NordenBladet — The Government recommends that workplaces in areas in the community transmission phase switch to remote work when possible. Recommendation on remote work will be in effect until further notice. The Government issued a government resolution on the matter on 2 December.According to the recommendation, public sector employees should shift to remote work as extensively as possible, if the nature of their work permits it. The Government also recommends that private employers adopt similar extensive remote work practices, recognising, however, that workplaces will determine how to combine in-office and remote work in a way that ensures health security. At the same time, work arrangements that reduce close contacts and other risk factors at workplaces should be supported.At the moment, areas in the community transmission phase include the hospital districts of South Karelia, South Ostrobothnia, Helsinki and Uusimaa, Kanta-Häme, Central Ostrobothnia, Central Finland, Kymenlaakso, Länsi-Pohja, Pirkanmaa, North Ostrobothnia, Päijät-Häme, Satakunta, Vaasa and Southwest Finland.Employers are encouraged to follow the instructions provided by regional health authorities, as the situation in regions may change rapidly.Recommendation on remote work required in response to deteriorated COVID-19 situationRemote work is recommended because the COVID-19 situation has deteriorated significantly throughout the country since mid-October. Especially in the last four weeks, the number of infections has increased despite a high vaccination coverage. Infections are spreading particularly among the unvaccinated working-age population.At the same time, the number of patients requiring specialised healthcare has increased sharply. Due to the pressure on specialised healthcare, non-urgent surgeries have been postponed and occasionally patients in intensive care have been transferred from one hospital to another to reduce the burden. University and central hospitals in areas in the community transmission phase need to proactively safeguard their ability to treat citizens in need of critical care.Grounds for the recommendation on remote work will be reassessed on 15 February 2022 or earlier if the situation so requires.The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare has issued a statement on the epidemiological situation and the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health has issued a recommendation on remote work.
NordenBladet — The UN estimates that 274 million people will need humanitarian assistance in 2022. The needs are increasing, for example due to the escalation of conflicts in Afghanistan and Ethiopia. Finland will increase its support for the alleviation of human suffering in crisis areas, which is why Finland will raise its funding for humanitarian assistance to EUR 113 million this year.According to the Global Humanitarian Overview launched today by the UN, 274 million people in 63 countries will need humanitarian assistance in 2022. The situation is particularly difficult from the perspective of food security. The number of undernourished people has risen to 811 million. The COVID-19 pandemic has further increased violence against women; over 70 per cent of women in humanitarian settings have experienced gender-based violence. As global humanitarian funding is not sufficient to cover all needs, assistance must be targeted more and more carefully at the most disadvantaged people. In its humanitarian policy, Finland places special emphasis on the needs of women, girls and persons with disabilities.“For many consecutive years, the UN has announced that the number of people in need of emergency relief is higher than ever before. Unfortunately, this is true also this year. Finland will increase its humanitarian support to save lives and alleviate suffering in humanitarian crisis. We will focus on addressing the needs of women and improving the difficult food security situation,” says Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari.Finland strengthens food security in countries affected by humanitarian crisis by supporting the World Food Programme (WFP). The additional funding of EUR 14 million will be channelled to WFP’s work in Afghanistan and Ethiopia as well as to school feeding programmes in, for example Somalia, the Central African Republic and Madagaskar. “School feeding improves children’s nutrition and encourages families to send also girls to school. It can therefore indirectly protect children from recruitment as child soldiers, forced marriage and exploitation in conflict-affected countries,” says Minister Skinnari, who serves as global champion for school feeding for the WFP.Finland addresses the needs of women in humanitarian crises through the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Finland has granted EUR 4 million to provide opportunities for safe childbirths, to support the operation of mobile clinics, and to provide medical treatment and psychosocial support for survivors of gender-based violence.Additional funding will also be granted to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) for its COVID-19 response in the Horn of Africa (EUR 3 million); to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) (EUR 3 million); to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Syria (EUR 1.2 million); to the Finnish Red Cross for its field hospital in Haiti (EUR 1 million); and to the Finnish Red Cross for such emergency relief materials as tents and kitchens to Ethiopia (EUR 0.5 million). Plans have also been made on additional funding for the United Nation’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), through which Finland will contribute in responding to sudden-onset disasters and protracted underfunded crises.As a result of the funding decisions made towards the end of the year, Finland’s humanitarian assistance in 2021 will rise to EUR 113 million. In Afghanistan and Ethiopia, in particular, humanitarian needs have grown dramatically in tandem with the slowing or suspended implementation of development cooperation programmes. Therefore, funding targeted at these countries has been redirected from long-term development cooperation to humanitarian assistance. This will increase the total amount of humanitarian assistance and, for its part, emphasise Afghanistan and Ethiopia in humanitarian funding for 2021.
