Development Ministers gather to discuss revision of EU development policy
Press release 50/2017
15 March 2017
An Informal EU Development Ministers’ meeting will be held in Brussels on 16 March. Finland's representative at the meeting will be Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Kai Mykkänen.
The Ministers will discuss the revision of the EU development policy. Their discussions will provide direction for the new European Consensus on Development, which frames the development policy activities of the EU and its Member States. The aim is to have it completed by the end of May.
In addition, the Ministers will discuss the preparations for the EU-Africa Summit and Africa’s role in the post-Cotonou arrangements. The Cotonou Agreement, which defines the cooperation between the EU and the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, will expire in 2020.
Over lunch, the Ministers will deal with migration and development. The future European Fund for Sustainable Development (EFSD) will mobilise funding to the promotion of development in the countries bordering Africa and the EU, which are central for migration.
Finland lays special emphasis on questions relating to sexual and reproductive healthMinister Mykkänen has placed the position of women and girls among the key priorities in Finland's development policy. Finland wants that the EU development policy emphasise women’s position and opportunities of influence in economic and political decision-making. In the EU, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) must become a comprehensive goal in order to safeguard girls’ right to their own body, education and own choices.
Finland also underlines the importance of job creation for young men and women, sustainable use of natural resources, and supporting more efficient and fair tax collection and better knowledge of economic matters in the partner countries
Inquiries: Pasi Rajala, Special Adviser, tel. +358 400 464 393 and Sari Lehtiranta, Director, tel. tel. +358 295 352 139.
The Foreign Ministry's email addresses are in the format [email protected].