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1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

Promoting gender equality is a long-standing priority for Finland. Finland has actively promoted the needs and rights and active participation of women and girls in the planning and decision making over humanitarian assistance. In 2017, Finland finalized its third national action plan on 1325, with commitments also related to humanitarian assistance. Finland also takes part of the Call to Action initiative, to combat sexual and gender-based violence. Finland requires that humanitarian organizations supported by the Finnish funding incorporate gender equality and disability issues into their policies and operations.

1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

With the spirit of leaving no one behind Finland has promoted the situation of persons with disabilities in humanitarian crises and raised the importance of addressing their humanitarian and protection needs and active involvement in all assistance efforts. In order to highlight the needs and rights of persons with disabilities and to transform humanitarian practices, Finland has actively promoted the Charter on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities into Humanitarian Action, launched at the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul.

As a follow up, the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) established a time-bound Task Team, to oversee the specific task of developing globally-endorsed Guidelines on the inclusion of persons with disabilities. Finland has financially supported the work of the Task Team through UNICEF. Finland has organized and participated in events on the topic, including WFP Executive Board, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR), the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) humanitarian segment, etc. and by raising the issue in consultations with its partners and in negotiations, including the Global Compact for Refugees. In January 2018, Finland hosted a Global Action of Disability Network (GLAD) meeting in Helsinki, bringing together bilateral and multilateral donors, UN agencies, organizations of persons with disabilities as well as the private sector and foundations.  In addition, the Minister of Trade and Development of Finland together with her colleagues from Australia, UK, New Zealand and Luxemburg sent a Letter to the UN Secretary General on the need to strengthen the inclusion of disability issues in the context of UN reforms. 

1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

Other-4C

• The Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MFA) has actively promoted the humanitarian – development nexus by organizing in-dept internal discussion and by developing a memo on the organization-wide actions required to enhance the nexus. Finland has developed a Syria-Iraq-strategy to bring humanitarian and development work closer together in its own work.  Finland has supported the Syria Regional Response Plan and Refugee Plan, based on the vision that complex situations require a comprehensive response and better alignment of humanitarian and development assistance.  Finland has also supported the No Lost Generation initiative. Finland supports the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework process and is committed to finding durable solutions for refugees and IDPs.  The Unit for Humanitarian Unit and Policy from the MFA has participated in the discussions over ‘New Way of Working’ and is supports its further the operationalization in the field.

1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

Multi-year core funding is an integral part of Finland's humanitarian policy and practice. Finland has continued to actively advocate for flexible core funding and further harmonization of reporting and procedures, in close collaboration with other like-minded donors. Finland currently provides more than 40% of its funding as core support and rest as softly earmarked funds. Last year Finland organised a special event during the World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Board to promote the use of unearmarked funding. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MFA) employs multi-year framework agreements with several UN agencies including the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), WFP, the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR), the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and also with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Finland has further enhanced its multi-year humanitarian commitments in 2017 by increasing the core funding to ICRC. Finland is also a long-time supporter of the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).

In 2017, Finland carried out an evaluation concerning the NGOs receiving Finland has reviewed the recommendations of the evaluation concerning the NGOs receiving the MFA Programme Based Support and Humanitarian Aid.  This included assessing the possibility to move from project-based humanitarian financing towards financing that better support the efficiency gains.