NordenBladet — The number of new COVID-19 cases continues to rise in Finland. More than 8,000 new COVID-19 cases were reported between 22 and 28 November, which is more than 500 cases higher than in the previous week. The incidence of new COVID-19 cases over the last two-week period (15–28 November) was 279 per 100,000 inhabitants. Between 1 and 14 November the incidence of new cases was 201 per 100,000 inhabitants. So far no COVID-19 caused by the new Omicron variant of coronavirus have been detected in Finland.As the infection pressure and number of infections have grown in all age cateogories, the incidence of COVID-19 in children under the age of 12 have also increased in the past few weeks. Of all COVID-19 cases confirmed in Finland during the whole epidemic, about 15% have been detected in children under the age of 12. Based on data from contact tracing, under 12 year olds usually contract the coronavirus infection from family members or other people close to them. It is, however, very rare that children under the age of 12 require hospital care, and no changes have been detected in this, although the number of infections has increased.At the end of last week (28 November 2021), the total number of patients in specialised healthcare was 153, of whom 106 were in inpatient care and 47 in intensive care. Last week, 107 new COVID-19 patients were admitted to specialised healthcare, while between 15 and 21 November this number was 147. A total of 31 new COVID-19 patients were admitted to intensive care between 22 and 28 November. In the latter half of November the weekly number of COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care varied between 31 and 35. Treatment periods are long and the number of CODID-19 cases in intensive care has now been much higher than before, about 50. In September and October, unvaccinated people with COVID-19 were 18 times more likely to be admitted to specialised healthcare and 30 times more likely to be admitted to intensive care than vaccinated people.By 1 December 2021, the total number of COVID-19-related deaths reported to the communicable diseases register was 1,348. In the past two weeks (17 November-1 December) a total of 112 new deaths were reported. More than 80% of these (92) were reported among people over 70 years of age.By 1 December, 86.7 per cent of people in Finland who are 12 years of age or over had received at least one vaccine dose, 81.8 per cent two vaccine doses and 5.6% three vaccine doses.More than 128,300 COVID-19 tests were taken between 22 and 28 November. The numbers of tests have been rising for several weeks. In early November about 87,800 tests were taken per week. The proportion of positive cases of all samples taken last week was 6.3 per cent. Between 15 and 21 November this proportion was 6.4% and in the two weeks before that it was less than 6%. The following 15 areas meet the epidemiological characteristics for areas in the community transmission phase: The Åland Islands and the Hospital Districts of South Karelia, South Ostrobothnia, Helsinki and Uusimaa, Kanta-Häme, Central Ostrobothnia, Central Finland, Kymenlaakso, Länsi-Pohja, Pirkanmaa, North Ostrobothnia, Päijät-Häme, Satakunta, Vaasa and Southwest Finland.The epidemiological situation is monitored on a weekly basis. The situational picture is updated weekly on the website of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare under ‘Situation update on coronavirus’. An extensive monitoring report is published on the Institute’s webpage ‘Monitoring reports on the hybrid strategy’ every other week on Thursday afternoons.
