Jutta Urpilainen

Thematic expertise: EU affairs, development, human rights, gender equality, social inclusion and youth, political advocacy, good governance and transparency

Regional/country-specific expertise: Africa

Languages: Finnish, Swedish, English, German

As European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Ms Jutta Urpilainen oversees the European Commission’s work on international cooperation and sustainable development.

Before joining the Commission, Ms Urpilainen served as a Member of the Finnish Parliament from 2003 to 2019. In 2008, she became the first woman leader of the Social Democratic Party of Finland. From 2011 to 2014, she served as Finland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister. During that time, she became closely involved in development issues, joining the Development Committee of the World Bank Group and IMF and chairing the Finnish National Commission on Sustainable Development.

Ms Urpilainen served as the Foreign Minister’s Special Representative on Mediation (2017-19), focusing on strengthening the role of women and youth in peace processes. Her commitment to international solidarity is reflected in her long-standing memberships of the Finnish Development Policy Committee from 1999 to 2007, and the Finnish National Commission for UNESCO (chair 2015-2019, member 1999-2011).