The goal of the project is to facilitate the participation of children and young people in policy-making at the national level. The goal is to develop methods, gather best practices and produce training materials on child participation and to provide relevant training for public authorities. The project in Finland is part of the joint European CP4Europe project, which is coordinated by the Council of Europe.

One of the objectives set out in the Government Programme is to promote democracy and human rights education and the participation of young people and to reinforce the obligation to consult young people. The task of the coordination group is to monitor and support the planning and implementation of the measures.

25.5.2026 | Some 17,000 children and young people shared their views on issues such as safety and security, trust and wellbeing in a pilot project aimed at strengthening the inclusion of children and young people in society and taking into account their perspectives in preparation work at the state level.

7.11.2025 | A new survey will open on Monday 10 November, giving pupils in years 5–9 the chance to share their thoughts on what is important. Their responses will help us as we prepare for the next government term.

Etnos events

Materials This page contains materials and publications of the Advisory Board for Ethnic Relation. Documents related to the work of the Advisory Board, such as meeting agendas, are available on the page operation. Publications Publications by the ...

From 1 December 2020 to 30 November 2021, the Ministry of Justice will implement the Election Pool project, which will support elections and cooperation between authorities. The project is funded by the European Commission’s Rights, Equality and Citizenship (REC) Programme. The objective of the project is to strengthen cooperation among authorities and cooperation with social media in addressing election interference and improving election preparedness.

The Government Programme states that preparation of a cross-administrative democracy programme shall be launched. The National Democracy Programme 2025 covers the numerous measures related to civil society and participation outlined in the Government Programme of Prime Minister Marin. It will function as an umbrella for democracy-related projects to be carried out by different ministries.

Call for applications for organisations until 7 February 2025 A call for applications for organisations to become members of the Advisory Board for Ethnic Relations (ETNO) for the 2025–2029 term has ended. The member organisations for both the nat...

In accordance with the Government Programme of Prime Minister Sanna Marin, an act on a transparency register will be enacted in Finland on the basis of parliamentary preparation and in consultation with civil society. The purpose of the act is to improve the transparency of decision-making and, by doing this, to prevent undue influence and reinforce public confidence.

News Text message reminders increased voter turnout in 2025 county and municipal elections Type: Press release Publication date: 26.5.2026 12.40 Inclusion pilot incorporates views of children and young people into Government’s preparation work Typ...

Democracy policy The goal of the Government's democracy policy is to address topical democracy-related challenges and ensure that citizens are provided with opportunities for participating and exerting influence in society. Promoting democracy is ...

The Ministry of Justice has appointed a cross-administrative working group to prepare the National Programme to Promote Democracy and Participation outlined in Prime Minister Petteri Orpo's Government Programme and to coordinate the implementation of the programme within the Government ministries.

26.5.2026 | A text message pilot carried out in connection with the 2025 county and municipal elections showed that text message reminders with information about elections increase voter turnout. The results confirm earlier findings on the effectiveness of text message reminders.

News Archive Text message reminders increased voter turnout in 2025 county and municipal elections Organization: Prime Minister's Office Organization: Ministry of Justice Type: Press release Publication date: 26.5.2026 Inclusion pilot incorporates...

Civil society and voluntary activities The Advisory Board on Civil Society Policy (KANE), operating under the auspices of the Ministry of Justice and appointed by the Government for four years at a time, is responsible for fostering cooperation an...

Democracy indicators Democracy indicators are used for monitoring the state and development of Finnish democracy. Indicators describing the development of democracy and related phenomena are used for monitoring the development of Finnish democracy...

Crime prevention Crime prevention aims to reduce crime and its harmful effects and to increase safety and the sense of security in society. Crime prevention refers to a broad set of long-term activities taken to reduce the risk of crimes, disrupti...

EU funding programmes for 2021–2027 In 2021–2027, EU funding in the area of justice will consist of two different funding programmes: the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV) and the Justice Programme. Together, these programmes ...

Advisory Board on Civil Society Policy (KANE) The Government has appointed a new Advisory Board on Civil Society Policy (KANE) for a four-year term from 27 January 2022 to 26 January 2026. The Advisory Board on Civil Society Policy works under the...