Accelerating Sustainable Development Through Innovation and Partnerships

Finland hosts UN entities seeking solutions to complex development challenges through innovation. Finland also co-organizes the annual UN LDC Future Forum to support sustainable development in Least Developed Countries.

Finland is a committed and innovative partner in addressing some of the world’s most pressing challenges. By hosting many UN entities, such as UNU-WIDER, UNICEF Innovation Hubs, and Global Pulse, Finland provides a dynamic platform where global expertise, cutting-edge research, and practical solutions come together. This collaboration reflects Finland’s broader commitment to advancing sustainable development, fostering inclusive growth, and promoting resilience in societies around the world.

At the heart of these efforts is a strong belief in innovation as a driver of change. Finland’s approach combines technological advancement with a people-centered perspective, ensuring that solutions are not only effective but also equitable. Whether in areas such as gender equality, inclusive education, digitalization, climate action, or good governance, Finland and its UN partners work to translate global goals into concrete actions that can improve everyday lives.

A key example of this commitment is the LDC Future Forum, co-organized annually by Finland and the United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS).

The Forum serves as a platform for dialogue, partnership-building, and knowledge exchange focused on supporting Least Developed Countries (LDCs). It brings together policymakers, experts, private sector actors, and civil society to explore practical pathways toward sustainable growth, innovation, and resilience. By highlighting LDC perspectives and solutions, the Forum helps to ensure that global development efforts are inclusive and responsive to real needs.

In May 2026, the Forum was organized in Helsinki and had participants from altogether 36 LDCs. The 2026 Forum focused on empowering young people as agents of transformative change and sustainable development. The discussions highlighted how investments in quality education, digital skills, innovation, and entrepreneurship can unlock the transformative potential of young people and accelerate inclusive growth and progress toward the SDGs.