Finland
Support for Mine Action
In 2022, Finland contributed €3 million (US$3.2 million) in mine action funding to five countries and for global activities.[1]
As in previous years, Finland’s support focused on projects in “fragile states” as identified in its humanitarian mine action policy—Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Syria, and Ukraine—and implemented by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Danish Refugee Council, the HALO Trust, and the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD).
Contributions by recipient: 2022[2]
|
Recipient |
Sector |
Amount (€) |
Amount (US$) |
|
Iraq and Syria* |
Clearance, risk education |
905,000 |
953,327 |
|
Afghanistan |
Clearance, risk education |
870,000 |
916,458 |
|
Ukraine |
Clearance, risk education, victim assistance |
715,000 |
753,181 |
|
Somalia |
Clearance, risk education |
380,000 |
400,292 |
|
Global |
Advocacy |
110,000 |
115,874 |
|
Syria |
Capacity-building, risk education, victim assistance |
50,000 |
52,670 |
|
Total |
- |
3,030,000 |
3,191,802 |
*The amount provided to each country was not disaggregated by the donor.
Mine action assistance approach
Finland has explained that its mine action assistance is directed at “fragile states and environments where mines pose a major problem and which need urgent support to tackle it.”[3] Since 2016, Finland has contributed to mine action projects in Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Syria, and Ukraine.
In February 2020, Finland announced that it would provide €15 million ($16.4 million) from 2021–2025 to support mine action activities.[4] In February and May 2021, Finland confirmed that its mine action budget for 2021–2025 had been secured to the €15 million level and had not been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.[5]
Five-year support to mine action
From 2018–2022, Finland’s contribution to mine action totaled €14.8 million ($16.8 million). In comparison, during the previous five-year period from 2013–2017, Finland provided €19.7 million ($24.5 million). This represents a 25% decrease when expressed in Euro terms, and a 31% decrease in United States (US) dollars. This decrease in Finland’s support for mine action was the result of budget cuts in its development assistance.[6]
Summary of contributions: 2018–2022[7]
|
Year |
Amount (€) |
Amount (US$) |
% change from previous year (US$) |
|
2022 |
3,030,000 |
3,191,802 |
-14 |
|
2021 |
3,145,000 |
3,720,535 |
+13 |
|
2020 |
2,880,000 |
3,286,080 |
-2 |
|
2019 |
3,010,000 |
3,369,394 |
+4 |
|
2018 |
2,740,000 |
3,237,858 |
-2 |
|
Total |
14,805,000 |
16,805,669 |
N/A |
Note: N/A=not applicable.
[1] Average exchange rate for 2022: €1=US$1.0534. United States (US) Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates (Annual),” 9 January 2023.
[2] Response to Monitor questionnaire by the Unit for Arms Control, Finland Ministry for Foreign Affairs, 1 September 2023.
[3] Statement of Finland, Mine Ban Treaty Twentieth Meeting of States Parties, Geneva, 22 November 2022.
[4] 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.
[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] Finland Ministry for Foreign Affairs, “Finland’s Humanitarian Mine Action Concept for 2016–2020,” June 2016.
[7] See previous Support for Mine Action country profiles. ICBL-CMC, “Country Profiles: Finland,” undated.