Finland

Support for Mine Action

Last updated: 18 November 2021

In 2020, the Republic of Finland contributed €2.9 million (US$3.3 million)[1] in mine action funding to five countries and global activities.

As in previous years, Finland’s support focused on projects in “fragile states” as identified in its humanitarian mine action policy—Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Syria, and Ukraine— and implemented by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the HALO Trust, Mines Advisory Group (MAG), and the Geneva International Center for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD).

Contributions by recipient: 2020[2]

Recipient

Sector

Amount (€)

Amount (US$)

Iraq and Syria

Clearance and risk education

900,000

1,026,900

Afghanistan

Clearance and risk education

810,000

924,210

Somalia

Clearance and risk education

360,000

410,760

Syria

Capacity-building, risk education, and victim assistance

330,000

376,530

Ukraine

Risk education and victim assistance

300,000

342,300

Global

Advocacy

180,000

205,380

Total

 

2,880,000

3,286,080

 

Mine action assistance approach

In February 2020, Finland announced that it would provide €15 million ($16.4 million) from 2021 to 2025 to support mine action activities, representing an increase of about €3 million ($3.3 million) from the previous five year-period, from 2015–2020.[3] Following an external evaluation of Finland’s mine action programme, the recommendation was to continue focusing on projects in Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Syria, and Ukraine.[4]

COVID-19 and mine action support

In February and May 2021, Finland confirmed that its mine action budget for 2021–2025 has been secured to the €15 million level previously announced and has not been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.[5]

Finland proposed to its partner organizations to reallocate some mine action contributions to address COVID-19 issues. However as of July 2020, no such request had been made.[6]

Five-year support to mine action

From 2016 to 2020, Finland’s contribution for mine action totaled some €11.5 million (some $13.2 million). This total is 63% less than the $35.8 million recorded during the previous five-year period from 2010 to 2014. This decrease in Finland’s mine action budget was the result of budgetary cuts in its development cooperation appropriations.[7] During 2016–2020, Finland contributed to mine action projects in Afghanistan, Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, and Somalia, while funding to Angola and Cambodia was phased out.[8]

Whereas Finland budgeted funding for mine action in 2016, it was reported that payments could not be executed due to changes in the administration, and the prolongation of the tender-processes. Therefore, no mine action support was reported in 2016, and as a result, the 2017 total included some of the funding initially budgeted for 2016.

Summary of contributions: 2016–2020[9]

Year

Amount (€)

Amount (US$)

% change from previous year (US$)

2020

2,880,000

3,286,080

-2

2019

3,010,000

3,369,394

+4

2018

2,740,000

3,237,858

-2

2017

2,912,000

3,290,851

N/A

2016

0

0

N/A

Total

11,542,000

13,184,183

N/A

Note: N/A = not applicable.

 



[1] Average exchange rate for 2020: €1=US$1.141. US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates (Annual),” 4 January 2021.

[2] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Ilkka Rentoia, Deputy Director, Unit for Arms Control, Finland Ministry for Foreign Affairs, 26 September 2021, and Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report, Form J, 9 April 2021.

[3] Statement of Finland, Fifth International Pledging Conference for the Implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty, Geneva, 25 February 2020; and email from Anni Mäkeläinen, Unit for Arms Control, Finland Ministry for Foreign Affairs, 13 July 2020. Exchange rate for February 2020: €1=US$1.0911. US Federal Reserve, “Foreign Exchange Rates (monthly),” 2 March 2020.

[4] Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, “Finland’s Humanitarian Mine Action Concept 2021-2025,” undated.

[5] Statement of Finland, Sixth International Pledging Conference for the Implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty, Geneva, 23 February 2021; and Mine Action Support Group Meeting (held virtually), Minutes, 28 May 2021.

[6] Email from Anni Mäkeläinen, Desk Officer, Unit for Arms Control, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, 13 July 2020.

[7] Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, “Finland’s Humanitarian Mine Action Concept for 2016–2020,” June 2016.

[8] Ibid.

[9] See previous Monitor reports.