceding two-week period. The incidence of new cases was 111 per 100,000 inhabitants, while in the preceding two-week period it was 77.

Currently, the estimated basic reproduction number is 1.05–1.25, with a 90 per cent probability.

One in five new cases were reported among people already in quarantine.

During the period of 30 November–6 December, around 13,000–22,000 samples were analysed daily. The percentage of positive COVID-19 cases of all samples was about 2.3%.

Infections among older adults and need for hospital care on the riseYounger age groups and working-age adults still account for the majority of new cases. During the period of 30 November–6 December, people under 50 years of age accounted for around 75 per cent of all cases and people under 30 years of age for nearly 40 per cent of the cases.Around 15 per cent of all new cases were detected in people over 60 years of age. This is three percentage points higher than in the preceding week. The share of people over 70 years of age, whose age put them at high risk, exceeded eight per cent, which is about three percentage points up on the preceding week.

On 9 December 2020, a total of 233 patients were receiving hospital care due to the COVID-10 disease, and 27 of them were in intensive care. It is estimated that about 20,000 people, which is nearly 70 per cent of all confirmed cases, have recovered from the disease. The total number of confirmed cases in Finland now stands at 29,572. The number of deaths from COVID-19 has risen in recent weeks, reaching 433 deaths on 9 December.

Tracing of infections slightly more successful even in the Greater Helsinki area
In Finland as a whole, the source of infection was traced in about 60 per cent of all new cases during the period of 30 November–6 December The tracing of infections improved in the Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa, and a source was identified in roughly half of all cases.

About half of all cases with a known source of infection were household transmissions. Occupational transmission accounted for about 15 per cent of all known sources of infection, while some two per cent of infections were traced back to food and beverage services and some three per cent to recreational activities.

About four per cent of the cases were traced back to educational institutions and about one per cent to early childhood education and care. The number of exposed students and staff in basic and upper secondary education reported by municipalities totalled 35,349 on 4 December. The number of confirmed infections was 446, accounting for 1.3 per cent of all school exposures. The National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) has been collecting the data since the start of the autumn term.

Restrictions and recommendations cut back mass exposures
The number of mass exposures to COVID-19 remains high in Finland, and nearly all hospital districts reported at least one incident during the period of 30 November–6 December. One in three mass exposures were reported in the Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa. It is important that people follow the regional restrictions and recommendations in place to avoid situations leading to mass exposure.

One in ten mass exposures were reported in healthcare and social welfare settings, one in five in recreational activities and one in three in educational institutions. Early childhood education and care accounted for some 16 per cent of all mass exposure reports. Mass exposures in daycare centres and schools have rarely led to further transmission. Private parties accounted for six per cent and food and beverage services for about three per cent of all reported mass exposures. The monitoring report on the epidemic published today and the previous reports are available on the website of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare:Monitoring coronavirus (Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare), in FinnishCOVID-19 epidemic: regional situations, recommendations and restrictions (Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare)Coronavirus in numbers (Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa)Action plan for implementing recommendations and restrictive measures under the hybrid strategy following the first phase of the COVID-19 epidemic (Publications of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health 2020:26), description sheet available in English.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi