Policies and guidelines

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.