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Helsinki, 31 July 2025 – At the Helsinki+50 Conference, Elina Valtonen, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland and OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, officially launched the Helsinki+50 Fund. The initiative aims to enhance the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s (OSCE) operational effectiveness and improve strategic management of voluntary contributions.
Broad International Support
Seventeen OSCE participating States have pledged nearly €12 million to the Fund. Contributors include Austria, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
Purpose and Scope
The Fund is designed to optimize the use of Extra Budgetary (voluntary) funding, which complements the OSCE’s Unified Budget. These contributions are vital to key OSCE initiatives, including support for Ukraine, promotion of human rights, and democratic development.
Minister Valtonen emphasized the importance of modernizing the OSCE’s funding mechanisms:
“Past achievements do not guarantee future relevance. We must seize this moment to make the OSCE more functional, relevant and resilient.”
Strategic Coordination and Impact
The Helsinki+50 Fund enables donors to support activities across all OSCE Executive Structures and Autonomous Institutions. It also establishes an Annual Meeting to facilitate strategic dialogue and coordination among donors, with a focus on impact-driven planning and reporting.
The Fund reflects a broader shift toward larger, thematic programming and results-based management, reinforcing the OSCE’s mandate and shared principles.
