Partner countries and regions

Finland engages in bilateral development with countries where development policy targets can be effectively promoted. When planning and in programming cooperation, the following factors are assessed:

• the country’s need for assistance: poverty level and the state of environment
• support already received: action by other donors and level of development funding, joint programming processes, role of multilateral actors and the EU
• the country’s political situation and ownership: the human rights situation, own commitment to deal with development challenges and to build an enabling environment for development, the role of the civil society
• the added value provided by Finland and its administrative capacity for successful cooperation
• the status of Finland’s development policy priorities in the country’s development plans

Finland's eight long-term partner countries are Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Nepal, Nicaragua, Tanzania, Vietnam and Zambia.

Partner countries recovering from violent crises are currently Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Sudan and the Palestinian Territories.

Finland provides cooperation of limited duration in countries which need special international support, for instance because of natural disasters or social upheaval. Decisions to provide such cooperation are motivated by a sudden rise in the need for aid.

Thematic and regional cooperation complements other channels of assistance.