Finland
Key projects in Iraq:
- Date Entered Coalition: September 2014.
- Working Group Membership: Counter Foreign Terrorist Fighters, Communications Working Group.
- Finland has supported Iraq since 2014 through development cooperation and humanitarian assistance by EUR 28 million. For 2018, Finland has pledged EUR 10 million for the reconstruction of Iraq.
- Finland’s humanitarian assistance to Iraq in 2018 is EUR 1.8 million.
- For development cooperation projects in Iraq, Finland’s funding in 2018 is EUR 8 million.
- Finland’s tentative pledge for the UNDP Funding Facility for Stabilization (FFS) in 2018 is EUR 5 million.
- In terms of military crisis management, Finland has participated in the training activities by contributing 80 soldiers for advisory tasks.
- Finland deploys five advisory staff to serve in the training of local police officers in Iraq and two staff to the European Union Advisory Mission in Iraq (EUAM).
- In 2018, Finland’s support for the military crisis management is EUR 25.6 million while EUR 1.3 million is directed to civilian crisis management.
- Finland has granted EUR 3 million to humanitarian mine action in Iraq in 2017–2020.
Foreign Ministry of Finland continues to promote youth peace work in Iraq and Afghanistan by supporting the Salam project
The Finnish Foreign Ministry’s Salam project, which promotes peace and reconciliation, will continue in the form of annual workshops until 2023. The project aims to provide Iraqi and Afghan youth with opportunities for networking and accumulating knowledge about peace work and about how to use media skills as a way of exerting influence.
Read more from the press release. The social media dimension can be seen in Salam for Peace Facebook page and Instagram. See also a Youtube trailer of themes discussed during the project.
Top Contributions to The Coalition:
- The funding for development cooperation is directed to the stabilisation of territories liberated from ISIL.
- Finland’s humanitarian assistance to Iraq used for food assistance, protection, relief items, water supply, child protection and healthcare services, for example. The support is channelled, for instance via the Red Cross Movement and Finnish organisations.
- Finland supports the Women, Peace and Security project in Iraq, carried out by UN Women.
- Finland’s support is also channelled to the World Bank’s fund. Its goal is to offers financing to the strengthening of the administration, to promoting the principles of social and economic non-discrimination, to creating new jobs, and to supporting sustainable growth.
- Plans are being made concerning the development of vocational education and training in 2018 by building on Finnish expertise.
- Of Finnish civil society organisations, FIDA International has operated in north Iraq for a long time, supporting the schooling of children with disabilities, for example by training teachers and helping families support their children’s education.
- Finland is funding the European Union’s activities in Syria that focus on regional stabilisation.
- Finland supports humanitarian mine action. The support is channelled to mapping, clearance and training activities and assistance of victims of mines. Finland is also planning to extend support for work against the proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALW).
Media Highlights:
https://puolustusvoimat.fi/web/kansainvalinen-kriisinhallinta/irak-oir-
Foreign Ministry’s Salam Peace Project promotes media skills and networking among young people
Young ambassadors for peace in Iraq and Afghanistan sought by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Defeating ISIL requires a long-term and comprehensive approach as laid out in the Coalition's five lines of effort. Finland is fully committed to give her contribution to this end.
Mr Sauli Niinistö, President of the Republic of Finland
