MFA: Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Virolainen to EU development ministers' meeting in Brussels

Development ministers will discuss the global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, youth and development, the situation in the Sahel, and the EU’s multiannual financial framework.

The meeting will focus on multilateral international cooperation and sustainable development. Ministers will debate the sustainable development goals of the UN 2030 Agenda and the EU's response the implementation of these goals. The EU will report on its implementation of the 2030 Agenda for the first time at a session of the UN High-level Political Forum (HLPF) to be held in July 2019.

The meeting will also deal with actions to counter climate change. In addition, ministers will consider young people’s role in the developing countries from the perspective of sustainable development.

In the discussion on the Sahel, development ministers will look into the integration of security, humanitarian assistance and development, and consider how the EU could step up its engagement with the region.

At lunch, ministers will have a discussion on the EU’s future multiannual financial framework for 2021–2027, and on the Union's external action financing instruments. The main topics of discussion will be the European Fund for Sustainable Development (EFSD) and ways to strengthen external investments in development policy.

Inquiries:Juha Kirstilä, Special Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, tel. +358 40 552 8200 and Laura Quist, Attaché, Unit for General Development Policy, tel. +358 295 350 181.

The Foreign Ministry’s email addresses are in the format firstname.lastname@formin.fi.