Country Profiles
Finland
Context
There is strong political and financial commitment for global sexual and reproductive health and family planning (SRH/FP) in the Finnish development policy and cooperation.
Finland remains committed to raise its ODA to 0.7% of GNI, but there is currently no concrete roadmap to reach this target. In 2022, Finnish ODA amounted to € 1,343 million, equivalent to 0.5% of the country’s GNI. For the next few years, ODA is set to be around 0,45% of GNI, but this might change due to parliamentary elections and a new government expected in the Spring 2023.
The Finnish Report on Development Policy across Parliamentary Terms was adopted in 2021, to ensure greater continuity in development policy when administrations change. The new policy reinstates that one of the main goals of Finland’s development cooperation is to promote the rights of women and girls, including SRHR. All but one parliamentary party were involved in the negotiations, so there is hope that changes in government will not necessarily mean shifts in development policy in the future.
Finland emphasises that the Sustainable Development Goals cannot be achieved by 2030 without fulfilling everyone’s SRHR globally. Political and financial commitments made by the Government of Finland are reflecting the country’s strong will to enhance SRHR and sustainable development today and in the future.
Policies & funding
ODA concentrates on the rights of women and girls
Finland spent 49 million Euros on SRH/FP in 2021, which is approximately the same level of funding as in the previous year. After adding support to other programmes more focused on governance initiatives for gender-responsiveness, the country’s contribution to SRHR amounts to almost 59 million Euros.
When it comes to multilateral development cooperation and specifically UN organisations, Finland’s priority is to support gender equality and reducing inequality. For this reason, Amongst the UN organisations, Finland prioritises UNFPA, UN Women and UNICEF. Core funding to UNFPA has been on a rising track since 2017, at the level of 17.5 million Euros in 2018, 20 million Euros in 2019 and 33 million Euros in both 2020 and 2021. UNFPA hence remains the largest receiver of Finnish core funding among the UN organisations, which indicates Finland’s strong commitment to SRH/FP related issues.
Finland also funds international NGOs through its ODA. In 2022 Finland set SRHR as one of the priorities for INGO funding. This confirms the promotion of SRHR as one of the key goals of Finnish development cooperation. Finland funds International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) with 3.5 million Euros, Ipas, with 3.5 million Euros and MSI Reproductive Choices with 8 million for 2021–2024.
Moreover, Finland supports SRH/FP in many fragile states: Afghanistan, Somalia, Myanmar, Iraq and Syria and its neighbouring areas through UNFPA and Marie Stopes International.
Forecast
The future of the level of ODA in Finland is uncertain: the current government made a commitment to 0,7% of GNI but has not been able to make much progress towards it. Finnish ODA is expected to be 0,42% of GNI in 2023 and around 0,45% of GNI in the next few years. Upcoming elections in 2023 and the new government will have an impact on the country’s decisions on ODA level for the next years.
Internationally vocal
Finland had a strong, progressive voice in the 2030 Agenda process in support of human rights and gender equality, including FP. Women’s and girls’ rights and gender equality continue being main priorities in Finland’s development cooperation.
The Minister of Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, Mr. Ville Skinnari, and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Pekka Haavisto, are both vocal SRH/FP advocates at national, European and UN level. The Ministers often emphasise the importance of SRH/FP in their public speeches and announcements.
Finland is also active at the EU level: in 2021, the country joined the Team Europe Initiative focusing on SRHR in sub-Saharan Africa. In a recent evaluation of the Finnish development policy influencing in the EU, SRHR and gender equality were highlighted as the key areas where Finland has been vocal.