NordenBladet — Commissioned by the Ministry of Education and Culture, the project examines how equality, non-discrimination and diversity among staff members can be promoted in Finnish higher education institutions. Based on the study, concrete proposals for measures will be developed for higher education institutions and for national policy approaches.There is still a long way to go before working life both in universities and universities of applied sciences is equal, non-discriminating and diverse. Typical career paths differ according to gender, nationality and ethnic background, for example. In the context of developing higher education institutions qualitatively, more attention will also be paid to equality and diversity in international dialogues and development activities involving higher education institutions.“This project will produce research-based knowledge that we can exploit to take the next steps in promoting equality and non-discrimination in higher education institutions at the national level,” says Senior Ministerial Adviser Matti Kajaste.The project will examine equality and non-discrimination in the recruitment, professional career paths and workplace atmosphere among teaching and research staff by means of interviews, surveys and workshops. The project will also explore the measures taken in reference countries to promote equality and non-discrimination in higher education institutions. Based on the results of the study, the project will make concrete proposals on policy measures and on the procedures and practices in higher education institutions to strengthen equality in Finnish higher education institutions.The project will be carried out in close cooperation with stakeholders, i.e. the staff members, management and funding bodies of Finnish higher education institutions. The study will be conducted by Demos Helsinki, Oxford Research, Includia Leadership, Researcher Inkeri Tanhua, Professor Liisa Husu and Kaskas Media.“In the project, we will work in close cooperation with the higher education community and funding bodies to obtain first-hand information about problems and to develop practices that stakeholders can actually introduce to promote equality in higher education institutions,” says Julia Jousilahti, leader of the project consortium from Demos Helsinki.The results of the project will be collected into the final report scheduled to be published in summer 2022. Information on the progress of the project and its key results will be published on the Ministry’s website. Use hashtag #kotamohanke to participate in the discussion on Twitter.
NordenBladet — The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has published a website on where, how and when Finland’s development cooperation funds are used. Launching this public site increases the openness and transparency of development cooperation.OpenAid.fi puts together comprehensive information on the use of Finland’s development cooperation appropriations. Detailed information on disbursements is available from 2015 onwards, presented in a visual and easily accessible format. The website is in Finnish, Swedish and English.The data can be analysed based on the priorities of development policy, the countries where projects are conducted, and the sectors of operation of the projects, for example. Therefore, the service provides information on aspects such as how many development cooperation projects are carried out in a specific country or on the share of Finland’s development cooperation funding used to support education. The statistics in the service are based on set statistical practices used by the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC). Openaid.fi also makes use of the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI). The Ministry for Foreign Affairs is committed to open governance and open data. Openness and transparency improve the effectiveness of development cooperation, reduce the risks of corruption and the misuse of funds, and strengthen accountability and ownership in developing countries.“We believe that OpenAid.fi will raise Finland’s position in international aid transparency comparisons,” says Ramses Malaty, Director of the Unit for Administrative and Legal Development Cooperation Matters.OpenAid.fi/en
NordenBladet — Commissioned by the Ministry of Finance, the European Institute for Crime Prevention and Control, affiliated with the United Nations (HEUNI), has produced a guide for risk management in national supply chains for public procurement agencies in Finland titled Labour Exploitation and Public Procurement. Public procurement agencies include the central government and municipalities, which are required to comply with the Act on Public Procurement and Concession Contracts. The guide has been prepared in connection with the Action plan for effective public procurement and the implementation of the Procurement Finland Strategy.“By protecting workers’ rights we improve employee wellbeing and the position of responsible companies and organisations. It is essential to ensure that workers’ rights are not violated in public procurement. This requires expertise from the procurement agencies. The purpose of the new guide is to provide support in these issues,” says Minister of Local Government Sirpa Paatero.The guide provides information on of exploitation of migrant workers and human trafficking in Finland, and advice on how to react when cases of labour exploitation are suspected or encountered. The guide also proposes measures for the prevention of exploitation at different stages of the procurement procedure. Similar guidelines for preventing labour exploitation have not been published before in Europe, which gives Finnish contracting entities a unique opportunity to be forerunners in human rights responsibility matters.Labour exploitation of migrant workers occurs also in Finland Prevention of labour exploitation and human trafficking is especially important in the procurement process in high-risk sectors such as cleaning, construction and restaurants. Measures will help contracting entities to prevent all forms of exploitation, including labour violations and more severe offences, and promote fundamental principles and rights at work. This will also improve fair competition between companies, equality, and equal treatment, and it will increase compliance with labour law and statutory obligations related to terms of working conditions. “It is important that concrete tools are provided to those involved in the practicalities of procurement. Closer cooperation between different authorities is also required so that contracting entities are not left alone in the process,” says Tiina Ekholm, Procurement Director at the City of Vantaa. Types of labour exploitation identified in Finland include underpayment, forcing employees to work in substandard conditions, and situations related to discrimination and extortion and human trafficking. Exploitation can be difficult to identify, and even victims might be unaware that they are being exploited due to misleading or they might be reluctant to bring problems to light due to fear of consequences. Human rights violations have typically occurred in long subcontracting chains that are difficult to oversee. “It is important to understand and recognise that problems are not limited to global supply chains. Contracting entities can prevent labour exploitation by clarifying roles and responsibilities, by specifying obligations through contracts , and by improving supervision. I hope that this guide will encourage contracting entities to examine their own subcontracting chains more closely and help them look what may lie beneath the surface,” says Anni Lietonen, researcher at HEUNI.More information about socially responsible procurement available in webinars next yearThe guide is available online in Finnish, Swedish and English, and it can be downloaded free of charge on the websites of HEUNI and Procurement Finland. For a printed version, please contact HEUNI. The Ministry of Finance, HEUNI and Hansel will organise webinars on socially responsible procurement in 2022. These webinars are based on the Labour Exploitation and Public Procurement guide and on the common minimum targets for social responsibility to be published by Hansel by the end of the year. The webinars will be held on 18 January and 10 February.
