NordenBladet — Minister of Science and Culture Antti Kurvinen has signed a decision by which Finland endorses the Davos Declaration. The Davos Declaration promotes and advocates interest in high-quality design and construction of built environments, which embrace cultural expressions of buildings and environmental planning while also fulfilling functional, technical and economic requirements. The Davos Declaration was originally published in 2018 in connection with the World Economic Forum.The Declaration encompasses both contemporary construction and cultural heritage within the existing environment and landscape. It emphasises the importance of a high-quality built environment that ensures environmental sustainability, and contributes to the health and wellbeing of all.“I consider it important that the State of Finland is active in the field of architecture. It is up to all of us to make sure our built environment is sustainable, healthy and pleasant to live in,” said Minister of Science and Culture Antti Kurvinen.“At its best, a high-quality living environment also promotes a sense of community. To me, this is crucial in our post-COVID-19 reconstruction activities. People need places and spaces where they can meet up,” Kurvinen said.The principles in the Davos Declaration tie in with several objectives of the Programme of Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s Government, such as advocating higher-quality construction, supporting sustainable urban development, amending the Land Use and Building Act, implementing the Architectural Policy Programme and formulating a cultural heritage strategy.The declaration was adopted at the informal meeting of the Ministers of Culture in connection with the World Economic Forum in 2018, in which Finland was not present. The declaration is a political one, which means it is not a legally binding Treaty.
NordenBladet — In future, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs will update its travel advice for each country individually. In our advice, we will continue to take into account the recommendations with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic, issued by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, and the general security situation in the country in question.As a rule, the Foreign Ministry advises that travellers should exercise special caution when travelling not only in the EU and the Schengen area but also in countries outside the region.The Ministry’s travel advice in respect of certain countries is to avoid non-essential travel, to avoid all travel or, due to the general security situation, to leave the country immediately.The COVID-19 pandemic remains a major global risk to travel safety, and the situation may deteriorate abruptly and unpredictably in any country or region. Travellers may find that access to healthcare is limited or face quarantine orders or restrictions on being outdoors.Country-specific travel advice
NordenBladet — With residential construction reaching record levels, there is a risk of overheating in the housing market, according to the RAKSU construction trends group’s estimate.With the economy growing faster than expected in the first half of this year, the construction sector has also perked up substantially during the spring. Low interest rates and consumer confidence in the economy further strengthen the positive economic trend in construction. In addition, the level of activity among professional property investors continues to be high. New construction is growing at an unprecedented rate, and this trend is expected to continue next year. According to the RAKSU construction trends group’s estimate, there is a risk of overheating in the housing markets. In its report published on 15 September, the group recommends that the historically high state subsidies for housing production should now be adjusted to better match the current economic situation. The sharp rise in demand has driven construction costs and prices up, and created a shortage of several products. It has become increasingly difficult to receive bids from contractors. Construction labour costs have increased, and the shortage of skilled labour has become the sector’s biggest problem. Construction activity to peak around the turn of the yearThe total construction output in 2021 will remain at the 2020 level, or show a maximum increase of two to three per cent. Construction activity will peak in the second half of 2021 and the first half of 2022.While housing construction will slow down from the current levels in 2022, commercial construction is expected to accelerate, with the most significant growth expected in 2022. According to the RAKSU construction trends group’s forecast, construction output will grow by 2–4 per cent in 2022. The number of people employed in the construction sector is estimated to increase slightly in the second half of this year, with more significant growth expected next year.A growth spurt in renovation, a gradual slowdown in infrastructure constructionAlthough there was an increase in building renovation last year despite the coronavirus pandemic, it was clearly smaller than in previous years. According to the RAKSU construction trends group’s forecast, renovation will pick up pace in the next few years. Exceptional growth in civil engineering investment was seen in 2020, driven by public investment. Further growth will be seen in civil engineering activity this year while in 2022 activity is expected to contract slightly.
