Ministry for Foreign Affairs (Finland)

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MFA) is a ministry in the Finnish Government and is responsible for preparing and implementing the government's foreign policy.

Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Ulkoministeriö (in Finnish)
Utrikesministeriet (in Swedish)
Ministry overview
Formed28 June 1918 (1918-06-28)
JurisdictionFinnish Government
HeadquartersMerikasarmi, Laivastokatu 22, Katajanokka, 00160 Helsinki
Employees1,420 permanent employees
980 local employees
Annual budget€1.079 billion (2017)
Ministers responsible
Websitewww.formin.fi
Politics of Finland
State
Executive
Legislative
Judiciary
Recent elections
Political parties
Administrative divisions
Foreign relations

Organisation

The ministry in 2017 has a total budget of 1.079 billion euros, of which 675 million will be spent on development cooperation and 248 million euros on the ministry's operating expenses. Upkeep of crisis management troops will cost 50 million euros and civilian personnel 15 million.[1]

It employs 1,420 people (of whom approximately 74% are women) as well as 980 locally hired personnel and maintains 89 overseas offices housing foreign missions.[2] Since 1987 the ministry has been concentrated in the Katajanokka district of Helsinki.

Two ministers in the current Petteri Orpo's government have portfolios relating to the ministry:

The most senior civil servant is the Secretary of State, and is assisted by four Under-Secretaries of State with responsibilities allocated as follows:

  • Administrative, Legal and Protocol Affairs
  • Foreign and Security Policy, Communications and Culture
  • External Economic Affairs
  • International Development Cooperation and Development Policy

Below these, the ministry is divided into twelve departments:

  • Political Department
  • Department for External Economic Relations
  • Department for Development Policy
  • Department for Europe
  • Department for Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia;
  • Department for the Americas and Asia;
  • Department for Africa and the Middle East.
  • Department for Global Affairs
  • Legal Department
  • Department for Administrative Affairs
  • Department for Communication and Culture
  • Protocol Department

Outside of these departments there are two specialised units:

  • Unit for Internal Auditing
  • Unit for Policy Planning and Research

Current Ministers

The ministers, as of 20 June 2023, are:

The current Secretary of State at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs is Matti Anttonen.

Official Development Assistance

According to the OECD, Finland’s total official development assistance (ODA) (USD 1.6 billion) increased in 2022 due to in-donor refugee costs. It represented 0.58% of gross national income (GNI). Finland’s development co-operation prioritises the rights and status of women and girls; sustainable economies and decent work; quality education; peace and democracy; and climate change and the sustainable use of natural resources. [3]


See also

References
  1. "Talousarvioesitys 2017" (in Finnish). Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. September 15, 2016. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
  2. "Ulkoasiainhallinnon henkilöstötilinpäätös 2015" (in Finnish). Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. June 14, 2016. Archived from the original on April 25, 2018. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
  3. "OECD Development Co-operation Profiles". Retrieved 15 September 2023.
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