FINLAND

Advance information on application for project support open to Finnish civil society organisations for 2023–2026

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet — In January 2022, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs will open a call for proposals for project support available for Finnish civil society organisations (CSOs). The application period will be open from 24 January to 4 March 2022. During that time, applications can be submitted for discretionary government grants for development cooperation projects in 2023–2026. The actual call for applications together with the assessment criteria will be published when the call for applications opens on 24 January 2022. The support is granted from the development cooperation appropriations for Finnish CSOs’ development cooperation.Project support for Finnish CSOs is part of the implementation of Finland’s development policy. Organisations engaged in development cooperation projects enhance the diversity and impact of Finland’s development cooperation in developing countries around the world through their own fields of expertise and practices. Project support is used to support diversity and plurality in civil societies. With project support, Finnish organisations and their partners strengthen the capacity of civil society actors in developing countries and support the civic space and an enabling environment for civil societies.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

Nordic and Baltic countries take action to promote digital inclusion

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet — Stronger digital inclusion and the European Digital Identity will be on the agenda when the Nordic and Baltic ministers responsible for digitalisation in public administration meet on Friday 26 November.The meeting of the Nordic Council of Ministers for Digitalisation, organised as part of Finland’s Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers, will be opened and chaired by Minister of Local Government Sirpa Paatero, who is responsible for digitalisation in public administration in Finland.“The Nordic and Baltic countries are important international cooperation partners for Finland when it comes to digitalisation. It is important that we work together to develop cross-border digital services and thereby facilitate mobility in the region,” says Minister of Local Government Sirpa Paatero.The most important item on the meeting agenda is the promotion of digital inclusion, on which the ministers intend to issue a joint declaration. “Our societies are built on democracy, equality, human capital and social responsibility. We must ensure continued compliance with these principles in the digital transformation in our region. Digital inclusion is a key requirement for our successful digital transformation and competitiveness,” Paatero says.Member of the European Parliament Miapetra Kumpula-Natri will give an introductory speech on the topic.Promotion of the digital green transition has been one of the main themes of the year, and the ministers are expected to reach decisions on this matter at their meeting. The ministers are expected to decide on new digital transformation measures aimed at building green data spaces.“We need a comprehensive policy that combines digitalisation and environmental issues. We must be able to make more efficient use of digital solutions to support the green transition,” Paatero says. Progress in the preparation of digital identity The ministers will also discuss the European Digital Identity. Roberto Viola, Director General of DG CONNECT, who is responsible for digital affairs at the European Commission, will provide an introduction on the topic. The European Digital Identity is a tool for EU citizens, residents, and businesses who want to identify themselves or provide confirmation of certain personal information.The development of digital identity in Finland centres on a project led by the Ministry of Finance that seeks to create equitable conditions and opportunities for everyone accessing public services to present officially confirmed identity details in digital form. The project will enable electronic identification of people from Finland in the services of other EU Member States while accommodating ongoing joint European development work.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

Nordic labour ministers and ILO head to discuss platform economy and wellbeing at work in Helsinki

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet — The transformation of work and new ways to work offer both challenges and opportunities for the Nordic labour market and workers’ wellbeing. The Nordic employment ministers will discuss these topics at a meeting organised by Finland as part of its Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers on 22–23 November 2021.In addition to the ministers, the meeting will be attended by Guy Ryder, Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Paula Lehtomäki, Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers, and representatives of the social partners. Finland’s representatives will be Minister of Employment Tuula Haatainen and Minister of Social Affairs and Health Hanna Sarkkinen.Pandemic causes a rise in unemployment and inequalityThe ILO has monitored the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on working life and the measures taken by its Member States to recover from the crisis. During the crisis, compliance with the ILO Conventions has fallen. As unemployment, poverty and inequality have increased in many countries, the ILO has focused its efforts on mitigating the negative consequences of the pandemic.“We are concerned about the increasing inequality and the obstacles to freedom of association in some countries, for example. The ILO does important work to achieve international labour standards,” says Haatainen.Adequate protection for workers in platform economyMany platform economy companies operate internationally. It is therefore important to Finland that the discussion on platform economy takes place between the Nordic countries, in the EU and internationally. A topical question is whether platform workers are treated as entrepreneurs or employees. In Finland, a tripartite working group will consider the matter from the perspective of labour legislation.“A platform economy based on fair regulation offers opportunities for new forms of business. However, these good opportunities will be wasted if we do not ensure adequate regulation and safety nets for workers at the same time,” Haatainen adds.Mental wellbeing needs support in transformation of workDemographic change will cause a decline in the working-age population. At the same time, mental health problems will cause premature retirement. Mental health promotion requires measures at workplaces and in working life.  It is important to ensure that the workforce is fit to work and can cope at work until retirement.
  