NordenBladet — VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has studied how new apartments have changed in 15 years. Now the buildings are safer, healthier and more energy-efficient. Growing focus on small apartments has responded to the demand, but due to the smaller floor area homes have become more difficult to adapt to different needs.A study conducted by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland examines the changes in housing production between 2005 and 2020. Besides efficient land use, technical improvements and smaller average size of apartments, the characteristic changes in housing production include space savings and lower energy consumption. The production has successfully responded to the growing demand through effective zoning and housing policy, but this development has also led to a less diverse building stock.With the growing numbers of small apartments, more research is needed e.g. on how long-term residents feel about living among frequently changing neighbours. The predominance of small apartments in a certain area should also be taken into account when studying the segregation of residential areas.Healthier, safer and more energy-efficient apartmentsGuidance by the authorities and product development have improved the health and safety aspects and energy efficiency of apartments. The change can be seen e.g. in better indoor air quality and sound insulation and in moisture control during the construction processes. Property-specific waste management has also advanced as the sorting of biowaste and glass and metal waste has become increasingly common, but small minimalist kitchens may not be easy to adapt to the needs of materials recycling.More efficient heating and heat recovery have reduced the energy consumption of apartments. Despite the higher price of electricity, the residents pay less for energy because of the lower heating costs.The building of single-room apartments has multipliedIn the past 15 years 301,500 apartments in blocks of flats and 54,000 in row houses have been built in Finland. The building of blocks of flats grew very strongly towards the end of the 2010s. Both the number of apartments per building and the number of floors have increased. The distribution of the types of apartments changed quite dramatically in 15 years: the number of single-room apartments in block of flats built at the end of the period was six times their number in the beginning of the period. The production of small apartments has been investor-driven: besides rental apartments, more than half of the single room apartments in housing companies have been sold to investors.In recent years large numbers of single-room apartments with a “student flat concept” have been built in blocks of flats with a deep frame. These are characterised by similar floor plans, scarce opportunities to vary the furnishing solutions, and windows that open in just one direction. The darkness of the inner part of the frame is partly compensated for by the larger window area.Former two-room (plus kitchen) apartment is today’s three-room apartmentChanges have also taken place in how the space has been designed. Now the floor area of a former two-room (plus kitchen) apartment has been divided into an apartment with three habitable rooms, one of them with an open kitchen. The habitability and functionality of the apartments and how well they are equipped are about the same, but especially in small apartments small bedrooms mean less life cycle flexibility. In this context this refers to how easily the bedrooms can be adapted to the residents’ needs in different stages of their life cycle. A flexible bedroom accommodates not just one bed but also a crib for a baby or a desk, and there is enough room to move about with assistive devices.Combining the kitchen and living room has become increasingly common in both blocks of flats and row houses. Now hardly any separate kitchens are being built, except in large rental apartments in blocks of flats, which has made kitchens somewhat darker and more difficult to ventilate. In addition to separate kitchens, there are also no saunas in small apartments, and since 2010 much fewer shared saunas have been built in residential buildings. Some of the storage spaces have moved from basements and attics to the landings. VTT’s study provides information for discussion and decisions“The study gives us comprehensive information on the trends and identifies issues where further study is needed. The housing barometer to be launched next year will tell us about the residents’ experiences and will provide us with an even more holistic view of the development needs related to the quality of housing,” Minister of the Environment Krista Mikkonen says.The study by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland produces information on the trends in the quality of housing production in support of discussion and developing guidance in the sector. The aim was to find and analyse the causes for the changes and examine the impacts of the changes on the functionality, safety, healthiness, environmental properties and attractiveness of residential buildings and apartments. The study also covered the interdependencies between the quality, costs and prices of apartments. The previous study on the trends in the quality of housing production covered the years 1990 to 2005 and it was published in 2008.
NordenBladet — In future, COVID-19 testing will primarily focus on unvaccinated people who have been exposed to the virus and are experiencing symptoms and on vaccinated people who still continue to be at risk of serious illness from COVID-19. This is stated in the national strategy for COVID-19 testing and tracing updated by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.Maintaining the current testing and tracing capacity places a considerable burden on healthcare and may regionally lead to a reduced availability of other services. High vaccination coverage reduces especially the number of serious COVID-19 cases. Because of this, it is now possible to reduce the testing and tracing capacity in a controlled manner in order to safeguard other functions.It is, however, necessary to maintain the preparedness to increase the capacity again if necessary. In addition, it is essential for Finland to continue to be able to detect COVID-19 clusters quickly, trace chains of infection, curb the spread of infections and identify possible new virus variants that give cause for concern.People should be able to access a test within 24 hoursTo ensure equal treatment, all people who are experiencing symptoms indicative of COVID-19 or who are suspected to have COVID-19 must, regardless of their age, have access to the necessary tests on medical grounds.The aim continues to be for people to access a test within 24 hours and receive their results within 24 hours of the test. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure the availability of other medical examinations. Increased vaccination coverage reduces the disease burden and also lessens the risk of more serious cases of the disease, despite new infections. The aim of contact tracing is to identify unvaccinated people exposed to the virus as early as possible and to focus on situations where the risk of the virus spreading is greatest. If there is a considerable backlog in contact tracing, it is vital to first trace cases of exposure where there is a high risk of infection. Testing and contact tracing are one of the statutory duties of municipalities, which is supported by hospital districts and coordinated by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. In carrying out testing and tracing, account must be taken of the regional and local situation and the decisions that the authorities make based on that in order to target testing and tracing.The national COVID-19 testing and tracing strategy is intended as a recommendation, and it complements the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health’s action plan for implementing the hybrid strategy. The measures will be updated again as the pandemic subsides.Kansallinen COVID-19 testaus- ja jäljitysstrategia, 14.9.2021 (in Finnish)
NordenBladet — Finland is coordinating the cooperation between the Nordic countries and Baltic states in the Nordic–Baltic Eight (NB8) format in 2021. The NB8 foreign ministers’ meeting will be held on 15 September at Vanajanlinna, Hämeenlinna. The NB8 countries and the Visegrád Group (V4) will have a joint meeting at foreign ministerial level on the previous day, 14 September. The V4 countries are Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.Follow the live webcast of the press conference 14 September at 18.15 pm.
