Amb. Jarmo Sareva

Mr. Jarmo Sareva was appointed Finland’s Ambassador for Cyber Affairs effective 1 August 2021. Prior to that, he served as the first Ambassador for Innovation at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs from 2018.
Currently based in Helsinki, Mr. Sareva brings to the position a wealth of experience from both multilateral and bilateral diplomacy. From 2006 to 2018, he served in various positions at the UN, including as Director of the Geneva Branch of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs and as Director of the UN Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR).
Mr. Sareva’s previous diplomatic experience includes serving as Director for Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-proliferation at the MFA in Helsinki and as Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of Finland to the UN in New York, as well as postings in Moscow, Washington, D.C., and Vienna. In the early 2000s, he served as the Chef de Cabinet of the President of the 55th session of the UN General Assembly, and as Special Assistant to Dr. Hans Blix, Executive Chairman of the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC).
As Ambassador for Innovation, Mr. Sareva focused on human-centric digital cooperation at the global level. In particular, he led Finland’s work to advance gender equality through technology and innovation, as well as multistakeholder cooperation in artificial intelligence, digital inclusion and digital public goods. He also worked successfully to expand the U.N. presence in Helsinki.
Mr. Sareva holds an M.A. from the School of Advanced International Studies of the Johns Hopkins University in Washington. He is married with two children and one grandchild.
On 11 February 2022, Mr. Sareva was appointed as Consul General of Finland in New York, effective 1 September 2022. The Consulate General promotes Finland’s commercial & cultural interests in the United States, with focus on thirty-five eastern states, Puerto Rico & US Virgin Islands.