Helsinki, 25 September – IOM Finland is taking part in the SDG Flag Day with thousands of other actors to show commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

September 25, 2024 marks the 9-year anniversary of the adoption of the Agenda 2030 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The 17 goals guide the global action on sustainable development between the years 2016–2030.

IOM Finland is raising the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) flag to show commitment to promoting sustainable development, and to increase awareness of the Agenda 2030.

The 2030 Agenda recognizes that migration is a powerful driver of sustainable development, for migrants and their communities. It brings significant benefits in the form of skills, strengthening the labour force, investment and cultural diversity, and contributes to improving the lives of communities in their countries of origin through the transfer of skills and financial resources.

IOM Finland contributes to the SDGs, for instance, by advancing migrant integration through pre-departure orientation for quota refugees, and by supporting the recruitment of Somali diaspora professionals to strengthen Somalia's health and education sectors.

Agenda 2030 is already past its halfway point, and we need more ambitious action to deliver the Agenda. Finland is one of the best performing countries regarding the SDGs, especially in terms of goals related to social sustainability.

The SDG Flag Day started in the Netherlands in 2019, and it was organized in Finland for the fist time last year. It has grown into a global movement with thousands of actors raising the SDG flag to show their commitment to the SDGs.