NordenBladet — Finland will strengthen the capacity to receive visa applications in Russia starting on 1 October 2021. As of that date, Finland’s Visa Application Centres in Russia will accept applications from business customers and from all applicants whose multiple-entry Schengen visa, issued by Finland for at least two years, has expired.The visa centres will continue to accept applications from all other special customer groups that have been approved so far. All customers lodging a new visa application must book an appointment.The validity of entry restrictions for Finland remains in place despite the strengthening of the capacity to receive visa customers. Decisions have not been made that would change the entry restrictions. All visa applicants must sign a document in which they undertake to ensure that they meet the conditions for entry and understand that a visa that has been issued does not guarantee entry in Finland. The Government of Finland decides on entry restrictions in line with the recommendations of the European Union. For more information on special groups allowed to cross the border, please visit the website of the Finnish border authorities. Travellers arriving in Finland must comply with the recommendations of the Finnish health authorities. Russian border authorities have restrictions on border crossings in force, too.It is estimated that over half a million Schengen visas issued by Finland in Russia have expired during the COVID-19 pandemic. By strengthening the capacity to receive visa applications in Russia, the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, like many other Schengen countries, wants to serve persons whose visa has expired and offer them an opportunity to renew their visas. This is also intended to prevent backlogs of applications caused by possible changes in border traffic restrictions. For the present, however, information of changes in the restrictions is not available.Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Finland granted the most Schengen visas in Russia and was one of the most popular destinations for Russians. In 2019, Finland issued a total of 790,000 Schengen visas in Russia. In the same year, Russians made 3.7 million visits to Finland.
NordenBladet — Today, on 13 September 2021, the United Nations is organising a High-level Ministerial Meeting on the Humanitarian Situation in Afghanistan. The UN estimates that approximately half of the population of the country need humanitarian assistance. Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari will represent Finland at the meeting. The UN estimates that about half of the Afghan population would currently require humanitarian assistance. Photo: OCHAAfghanistan suffered from a humanitarian crisis even before the Taliban’s takeover. Factors behind the emergency include a prolonged conflict, such effects of climate change as the drought that destroyed crop yields, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The fighting in recent months and the Taliban’s takeover have further heightened the need for humanitarian assistance. The UN estimates that about half of the Afghan population would currently require humanitarian assistance, and 14 million people are suffering from acute food shortages.A large number of Afghans have left their home region because of the crisis. This year, more than half a million people have been internally displaced. Of the 2.6 million Afghan refugees registered outside the country, 85 per cent are staying in Iran and Pakistan. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the number of Afghans who need humanitarian support has grown by at least two million from the conflict’s previous stage. Disabled women and children are particularly vulnerable.Urgent need for additional assistanceThe Afghanistan Flash Appeal by OCHA, which was launched early this year amounted to USD 413 million. So far, only 39 per cent of this humanitarian response plan has been funded.Now that the situation has worsened, OCHA has launched an updated flash appeal, requiring USD 193 million more funding than before. There is a critical shortage of food and medical supplies, among other things, and access to health services is restricted. It is assumed that the needs will increase further in the coming months, for example due to the country’s extremely weak economic situation.Finland promises additional support through the United Nations Refugee Agency, UNHCRThe aim of the UN High-level Ministerial Meeting, held virtually on 13 September, is to raise awareness of the crisis in Afghanistan, to appeal to various actors to ensure that emergency relief reaches those who need it, and to collect new pledges. Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari will represent Finland at the meeting.