Our work for the Agenda 2030 

We adopt a rights-based and result-driven strategic approach to humanitarian and development interventions, guaranteeing that our programs align with the UN’s Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development. Beyond the individual goals and specific targets of each Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), we consider all the goals interconnected and supporting each other. 

Our work particularly advances the following SDGs. 

SDG 1 – No Poverty 

Eliminating poverty is a cross-cutting theme in all our work. We promote inclusive and sustainable economic development that provides the most vulnerable people, particularly women, youth and people on the move, with increased opportunities for a decent living. 

We specialise in fragile countries that often cannot address the population’s basic needs. Our livelihood work improves particularly the opportunities for women and youth to learn new skills, find employment and earn their living. Research shows that improving women’s status and livelihoods is the most critical way of eradicating poverty and improving the general standard of living for whole families, communities and, by extension, societies. 

Our peace work lays the foundation for poverty eradication by promoting community ownership and inclusion for sustainable peace and stability. Quality education is a way out of poverty. FCA’s vocational education provides opportunities, in particular for employment and entrepreneurship for youth in vulnerable situations. 

Our advocacy aims to eradicate structures that maintain poverty. With our partners, we influence decision-makers to meet their obligations, and we also cooperate with the private sector in building bridges between corporate decision-makers and local communities. 

SDG 4 – Quality Education 

Responding to the global learning crisis is one of our key thematic areas. We offer Finnish education expertise and innovative solutions for school construction, teacher training, remote learning and ensuring that particularly girls and persons with disabilities can access education. 

Read more about our work for the Right to Education.

SDG 5 – Gender Equality 

Gender equality is a prerequisite for sustainable development and poverty reduction. We align all our work with the objective of “ensuring women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life”. 

Our twin-track approach systematically promotes gender equality across all our programmes while also working on specific women empowerment projects that increase women’s social and economic participation and entrepreneurship. Women must be able to save and access credit, become economically active and earn a sufficient living through (self-)employment. 

Read more about our work for gender equality.

SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth 

We provide people in vulnerable situations with increased opportunities for a decent living and support the creation of enterprises, jobs and instruments for sustained economic growth.  

We work with Business and Technical Vocational Education Training (BTVET) in, for instance, refugee settlements, cities and rural areas of fragile countries and support particularly women through loans and savings groups.  

Read more about our work for the Right to Livelihood.

Our cooperation with the private sector of fragile countries aims to boost the growth of sustainable, responsible and environmentally-friendly Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) that have the most significant potential in future job creation. FCA’s impact investor subsidiary, FCA Investments, was founded to boost the growth of SMEs in sectors, such as agriculture and food production, health care, water and sewerage, waste management, education, small-scale industry, logistics, renewable energy, financial services for small entrepreneurs, micro-franchising and Finn-Tech. 

Read more about FCA Investments.

SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities 

Our primary focus is on inclusion and poverty eradication in the most fragile contexts. We work for increasing the participation of women, youth, refugees and religious and traditional leaders in peace building and dialogues and for livelihood opportunities for marginalised women and youth. 

We work for equal access to education by particularly promoting the rights and opportunities of girls and persons with disabilities to enroll in school and complete their education. 

To promote inclusivity, we build the capacity and motivation of public and private sector actors to adhere to human rights principles and best practices in service provision and policy implementation. Evidence-based advocacy and promoting open dialogue between sectors are our primary channels of influence, often in networks and partnerships with local actors. 

SDG 13 – Climate Action 

Climate change and the scarcity of natural resources have dramatic negative consequences that are felt hardest by the poorest and most vulnerable. Climate change adaptation, resilience and disaster risk reduction are linked to each other, and we incorporate those in all our programmes. 

Committed to the humanitarian principle of Do No Harm, we carefully assess the consequences of our actions and build the capacity of our partners to respond to climate-related concerns. Our work aims to build the resilience of communities to climate change. The Right to Livelihood programs also consider the volatility of rural environments to various natural disasters and other calamities. 

True to our people-centred approach, we support people to play an active role in development, including climate change action, by training those in the front-line of humanitarian and emergency operations in disaster-prone areas. Local capacities will significantly enhance disaster risk reduction. 

SDG 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions 

Peace building is a transformative process for sustaining positive peace, as opposed to merely containing conflict. Our goal is inclusive peace, a characteristic of just and resilient societies, and a prerequisite for sustainable development and the realisation of human rights. 

Our experience is that equal access to information, participation and dialogue for both rights-holders and duty-bearers is the best way to build just and resilient societies. We stand by principles of inclusivity, local ownership, long-term commitment, transparency and accountability. Peace work must be based on locally defined priorities and led by the local stakeholders. 

The UN recognises the positive role of civil society (UN Human Rights Council Res 14/3 and 20/15), women (UNSCR 1325 and the subsequent resolutions), religious and traditional leaders (Secretary-General Report to GA 2012 on mediation A/66/811) and youth (UNSCR 2250 and 2419) in conflict prevention, peacebuilding and sustaining peace. These resolutions guide us in our work. 

Several other SDGs strongly link to our transformative approach to the Right to Peace: SDG 5 on Gender Equality and SDG 10 on Reduced Inequalities directly influence our work, while SDG 13 on Climate Action and SDG 17 on Partnership for the Goals are cross-cutting themes. 

Read more about our work for the Right to Peace.