The future of Nato discussed in Helsinki

President Halonen and Secretary General Rasmussend met at Mäntyniemi. Photo: Lehtikuva

The future of Nato crisis management and the organisation’s role in the international cooperation were discussed during an international seminar in Helsinki on Thurday, 4 March. The seminar is connected with the drafting of Nato’s new strategic concept. President of the Republic of Finland Tarja Halonen opened the seminar, and in her speech she reminded of the importance of coordination between military and civilian crisis management.

President Halonen met bilaterally Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen at Mäntyniemi official residence. During the working luncheon they discussed the cooperation between Nato and EU, and both leaders agreed that coordination in crisis management should be strengthened.

“EU and Nato can assist each other in crisis management operations. By coordinating our efforts we can achieve synergy and savings. EU and Nato are also politically close to each other, that is why it is important that we cooperate”, Secretary General Rasmussen told at the press confrence after the bilateral meeting.

According to President Halonen NATO's Response Force and the EU's rapid-reaction mechanism are partly overlapping and should be rethought. “In order to respond to real emergency situations, it could be developed into a ‘lego system’ or ‘unit system’ that would be more flexible and would take into account different political commitments”, President Halonen said.

Military and civilian crisis management complement each other

In her opening speech at the Nato seminar, President Halonen pointed out that international crises have become more and more multidimensional, and also practical situations have been combinations of military and non-military threats and challenges. “We need a well-planned combination of military and civilian crisis management, development efforts and humanitarian aid to cope with complex crisis situations”, President Halonen said.

Potential threats to security are caused, for example, by extreme poverty, famine, contagious diseases, and natural disasters. “Immediately after a disaster the greatest need is for humanitarian aid. Rapid action is needed, but it is not the only factor that matters. Mutual trust between donors and the positive attitude of the local population are important for sustainable results in the long run”.

According to President Halonen we should take into consideration the role of NGOs and also the hesitation that many NGOs may feel towards a system based on armed forces. “Here in Finland, we have a universal conscription, and therefore it appears to be somewhat easier to create well-functioning military-civilian cooperation. This is a question that we should discuss further.”

Womens’ situation in crises should be strengthened

In her seminar speech as well as in the bilateral talks, President Halonen mentioned the role of women in conflicts and crisis situations. This year it will be a decade since the passing of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.

“The respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms of all people, including women and girls, should be safeguarded in all crisis management operations. In addition, women need to be more involved than before in finding solutions to conflicts”, President Halonen said. According to Secretary General Rasmussen also Nato will take into special consideration the role of women in connection with the crisis management operations.

Finland has participated in the Nato Partnership for Peace since the mid-1990s and much of this cooperation has been concrete action in crisis areas. Finland is presently participating in NATO-led crisis management operations in Kosovo and Afghanistan.

According to President Halonen the cooperation between Finland and NATO will be further developed on the basis of partnership. “This is a good way to continue.”