Finland’s national strategy for civilian crisis management
According to the Government Programme of Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen’s second Cabinet, Finland will function as an active member of the international community, making its contribution to shared global responsibility and creating its own opportunities for exerting influence.Under the Programme, the Government will promote Finland’s readiness to contribute to international crisis management assignments. It specifically calls for the formulation of a national strategy for and expansion of Finland’s participation in civilian crisis management missions.
On 17 January 2008 the Ministry of the Interior set up a working group to formulate Finland’s National Strategy for Civilian Crisis Management. In accordance with the brief and objectives laid down in the Government Programme of Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen’s second Cabinet, the working group has aimed to draw up a strong national strategy and to expand Finland’s role in civilian crisis management internationally. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs decides on the civilian crisis management missions and activities in which Finland will participate. If necessary, decisions can be placed before the Cabinet Committee on Foreign and Security Policy and the President of the Republic, and the Cabinet Committee on European Union Affairs.
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs’ functions also include national coordination of Finland’s civilian crisis management within the EU.The Ministry of the Interior is responsible for domestic capacity building for civilian crisis management and related international cooperation. ‘Domestic capacity building’ means training of civilian crisis management experts, recruitment, and systematic personnel and material management, research and development to support these functions, and functions related to th maintenance of material and logistical readiness and situational awareness.