During the transformation of work, it may be increasingly challenging to identify and manage psychosocial risks. In future, the importance of good mental health must be considered an investment. With regard to mental health, it is important to focus not only on mental health services, but also on preventing and reducing the underlying causes of excessive strain and stress.“In the economy of wellbeing, mental health should be seen as capital worth investing in. I also hope for Nordic cooperation to implement the European Mental Health Strategy,” says Minister of Social Affairs and Health Sarkkinen.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

Minister Skinnari to visit Oslo

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet — Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari will visit Oslo on 22–23 November. Minister Skinnari will meet ministers of Norway’s new Government and visit a waste treatment plant that makes use of carbon capture technologies. The Minister will also attend a seminar organised by the Finnish and Norwegian Shipowners Associations and the Embassy of Finland in Oslo.A new Government has started its work in Norway, following the parliamentary election held in mid-September. During his visit to Oslo, Minister Skinnari will meet Norway’s Minister of International Development and Nordic Cooperation Anne Beathe Tvinnereim, Minister of Trade and Industry Jan Christian Vestre, Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Policy Bjørnar Skjæran, and Mayor of Oslo Raymond Johansen.The topics of discussion in these meetings will include the results of the Glasgow Climate Change Conference and the European green transition as well as the opportunities it offers for promoting innovation activities and business cooperation between Norway and Finland.“The Norwegian–Finnish battery production in Vaasa is a good example of cooperation between our two countries. There is plenty of growth potential in the cooperation in the business and innovation sectors,” Minister Skinnari says.The Minister will also travel to Klemetsrud, where he will visit a waste-to-energy plant owned by Fortum and the City of Oslo, which utilises carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. In addition, Minister Skinnari will attend the “Future of Shipping” seminar, organised by the Finnish Shipping Association and the Finnish Embassy in Oslo, where he will meet representatives of the Finnish and Norwegian companies attending the seminar.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

Award ceremonies for mothers as educators held exceptionally this autumn

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet — This year, mothers were awarded decorations for their merits as educators at regional ceremonies held on Universal Children’s Day on 20 November 2021.Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the national Mother’s Day celebration was not organised this or last year. Traditionally, the decorations are presented at the national Mother’s Day ceremony.The district organisations of the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare, together with the Regional State Administrative Agencies, organised nine regional ceremonies where the decorations were presented. The ceremonies were held in Rovaniemi, Oulu, Ylihärmä, Kankaanpää, Tampere, Turku, Jyväskylä, Kouvola and Helsinki. The mothers awarded in 2020 and 2021 received their decorations at these ceremonies. Minister of Social Affairs and Health Hanna Sarkkinen congratulated the mothers by video.  In 2020, a total of 36 mothers were awarded and, this year, altogether 29. Mothers were awarded for the first time in 1946 so this year marks the 75th time that decorations are presented in Finland. In celebration of the anniversary year, the Orders of the White Rose of Finland and the Lion of Finland have published on their joint website the names of all mothers awarded since 1946.Awarded mothers have distinguished themselves as exemplary educators of children and young peopleA Medal First Class with Gold Cross of the Order of the White Rose of Finland can be awarded to mothers of different ages from various spheres of life and fields of work. The awarded have distinguished themselves as exemplary educators of children and young people. The aim is that the awarded mothers come from a wide variety of backgrounds, such as working and single mothers and mothers from rural communities, and represent different minorities, such as Roma and Saami people and immigrants.The number of children is not a determining factor for the award. The minimum age for nominees is 40. In addition to biological mothers, adoptive and foster mothers may be nominated for the award. Consideration is also given to nominees’ more extensive societal responsibilities and activities as educators, such as participation in the activities of child welfare and family organisations, youth and sports organisations, local education committees or parents’ associations.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

Finland and China agree on additional flights to Shanghai

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet — In their regular negotiations on 16-17 November 2021, Finland and China agreed that flights from Finland to Shanghai could be increased. The number of weekly routes will be raised from seven to 14.The countries agreed to abandon all route and waypoint restrictions. This means that airlines operating in Finland will have more freedom to choose their destinations in China.Air traffic to China can grow when travel restrictions are eased. In practice, the new routes can be deployed once the restrictions are lifted.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

