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1. Formal Mechanisms of Consultation

2. Actors

3. Information on the extent of youth participation

4. Outcomes

5. Large-scale initiatives for dialogue or debate between public institutions and young people

Formal Mechanisms of Consultation

The consultation of children and young people in Finland is grounded in a solid legal framework, as it is included as a guiding principle in the top-level national legislation. According to the Finnish Constitution (731/1999) (Perustuslaki, also available in Swedish), public authorities shall promote opportunities for individuals to participate in societal activity and influence decisions that concern them. The Constitution further states that democracy entails the right of individuals to participate in and influence the development of society and their living conditions. Additionally, the Youth Act (72/2016) (Nuorisolaki, available also in Swedish) states that young people must be given opportunities to engage in decision-making processes related to local and national youth work, as well as youth policy. Furthermore, young people must be heard in matters concerning them.

The Municipalities Act (410/2015) (Kuntalaki, also available in Swedish) and the Act on Wellbeing Services Counties (611/2021) (Laki hyvinvointialueesta, also available in Swedish) state that all residents (or other service users) have the right to participate in discussion forums and resident panels, for example in the planning and development of services, regardless of age. Residents aged 15 and over may also submit referendum initiatives. Local councils are responsible for ensuring that diverse and effective opportunities for participation are available. Additionally, all residents also have the right to submit initiatives regarding municipal or county activities, and the act states that 'the action undertaken as a result of an initiative must be notified to those who submitted the initiative.'  

The Youth Act states that every municipality (see Glossary) should have youth councils or similar youth advocacy groups, which are set out in the Municipalities Act. As important as having the youth councils’ statutory at the municipal level is, there are several other direct, participatory and deliberative democracy-related participation possibilities mentioned in the Municipalities Act. In addition, there has been an attempt to build the wellbeing services counties (see Glossary), which organise healthcare, social welfare and rescue services, as democratic – the Act on Wellbeing services counties mentions almost the same participation opportunities for the residents and service users. As stated in both Acts, there is ‘a right to participate in and influence the activities.’ In addition to the right to vote in local elections (eligible voters) and youth councils, they mention a variety of possible ways to influence:

• Right to submit a referendum and vote in those (eligible voters)
• Arranging opportunities for discussion, service planning and taking part in finance planning of the authority: local resident panels etc.
• Electing representatives of service users to municipal decision-making bodies
• Supporting independent planning of matters by residents etc.
• Right of initiative
• Older people’s councils
• Disability councils
• Requirements of sufficient communication and information sharing by the authority.

As mentioned in Youth Wiki/Finland 4.2 Administration and governance, the municipalities and the wellbeing services counties must, according to the Child Welfare Act (417/2017) (Lastensuojelulaki, also available in Swedish), draw up a plan concerning the actions to promote the wellbeing of children and young people, and to arrange and develop child welfare services. That is one example of the processes in which young people have their say. On the other hand, as the memo entitled ‘Resident participation and democracy in the strategies of the wellbeing services counties’ (2023) (Asukasosallistuminen ja demokratia hyvinvointialueiden strategioissa) created by the Ministry of Finance shows, there is a possibility to develop the ways participation is written into the strategies of the authorities. 

Besides the wellbeing services counties which started to function at the beginning of 2023, there are statutory joint municipal authorities called as Regional Councils (see Glossary), which act as a co-operative body of the municipalities existing in the same region. For example, these take care of regional planning. These joint municipal authorities have offered and continue to offer their own participation channels and strategies. For example, in Kainuu there has been a regional youth council since 2008 thanks to the high levels of engagement of young people, youth workers and politicians. Since the wellbeing services county was established (the geographical area is the same), the youth council related co-operation between the Kainuu region and county have been officially recognised by signing an agreement between these two organisations. For more see the webpage of the Regional Council of Kainuu, entitled Regional Youth Council. At the national level, the co-operative body  for municipal and wellbeing services counties-level youth councils is the Union of Local Youth Councils in Finland (Nuva ry). The chapter Youth Wiki/Finland 5.3 Youth representation bodies can be consulted for more information regarding youth councils. 

The National Youth Work and Youth Policy Programme (2024-2027) and The National Programme to Promote Democracy and Participation promise more participation possibilities for young people, as well as for those in vulnerable situations. For example, as mentioned in the 'Democratic deficit among immigrants and multilingual Finns must be fixed -report's' (Korjataan maahanmuuttaneiden ja monikielisten suomalaisten demokratiavaje: Työryhmän raportti ja suositukset) press release on 15 June 2022 by the Ministry of Justice, 'the voice of immigrants and multilingual Finns is not being heard in decision-making and public debate'. The report was published by the Advisory Board for Ethnic Relations (ETNO) and it examined what kind of barriers to participation and exerting influence in society there were among immigrants and multilingual Finns, and presented solutions for eliminating such barriers. 

