Finland Times

 

Minister for International Development Pekka Haavisto. Photo Lehtikuva.

The government on Thursday approved Finland’s development policy for the first time in a report, according to a press release of the foreign ministry. 

 

The policy report stated that development cooperation is the most effective when it gives people themselves the chance to improve their well-being and demand their rights.

 

During the term of the present Government, Finland's development policy has undergone various reforms. Human rights and ownership by developing countries have been adopted as the points of departure in development policy, the aim being sustainable results and the cessation of developing countries' dependency on aid.

 

The work is described in the report on the effectiveness and coherence of development policy approved today by the Government. The report, now drawn up for the first time, will be submitted next to Parliament for debate.

 

“Development policy involves broad-ranging influence on society, for instance the implementation of democracy, and this is not always easy to measure,” Minister for International Development, Pekka Haavisto stated.

 

Development cooperation alone is not enough to eliminate poverty from the world, the report stated. 

 

Developing countries and emerging economies lose more funds for example through tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance than they receive in development aid, the report added.