'Global Warming, Financial Crisis and Security Politics in the North' - International Security Policy Meeting in Helsinki

The Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP) is convening an International Security Policy Meeting at the Grand Marina Congress Center in Helsinki, Finland on Friday 5 June 2009. The event is hosted jointly by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defence.  The participants will be addressed by Mr. Pertti Torstila, Secretary of State (MFA), Mr. Antti Sierla, Under-Secretary of State (MFA) and Mr. Kari Rimpi, Permanent Secretary (MoD).

Over a hundred alumni and current students of the GCSP, from the United States to Russia, the United Kingdom to the Hellenic Republic, including representatives from Turkmenistan, Thailand, Singapore and India, will be present to discuss two main themes, Nordic-Baltic-Russian security politics and new geopolitics and geo-economics in the High North.

Leading academic and think tank analysts from Finland and the region will address the seminar as panelists, including Dr. Arkady Moshes, Finnish Institute of International Affairs, Dr. Tuomas Forsberg, Professor, University of Tampere, Dr. Lassi Heininen, Docent, University of Lapland, and Dr. Tomas Ries, Director, Swedish Institute of International Affairs, Stockholm.

The Finnish Security and Defence Policy White Paper 2009 acknowledged environmental challenges as a key source of concern. The report also noted that Russia's restoration of a great power status is linked to its favourable economic growth. The long term trend towards global warming and the sudden systemic shock of the global financial crisis have impacted on the Finnish security environment, from the changing geopolitics of the High North to Russia's relations with its Baltic and Nordic neighbours.

Due to its rising geopolitical and geo-economical significance, the management of the Arctic region will become a litmus test for global governance. The question is whether the North will be shaped by the rules of a multi-polar world order in which zero-sum, 'beggar thy neighbour' security politics are the norm or a multilateral global order in which cooperative security policies address and manage sources of insecurity.

The GCSP is an international foundation which trains government officials, diplomats, military officers, international civil servants, NGO staff and business executives in all the fields of international and national security policy. Apart from its courses held in Geneva, it provides a whole range of tailor-made training modules adapted to the needs of its partners in Geneva and in various regions of the world. GCSP activities are facilitated by the Centre's twenty resident Faculty staff and through an international network of proven experts. Finland is a member of the Foundation Council of the centre since 1995. Finnish alumni consist of 30 graduates from the GCSP principal courses.

We cordially invite you to a press conference at the Grand Marina Congress Center (Katajanokanlaituri 7) on Friday 5 June 2009 at 16.30 to interview organizers and speakers of an International Security Policy Meeting 'Global Warming, Financial Crisis and Security Politics in the North'. Representatives of media are asked to register by Friday 5th of June by 1 p.m. at the Information Unit of the Ministry of Defence, Tel. +358 50 3040 191.

For further information regarding the meeting, please contact Head of Alumni Affairs, Colonel Hannu Aikio, tel. +358 40 569 6664.