Executive Director of UNICEF Catherine Russell to visit Finland

Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Catherine Russell will visit Finland on 19 October. Russell was invited to Finland by Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari.

In Finland, Catherine Russell will also meet Minister of Education Li Andersson. Russell will visit Parliament and meet members of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

In Helsinki, Russell will visit two UNICEF Global Innovation Hubs, the Leaning Innovation Hub and the Innovative Finance Hub. During the visit, a roundtable discussion will be held between the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, UNICEF, and Finnish bodies and companies in the education sector. 

The UNICEF Learning Innovation Hub supports teaching and learning in comprehensive school and vocational education and training at the global level with the help of digital solutions. Finnish companies developing game-based learning and sharing Finnish knowledge, expertise and educational innovations, among others, are involved in the Hub’s activities.

The UNICEF Innovative Finance Hub develops new forms of financing and new financial technologies to bolster UNICEF’s fundraising efforts and to channel investment to projects that strengthen the rights of the child.

Through the Global Innovation Hubs, Finnish technological and social innovations can be utilised in UNICEF’s work in the education sector across the world.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is operating in more than 190 countries. Currently Finland supports UNICEF’s emergency relief efforts in Ukraine. Besides providing humanitarian assistance, UNICEF works to ensure that Ukrainian children can continue their education in crisis conditions.