NordenBladet — The 10th anniversary of the Freedom Online Coalition (FOC) will be celebrated at the end of Finland’s Chairship. On 3 December, Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto will host a virtual Conference of foreign ministers representing 34 FOC member governments. The Freedom Online Coalition 10th Anniversary Helsinki Declaration for open and accessible internet and human rights-based digitalisation will be launched at the Conference.The Freedom Online Coalition promotes the realisation of human rights on the internet. Over the past ten years, the need for this work has increased as the number of internet users has grown enormously. However, there is a wide gap in digital access, and hate speech, censorship and surveillance that restricts citizens’ privacy are increasing. Confrontation between democratic and authoritarian regimes and practices also affects the realisation of human rights on the internet. During Finland’s Chairship in 2021, the organisation has emphasised the importance of an open, accessible and inclusive internet as a means of promoting sustainable development and strengthening democracy around the world, especially in Africa.“The realisation of human rights in information networks is an important part of the freedom of expression, the right of participation and privacy protection. The internet should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their background and gender. In the 2020s, the role of defenders of these values, such as the Freedom Online Coalition, is more significant than ever before,” Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto says. The Ministerial Meeting, organised by Finland, will be attended by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Nordic ministers of foreign affairs, and foreign ministers from Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe. The opening address will be delivered by former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who founded the FOC together with Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Uri Rosenthal. Finland has been responsible for the preparation of the Freedom Online Coalition 10th Anniversary Helsinki Declaration, which is the FOC countries’ joint statement on the promotion of human rights-based digitalisation and an open and accessible internet, to be published at the Conference. At the meeting, Finland will hand over the FOC Chairship to Canada. Canada’s Chairship will begin on 1 January 2022.Strengthening the human rights-based approach in the development of new technologies and in the promotion of digitalisation is strongly part of Finland’s foreign and security policy. It is also one of the priorities during Finland’s membership of the UN Human Rights Council, which will start in January 2022.Follow the Ministerial Meeting on the website of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs or website of the FOC.
NordenBladet — Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto will attend the Ministerial Council of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, which will be held in Stockholm on 1–2 December. Sweden holds the Chairmanship of the OSCE in 2021. The meeting will discuss, among others, conflicts in the OSCE region as well as the situation in Afghanistan and its wider security impacts.The OSCE is a key forum for European security. Its activities are divided into three dimensions, which are based on the three baskets of the Helsinki Final Act of 1975: political-military dimension, economic and environmental dimensions, and human dimension. Efforts to resolve conflicts in the OSCE region are an important part of the organisation’s activities.
NordenBladet — The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has granted EUR 17.82 million to international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) for 2022–2024. Support was granted to 11 international human rights organisations operating in developing countries, whose work focuses on four themes: ending impunity; supporting human rights defenders; strengthening the implementation of economic, social and cultural rights and addressing discriminatory practices; and business and human rights.Funding international NGOs promotes the objectives of Finland’s human rights-based foreign and security policy and development policy. “Civil society plays a key role in promoting human rights worldwide. By supporting human rights organisations, we can reach representatives of vulnerable groups and bring their voices to the attention of the UN Human Rights Council, of which Finland will be a Member for the term 2022–2024. Achieving results requires both joint advocacy and funding,” says Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari. It is important for Finland to promote the rights of persons in a vulnerable position. The partnerships lay stress on the rights of women and girls, human rights defenders, persons with disabilities, sexual and gender minorities and indigenous peoples. The increasing importance of business activities in the realisation of human rights is also reflected in the work of the supported organisations.
