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.

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

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.

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.

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 ...

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.

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...

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.

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...

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...

News Language Report discusses realisation of linguistic rights Type: Press release Publication date: 15.1.2026 13.32 Proposal for a new Arbitration Act sent out for comments Type: Press release Publication date: 18.12.2025 12.16 Survey to gather ...

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...

Influencing the preparation of decisions and legislation Under Finnish legislation, authorities must act in an open and transparent manner. Citizens must be provided with opportunities to protect their rights and interests, receive information abo...

15.1.2026 | Today the Government decided in its plenary session to submit to Parliament the Government Report on the Application of Language Legislation in 2025. The report provides important monitoring data on the current state of Finland’s national languages and other indigenous languages and on the realisation of linguistic rights.

17.2.2023 | Children and young people have the right to participate and be heard in matters that concern them. The project of the Ministry of Justice has developed methods, compiled good practices and produced communication and training materials on the participation and consultation of children and young people, aimed at authorities.