At the national level, consultations (kuuleminen, in Finnish) are an established part of the  legislative drafting processes. Following Ministry of Justice guidelines for legislative projects concerning youth policy, the  Ministry of Education and Culture appoints representatives from youth organisations, the youth research community, and other relevant stakeholders to a preparatory body. Stakeholder consultations are carried out to gather opinions from all relevant target groups using both traditional methods, such as written submissions, and modern digital communication tools. Also, some stakeholders are heard in Parliament at the Committee debate. 

Actors

Youth Actors

At the national level, the Union of Local Youth Councils in Finland (Nuva ry) and national student unions are the primary actors representing young people during consultation processes. At the regional level, the statutory youth councils of the wellbeing services counties are consulted. For more information about these bodies, see  Youth Wiki/ Finland 5.3 Youth representation bodies.

According to the Youth Act (72/2016) (Nuorisolaki, available also in Swedish), the State Youth Council serves as a consultative body attached to the Ministry of Education and Culture. It has expertise in young people’s living conditions, with most of its members nominated by national youth and youth work organisations.

Various civic organisations also advocate for the rights of children and young people, promoting their opportunities to participate and be heard. Additionally, the Ministry of Education and Culture consults these organisations during its youth consultation process. Youth representation in these processes is often coordinated by the Finnish National Youth Council and Youth Sector, which is a registered organisation dedicated to promoting the interests of Finnish young people, youth organisations, and youth work in national and international arenas. 

A key value of the Finnish National Youth Council and Youth Sector is to promote youth participation and amplify young people’s voices. It participates in several expert bodies and working groups of central state authorities. It also provides expert services and information to youth organisations, youth workers, and young people to enhance the possibilities and impact of youth participation. 

Specific target groups

The Ombudsman for Children operates a dedicated consultation system designed to incorporate the opinions of young people from different cultural backgrounds and those with special needs in the planning of welfare services. The National Council on Disability VANE and the Advisory Board for Ethnic Relations Etno are cooperative bodies between authorities and non-governmental organisations (for more information, see Youth Wiki/Finland 4.2 Administration and governance). 

Public authorities

All public authorities are legally obligated to consult young people in decision-making. 

Information on the extent of youth participation

Public authorities collect data on young people’s participation in consultation processes. A notable example is the preparatory process of the National Programme to Promote Democracy and Participation (2025–2027) (Kansallinen ohjelma demokratian ja osallistumisen edistämiseksi). Between 29 October and 21 November 2024, the Ministry of Justice heard children and young people’s ideas on how they could participate in and influence society. Based on the summary of the drafting process (Kansallinen ohjelma demokratian ja osallistumisen edistämiseksi Kevään 2024 kuulemistilaisuuksien koonti) published on 16 May 2024 by the Ministry of Justice, five hearing sessions were organised, and four different cooperative bodies were heard. These were conducted either as hybrid meetings or entirely online. Participants included representatives from local youth councils and the Union of Local Youth Councils in Finland (Nuva ry) It is also noteworthy that the Union of Local Youth Councils in Finland (Nuva ry) and the Finnish National Youth Council and Youth Sector acted as organisers of the meetings in collaboration with different ministries. This enabled them to influence both the agenda and the flow of interaction. 

Outcomes

Youth consultations are used to integrate young people’s opinions into policymaking, though their content varies. In some cases, young people have participated in defining the content and goals of, for example, the Youth Act (72/2016) (Nuorisolaki, available also in Swedish). Additionally, young people participate in evaluating the implementation of the National Youth Work and Youth Policy Programme different programme periods, as part of assessments organised by the State Youth Council. In this context, consultations aim to invite young people to assess the implementation of the current programme and shape the preparation of the next. The results of these consultations are made public on the ministerial websites of the Ministries as published reports and, in some cases, in youth-friendly formats. 

Large-scale initiatives for dialogue or debate between public institutions and young people

A central initiative for 2025–2027 is the National Programme to Promote Democracy and Participation (Kansallinen ohjelma demokratian ja osallistumisen edistämiseksi). Youth participation was part of the National Programme’s creation, with children and young people being heard during the preparatory work in 2024. Strengthening young people’s participation is one of the programme’s main goals. On 14 November 2023, the Ministry of Justice announced (see Demokratiaa sekä lasten ja nuorten osallistumista vahvistetaan – työryhmä asetettu) that a working group, with its main objectives including strengthening young people’s participation, had been appointed as part of the programme.

Furthermore, young people are heard through an online panel established under the programme 'National panels at the Ministry' (Kansalaispaneelit ministeriössä). The programme is being implemented between 1 August 2025 and 31 December 2026. These panels aim to strengthen the active participation of children and young people, and they are intended to become a permanent mechanism for hearing young people’s views. The programme supports the objectives of the National Programme to Promote Democracy and Participation (2025–2027) (Kansallinen ohjelma demokratian ja osallistumisen edistämiseksi), the National Child Strategy, (2021-)(Lapsistrategia), National youth work and youth policy programme 2024–2027 (Valtakunnallinen nuorisotyön ja -politiikan ohjelma (VANUPO)), and the work of the Youth and Gang Division of the National Council for Crime Prevention. The programme is led by the Ministry of Justice in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the Ministry of Education and Culture, and the Finnish Innovation Fund (Sitra).