Briefly In English

Kuvituskuva: toimistossa kolme ihmistä tekevät lappusuunnitellua

SOSTE Finnish Federation for Social Affairs and Health is a Finnish umbrella organization of 200 social affairs and health NGO members and dozens of partner members.

SOSTE works for the health and wellbeing of all people. With our members and partners, SOSTE is building the foundation for social wealth, health, opportunities of participation and a fair, responsible society. A socially bound, healthy and genuinely participatory society creates success. This idea forms the basis of our ideology: the wellbeing economy.

Investments in wellbeing and health are long-term joint decisions, and NGO’s must have a strong role in implementing them. Our goal is to increase the impact of social and healthcare organizations in society and achieve a situation where the implementation of the preconditions for a good life are realized for all. We operate on regional, national and international level.

SOSTE supports its member organisations in international work and advocacy. As the umbrella organisation for social and health NGOs, SOSTE supports the international activities of its member organisations and channels their research, development, and experiential knowledge into international advocacy efforts.

SOSTE’s key priorities for international advocacy

  • Promoting wellbeing and health must be placed at the centre of policymaking
  • The wellbeing economy approach must be advanced in Europe and globally
  • Participation of people and civil society organisations must be strengthened, reinforcing the role of civil society as a cornerstone of democracy
  • The social dimension of the European Union must be strengthened alongside economic policy
  • Increase cross-sectoral coordination within the European Semester
  • Influence through the work of the European Economic and Social Committee
  • Climate change must be tackled in a socially just way, while promoting sustainable reconstruction
  • Achieving sustainable development requires joint and global action
  • Nordic cooperation must be strengthened

SOSTE’s key objectives

  • Everyone’s contribution to work is valuable
  • Promote wellbeing and health, safeguard social and health services, and strengthen security
  • Safeguard the operating conditions of civil society organisations
  • Reduce poverty, lower the cost of illness, and simplify the social security system
  • Ensure the accessibility and safety of services for everyone
Käsi pitelemässä megafonia vaaleansinisen taustan edessä.

SOSTEs theses for European Parliament election 2024

  1. Towards a European Wellbeing Economy
  2. Strengthening a common EU health policy
  3. A free and strong civil society is the foundation of democracy
  4. The Public Procurement Directive must be clarified

Wellbeing economy

The wellbeing economy may be perceived both as a vision of the future economic and social model and as a certain, already existing sector of our society. The term coined by SOSTE and Finnish social and health NGOs. Read more about wellbeing economy.

NGOs and Climate Change

SOSTEs statement for the Ministry for Foreign Affairs on Human Rights and Climate Chance delivered on 30th October 2020. Read the statement. Read more about The role of social and health NGOs in enhancing climate responsibility in Finland.

Future of Europe

Future of Europe is an article collection to stimulate debate and advocacy activities relating to social and health issues at EU level. It is published in February 2019 by SOSTE Finnish Federation for Social Affairs and Health. Read Future of Europe – Reforming the policies of the European Union.

SOSTE was founded 2012 by the Association of Voluntary Health, Social and Welfare Organisations (YTY), Finnish Federation for Social Welfare and Health (STKL) and Finnish Centre for Health Promotion (Tekry). SOSTE’s Secretary General is Vertti Kiukas (M.A.) and the Chairman is Kari Välimäki.