Jukka Vornanen to serve as Special Adviser to Minister of the Interior Mikkonen

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet — Jukka Vornanen will take up his duties as Special Adviser to Minister of the Interior Krista Mikkonen on Friday 19 November. Vornanen will be responsible for matters related to internal security, i.e. the police, border security, emergency response centre operations and rescue services.Vornanen holds a Master of Arts degree. He has worked as Special Adviser to Minister Mikkonen at the Ministry of the Environment since September 2021. In 2013–2021, Vornanen was a member of the Turku City Council and a member of the City Board. From 2017 to 2021, Vornanen served as Vice Chair of the Turku City Board and Chair of the section responsible for ownership steering of the City.In addition to Jukka Vornanen, Tiina Kivinen, who is responsible for matters related to EU affairs, migration, asylum policy and intelligence, and Heikki Sairanen, who is responsible for economic policy matters, will continue as Special Advisers to the Minister of the Interior. Special Advisers Jarno Lappalainen and Milja Henttonen will transfer to the advisory staff of Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Emma Kari.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

Special Advisers to Minister Kari: Antti Heikkinen, Milja Henttonen, Jarno Lappalainen, Erkki Perälä and Riikka Yliluoma

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet — Milja Henttonen, Jarno Lappalainen and Erkki Perälä have been appointed as Special Advisers to the new Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Emma Kari. Antti Heikkinen and Riikka Yliluoma will continue as Special Advisers to the Minister.Jarno Lappalainen, Bachelor of Science in Technology, will move to the post of Special Adviser to Minister Emma Kari from the Ministry of the Interior, where he served as Special Adviser to Minister Maria Ohisalo. Lappalainen is also the secretary of the ministerial group of the Greens.Before the appointment to the Ministry of the Environment, Milja Henttonen, Master of Science in Economics and Business Administration, also served as Special Adviser to Minister of the Interior Ohisalo. Henttonen will be in charge of the communications and media relations of the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change and of coordinating the communications of the ministerial group of the Greens.Erkki Perälä, Master of Social Sciences, comes from Demos Helsinki think tank, where he worked as Senior Consultant and leader of the Urban Transformations team. He has also served as member of the Helsinki City Council, Special Adviser to the Minister of the Environment and Business Director. As Special Adviser to Emma Kari, Perälä will focus especially on matters related to construction, housing and land use.Antti Heikkinen and Riikka Yliluoma, who served as Special Advisers to Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Krista Mikkonen, will continue as Special Advisers to Minister Emma Kari. Antti Heikkinen will be responsible especially for nature conservation and the management of waters and the marine environment, and Riikka Yliluoma for matters related to climate policy, environmental protection and waste management.Terhi Lehtonen will continue as the State Secretary to the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change. Special Adviser Jukka Vornanen, who was responsible for matters related to construction and housing at the Ministry of the Environment, will move to the advisory staff of Minister of the Interior Krista Mikkonen.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

New ministerial appointments in Prime Minister Marin’s Government

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet — On Friday 19 November, the President of the Republic transferred and appointed Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Krista Mikkonen as Minister of the Interior and appointed Member of Parliament Emma Kari as the new Minister of the Environment and Climate Change. The President of the Republic also released Maria Ohisalo from her duties as Minister of the Interior and her membership in the Government.Following the presidential session, the Government plenary session made decisions on changes to the ministerial portfolios, deputising arrangements and the composition of ministerial committees and working groups. Minister Kari also gave her declaration of office and judicial affirmation at the beginning of the session.Master of Social Sciences Akseli Koskela will continue as State Secretary at the Ministry of the Interior, while Master of Social Sciences Terhi Lehtonen will continue as State Secretary at the Ministry of the Environment.Minister Mikkonen’s personal details 
Minister Kari’s personal details 
Division of responsibilities between ministers and ministerial deputies
Ministerial committees
Ministerial working groups

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

IMF presented its review of the Finnish economy

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet — The International Monetary Fund published its statement on the Finnish economy on Friday 19 November.The statement covered areas such aseconomic outlookCOVID-19 related measures and general government financesclimate actionfiscal policyfinancial marketMinister Saarikko underlines the need to stabilise the debt-to-GDP ratioMinister of Finance Annika Saarikko considers the meeting with the IMF economists very useful, and says it confirmed the Ministry of Finance’s views of the challenges facing the national economy and general government finances. She recognises the importance of the monitoring conducted by the IMF, and admits the organisation’s concerns over Finland’s development are justified. “The Government is well aware of the threat of strong economic growth being short-lived. Finland must achieve strong, sustainable long-term growth while prioritising expenditure and adhering to spending limits. In this respect, the points made by the IMF are very understandable, and we must act on them in order to stabilise the debt-to-GDP ratio to a targeted level,” Minister Saarikko says.The IMF issues corresponding statements about all its member countries as part of its country monitoring. The IMF’s visits to member countries are called Article IV Consultations, as they are required by Article IV of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement. The statement is based on IMF experts’ own assessments and on discussions they have had with Finnish authorities, labour market organisations, financial institutions, research institutes and others.The IMF’s Executive Board will discuss the country report on Finland, along with separate reports on the Finnish labour market and financial markets early next year.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

1...454647...183Page 46 of 183