“Finland promotes responsible business conduct both nationally and internationally. It is important that companies respect human rights both in their own activities and in their business relationships. Organisations supported by Finland play a key role as partners for business, in supporting human rights defenders and in highlighting companies’ human rights impacts,” Skinnari says.Discretionary government grants have been awarded to the following organisations:International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ), EUR 1,000,000. ICTJ is an organisation focusing transitional justice, which intervenes in the legacy of human rights violations in states recovering from different conflicts and periods of repression. ICTJ’s work lays a foundation for peaceful, just and inclusive societies.
International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), EUR 1,991,600. The ICJ promotes the development of human rights norms at global level and the implementation of human rights obligations in its focus countries. Finland supports a project that promotes the rule of law in Colombia, Myanmar, Nepal, Tajikistan, Tunisia and Zimbabwe.International Service for Human Rights (ISHR), EUR 1,720,371. ISHR is an international human rights organisation, which exercises influence in international human rights forums to improve the status of human rights defenders. ISHR also supports human rights defenders in developing countries to strengthen their skills and knowledge of human rights norms.Front Line Defenders, EUR 1,500,000. Front Line Defenders strengthens the position and protection of human rights defenders. Finland supports a project that addresses the increase in killings of human rights defenders, harassment against women human rights defenders, digital attacks as well as threats facing human rights defenders working on issues involving businesses.Organisation Mondiale Contre la Torture (OMCT), EUR 1,300,000. The OMCT works with more than 200 member organisations to end torture and inhuman treatment and to support human rights defenders.Access Now, EUR 1,755,415. Access Now defends the digital rights of users at risk. Finland supports a project that protects human rights defenders through the development of digital security, material support, advocacy and legal work.International Disability Alliance (IDA), EUR 2,145,000. IDA represents more than a thousand organisations promoting the rights of persons with disabilities. Finland supports a project that aims to promote the economic, social and cultural rights of persons with disabilities in Mozambique, Angola and Zambia.Minority Rights Group (MRG), EUR 2,124,770. MRG works to safeguard the rights of vulnerable groups around the world. Finland supports a project tackling discrimination that prevents full realisation of the economic, social and cultural rights of ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities.ILGA World: International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA), EUR 1,800,000. ILGA World is a worldwide federation advocating the rights of sexual and gender minorities with a network of members in over 100 countries. Finland supports a project that focuses on preventing persons belonging to sexual and gender minorities from being excluded from education, employment, housing and health services.Business and Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC), EUR 949,914. BHRRC is an organisation dedicated to advancing human rights in business. Finland supports a project that promotes human rights activities in renewable energy companies and mining companies supplying materials for renewable energy technology. The project is carried out in Kenya, South Africa and Mozambique. International Alert, EUR 1,582,326. International Alert is an organisation focusing on peacebuilding. Finland supports a project that focuses on improving the operating environment for business and human rights to help resolve conflicts in Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda. UM.fi: Support for international non-governmental organisations
NordenBladet — Sima Sami Bahous, appointed as Executive Director of the United Nations gender equality organisation UN Women in September, will visit Finland on 8–9 December.On 8 December, she will meet Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari to discuss the close relations between Finland and UN Women, and the many forms of cooperation to improve the global situation of women and girls. On the same day, Under-Secretary of State Elina Kalkku will lead the yearly discussions with the organisation about the global environment and state of play in the work on equality and the organisation’s priorities and future activities.“With the support of especially Finland and other Nordic countries, the role of UN Women keeps growing and has become more settled, while at the same time gender equality work is being challenged in the world, perhaps more than ever before. It is important to discuss how UN Women intends to respond to these challenges in the coming years,” Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Skinnari says.In Finland, Executive Director General Bahous will also meet Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto and visit Parliament to meet members of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
