About the Nordic Forum for Security Policy

The Nordic Forum on Security Policy has emerged as the leading discussion platform on the Nordic-Baltic-Russian security dialogue. Replacing a previous network, the Working Group for a Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone in the Nordic Area, the Nordic Forum has since 1987 gradually extended its influence as a centre for opinion moulding. From concentrating on purely Nordic security issues during the first period, the Forum has since the early 1990s increasingly embraced Baltic and Russian affairs in its programs. The Finnish Committee for European Security (STETE) coordinates the work of the Forum.

Due to Ukraine's important standing as well as its role and relations with and within the European neighbourhood, this year the Nordic Forum conference was organized in Kyiv, Ukraine 10th - 12th September 2008 under the title "Experience sharing between Baltic & Black Sea regions - Ukraine´s European Vision in Focus".

Ukraine belongs to one of the target countries of European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) and has recently been appointed as a new WTO Member State. The overall purpose of the Kyiv conference was to share practices and thoughts between different countries, organisations and regions. The idea was to exchange experiences and best practices between the Baltic Sea and Black Sea regions on how to support stability and societal development, civil society collaboration and human security into wider discussion. The opening plenary looked into Baltic and Black Sea regions and also focused on issues touching upon Ukraine's European "aspirations". The core political and expert-level topics dealed with traditional security politics, regional cooperation, environmental and energy issues, human dimension/security issues and frozen conflicts in Ukraine's neighbourhood.

The conference was organised by the Nordic Forum for Security Policy (The Finnish Committee for European Security - STETE and OSSE-nätverket, the Swedish OSCE network) in co-operation with the local partner the Polish-Ukrainian Cooperation Foundation - PAUCI and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung from Germany. The Finnish Committee for European Security co-ordinates the the work of the Forum.

Here you will find the programme of the conference and as well as some of the speeches and photos.


Previously organised events

Models for Cross-border Co-operation - Focus on the Pskov Region Conference in Pskov, Northwest Russia19 - 20 May 2006.

Nordic Forum for Security Policy that is co-ordinated by STETE organised a broad-based discussion forum in Pskov, 19 - 20 May, 2006 in-co-operation with the local partners (NGO Chduskoe Project, Pskov & CIRP, St. Petersburg). The conference in Pskov continued the conference serial organised by the Nordic Forum around the Baltic Sea Rim.

The purpose of the conference was to support the stability and democratic societal development of the Baltic Sea region. The project was seen crucial for developing broad security, economic development and civil society collaboration. The border between the EU (Estonia and Latvia) and Russia is a challenging border where more closer international co-operation and dialogue is needed for the stability and security of the whole Baltic Sea region. The purpose was also to present already on-going cross-border projects and areas, and to learn from their good practises. The EU policies of the Northern Dimension as well as the New Neighbourhood Policy and Instrument were the wider framework for the event.

The conference itself consisted of two plenary sessions and three working groups dealing with the human and social security issues, environmental questions and the business co-operation. The organisers will publish the conference report afterwards.

Programme of the conference and pictures from the conference.
 

The latest three broad-based discussion forums before Pskov  were organized in 10 - 12 September, 2004 in Gdansk, Poland and in  24 - 25 January, 2003 in Murmansk. The conference "Russia, Kaliningrad Oblast and the Baltic Sea Region - An Appeal for Enhanced Cooperation" organized in Kaliningrad, 8 - 10 February, 2001, gathered together 260 participants from 21 countries and international organizations.


In November 1991, the Nordic Forum organized its first seminar of extended dialogue in Lohusalo, near Tallinn, Estonia, with participation from the Nordic countries, the newly independent Baltic states and Russia. The seminar was combined with a fact-finding mission to the then Soviet naval base at Paldiski on the Estonian coast. This was the first time people who were not attached to the Russian military were allowed to visit the nuclear submarine base. Later, the base was handed over to Estonia.

The Nordic Forum has also been involved in Arctic issues. In December 1992 the Nordic Forum and the University of Lapland held a press seminar in Rovaniemi in Northern Finland on the Arctic and its environmental problems (nuclear tests, nuclear waste).

In June 1993 the Nordic Forum organized another press seminar in Andineeme, Estonia, which focused on bilateral Estonian-Russian matters within the contexts of the Baltic Sea Region and Europe. The seminar was followed by a study tour to Narva, in East Estonia close to the Russian border, to get acquainted with the conditions of the Russian majority and the Estonian minority populations in this region.

In November 1994 over 160 people from 11 countries gathered in Vilnius, Lithuania, for a think-tank style of conference on the theme Ideas on Cooperative Security in the Baltic Sea Region. This was followed by a fact-finding visit to Kaliningrad, the neighbouring enclave of the Russian Federation.

In the spring of' 1996, the Nordic Forum held a conference in St Petersburg to discuss and debate the situation of St Petersburg, the Baltic Sea and European security. A similar conference was held in Warsaw 1998 on "21st Century Challenges for the Baltic Sea Region and European Security" with emphasis on Polish issues.


 
 
 
The Finnish Committee for
European Security (STETE)		 OSSE-nätverket
Nordic Forum local partners