MFA: Executive Director of UNFPA Natalia Kanem to visit Finland

During her visit, Executive Director Natalia Kanem will meet Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Anne-Mari Virolainen, the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament, and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Population and Development (APPG Finland). In addition, she will visit the Family Federation of Finland and the UN Association of Finland, and have a meeting with young Finnish opinion-makers. Kanem will be accompanied by Laura Londén, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and UNFPA Deputy Executive Director. 

UNFPA's mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. In its foreign policy, Finland emphasises the rights and position of women and girls and their sexual and reproductive health and rights in particular.

Kanem will participate in the annual consultations between Finland and UNFPA. The topics on the agenda of the annual consultations include topical UNFPA matters relating to organisational development and management, the funding situation and the implementation of country programmes funded by Finland. The annual consultations are chaired by Under-Secretary of State Elina Kalkku.                                                     

UNFPA is one of Finland's main cooperation partners among the United Nations specialised agencies and Finland belongs to the organisations' most important donor countries.   In 2018, Finland's core funding to UNFPA is USD 20 million. Additionally, Finland contributes to UNFPA's humanitarian actions in Syria, the implementation of its country programmes in Somalia and Myanmar, and UNFPA's innovative initiatives.

Inquiries: Ville Lahelma, Desk Officer, Unit for Sustainable Development and Climate Change, tel. +358 295 350 195. More information for the media: Outi Einola-Head, Communications Officer, tel. +358 40 519 4153. The Foreign Ministry’s email addresses are in the format  firstname.lastname@formin.fi