Policies and guidelines

Strengthening multilateral cooperation is a key long-standing objective of Finland's foreign policy. Tackling cross-border challenges, many of which are still unknown, requires cooperation based on a rules-based approach and international law.

The UN Security Council Resolution 2250 Youth, Peace and Security, adopted in 2015, and the subsequent Resolutions 2419 (2018) and 2535 (2020) recognise the positive and active role of youth in preventing and resolving conflicts, building peace, and preventing violent extremism. Member States must take the needs and perspectives of youth into consideration and encourage young people to take part in decision-making and all stages of peace processes.

Nämä Punaisen Ristin kansainvälisen komitean julkaisemat suuntaviivat ovat päivitetty versio vuonna 1994 julkaistuista suuntaviivoista. Ne on tarkoitettu apuvälineeksi helpottamaan käytännön toimia, joilla vahvistetaan ympäristönsuojelua aseellisissa selkkauksissa. Vaikka ympäristövahingot ovat tietyssä määrin sotien väistämättömiä seurauksia, niillä on oltava rajansa.

On 27 May 2021, the Government adopted the Report on Development Policy across Parliamentary Terms. The aim was to form a shared overall view on development policy, widely supported by Finnish society.

On 29 October 2020, the Government adopted the Government Report on Finnish Foreign and Security Policy and submitted it to Parliament. The report, being drawn up once during each government term, assesses Finland's foreign and security policy operating environment and defines the goals and priorities for Finland's actions within the next few years.

The Responsibility to Protect is a concept that underlines the responsibility of every state and the joint responsibility of international community to prevent, suppress and halt mass atrocity crimes.

Finland’s Taxation for Development action programme 2020-2023 implements the Government Programme's objective of contributing to improvements in the taxation systems of developing countries.

Suomi humanitaarisen avun antajana -linjauksen tarkoituksena on vahvistaa Suomen humanitaarisen avun toimeenpanoa kriisialueilla ja ohjata toimintaa niin, että Suomi on periaatteellinen, innovatiivinen, eteenpäin katsova, joustava, luotettava ja tehokas toimija kansainvälisessä humanitaarisessa järjestelmässä. Julkaisuvuosi: 2019.

Strengthening civil societies in developing countries is an essential and integral element of Finnish development cooperation in its entirety.

The most important objective of the Communications Strategy for the Foreign Service is to increase the communications preparedness of the Foreign Service.

MEMO reviewed the structures, resources and processes in the Ministry and its missions in a way that would allow better focusing of the limited resources on implementing the core functions.

Programme of the Finnish Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers

Finland’s development policy has been outlined in the Government Report on Development Policy, published in February 2016. Finland increases its support to the least developed countries (LDCs) and fragile states and commits more resources to the departure, transit and receiving countries of forced migration. Finnish development policy lays particular emphasis on the rights of women and girls and on the strengthening of the developing countries' own economies.

As studies have shown, The Foreign Service is a motivating and competence-building workplace. We want to be known as such in the future as well. That is what The Human Resources Strategy for 2015–2020 aims to ensure. It is based on ideas from our entire workforce, and consists of five goals.

The UN Strategy of the Finnish Foreign Service

Strategiassa määritellään ulkoasiainministeriön tavoitteet, joita myös toteutetaan yhteystyössä muiden ministeriöiden kanssa. Suomen kansainvälisen ihmisoikeuspolitiikan tavoitteiden toteutuminen edellyttää monilta osin tiivistä yhteistyötä ministeriöiden välillä.

The Foreign Service has drawn up its own and programme. These documents will guide activities promoting sustainable development both at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Finland and in the foreign missions abroad. The strategy and programme cover the years from 2013 to 2020.