“The Ministry for Foreign Affairs reacted very quickly and made a decision on a new allocation of EUR 3 million for Afghan refugees through UNHCR. The efforts to help those in distress will not end here. Finland is among those at the forefront in seeking solutions to alleviate the difficult situation in Afghanistan,” Minister Skinnari says. Humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan will continue to the extent possible. Photo: Heikki Saukkomaa / LehtikuvaThe High-level Meeting will focus on examining ways to make sure that the assistance reaches those in need and to safeguard distribution of deliveries. Until now, such UN agencies providing humanitarian assistance as UNHCR and the World Food Programme (WFP) as well as the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement have been able to continue their work in the country. The WFP has succeeded in opening an air bridge from Islamabad to Kabul, through which food deliveries, for example, have reached the country.“The Taliban must respect the principles of international humanitarian law and humanitarian assistance. Otherwise, assistance cannot be delivered. It is also important that there are women workers among donors in the field, not only to see that they can participate but also because women and children find it easier to seek help when they are present,” minister Skinnari says.Humanitarian principles include humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence.Finland and many other countries have frozen their long-term development cooperation disbursements to Afghanistan, but humanitarian assistance will continue to the extent possible. So far, like Finland, the European Union, among others, has decided to increase its humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan.Milma KettunenThe author is a Communications Officer at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.Finland’s humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan
NordenBladet — Finland is coordinating the cooperation between the Nordic countries and Baltic states in the Nordic–Baltic Eight (NB8) format in 2021. The NB8 foreign ministers’ meeting will be held on 15 September at Vanajanlinna, Hämeenlinna. The NB8 countries and the Visegrád Group (V4) will have a joint meeting at foreign ministerial level on the previous day, 14 September. The V4 countries are Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.The Nordic, Baltic and Visegrád countries (NB8 + V4) will convene for the ninth time and for the first time in Finland. The meeting will be co-chaired by Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto and the current V4 Presidency, Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Péter Szijjártó. The meeting will discuss questions related to recovery , such as energy transition and climate diplomacy, as well as various topical international matters, including the Western Balkans, Belarus and Africa. Minister for Foreign Affairs Haavisto will chair the meeting in the NB8 format, where the themes of discussion will be, among other things, the situation in Afghanistan and topical UN and OSCE questions. The cross-cutting theme of the Finnish co-chair, which focuses on efforts to alleviate the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis in society, for example from the perspective of climate change, will also be examined. The annual NB8 foreign ministers’ meeting is a central part of the cooperation between the Nordic and Baltic countries. “I am pleased that we are now able to be physically present again. These cooperation arrangements provide an important forum for exchanging views and sharing experiences between the participating countries,” says Minister for Foreign Affairs Haavisto.
NordenBladet — The Nordic Ministers for Cooperation will meet under the leadership of Minister Thomas Blomqvist in Mariehamn 13-14 September 2021. At the meeting, the ministers will prepare the Nordic Council of Ministers’ budget for 2022 and explore the state of the Nordic freedom of movement when they meet the Freedom of Movement Council. The fourth ministerial meeting during the Finnish Presidency will be held in close cooperation with the Åland Islands and will be part of the celebrations for its 100th anniversary as an autonomous region.At their meeting, the ministers will prepare the budget of the Nordic Council of Ministers for 2022 and discuss sustainable development objectives in cooperation. The vision for Nordic cooperation is to be the most sustainable and integrated region in the world.The meeting will be attended by the Freedom of Movement Council at the lead of its Chair Kimmo Sasi. The aim of discussions will be to lay the foundations for work related to freedom of movement in coming years and to tackle the current prospects of freedom of movement work, which are overshadowed by the restrictions introduced by the pandemic, which have hampered the everyday lives of citizens. The ministers will also receive an overview of Nordic cooperation during the pandemic, as a basis for further action and the development of crisis time cooperation models. Jan-Erik Enestam, who was appointed by the ministers for cooperation to carry out a study on strengthening cooperation in times of crisis, will be a guest at the meeting.The meeting will also include discussion on the more effective management of financial and project management by the Secretariat of the Council of Ministers.
The UN estimates that about half of the Afghan population would currently require humanitarian assistance. Photo: OCHA
Humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan will continue to the extent possible. Photo: Heikki Saukkomaa / Lehtikuva