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Nordic Dialogues on Human Security

3-4 March 2026 | Helsinki, Finland

Hosted by the UN Trust Fund for Human Security (UNTFHS), the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), and the Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA)

Across the globe, governments and institutions are reassessing how to protect people in an increasingly complex security landscape shaped by geopolitical tensions, fiscal pressures, technological disruptions, climate impacts, and strains on the multilateral system. These evolving dynamics affect not only national security strategies but also the everyday lives of communities, underscoring the need for approaches that strengthen long-term societal resilience.

The Nordic Dialogues on Human Security provide a platform for exploring how human-centered approaches can help navigate this shifting environment. Human security offers an integrated understanding of risk across political, environmental, economic, social and technological domains, and supports coherent policy responses that place people at the center.” It complements traditional security measures by anticipating the drivers of instability and reducing vulnerabilities before crises escalate.

For Finland, these discussions come at a particularly timely moment. The country is adjusting to a transformed security landscape following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, its NATO accession, increased defense investments, and renewed focus on preparedness, while simultaneously navigating fiscal constraints and a fragile international order. These pressures highlight the importance of balancing hard security imperatives with broader, human-centered approaches that reinforce resilience and societal trust — both longstanding strengths of Finland’s comprehensive security model.

As part of this wider Nordic initiative, the Helsinki Dialogues bring together policymakers, practitioners, researchers, and civil society to explore how human security can support Finland’s evolving security priorities and contribute to broader regional and global conversations on its future.

1. PUBLIC EVENT: Human Security in a New Era: Finnish Reflections and Global Implications

3 March ? 12:30–14:15

This public event brings together Finnish policymakers, practitioners, and experts to explore how Finland’s evolving security context relates to human-centered approaches to security. It examines how human security can complement Finland’s defense posture, support long-term societal resilience, and strengthen preparedness amid shifting geopolitical, fiscal, and multilateral conditions. As part of the Nordic Dialogue series, the event situates Finland’s perspective within a broader regional and global discussion on human-centered security.

Speakers:

• Knut Volleb?k, Chair, UN Advisory Board on Human Security
• Eva Biaudet, Member of the Parliament of Finland
• Kerstin Stendahl, Special Envoy on Environment Security, Senior Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of the Environment
• Maria Mekri, Executive Director, SaferGlobe
• Jyrki Ruohom?ki: Chief Senior Specialist and Head of Unit, Crisis Management Center (CMC)
• Moderator: Katja Creutz, Programme Director, FIIA

2. HIGH LEVEL DINNER (Closed): Strategic Perspectives on Human?Centric Security

3 March

This closed, high-level dinner offers space for candid discussion among senior Finnish and Nordic leaders on the role of human-centered approaches in today’s evolving security landscape. Participants will explore emerging opportunities to strengthen Nordic leadership on human security and reflect on how Finland’s foreign, development, and security policy priorities can benefit from human-centered perspectives within a shifting geopolitical context.

3. EXPERT ROUNDTABLE (CLOSED-DOOR): Advancing People?Centered Approaches in Finland’s International Engagement

4 March

Building on insights from the public event and high-level dinner, this expert roundtable will explore practical ways human-centered approaches can inform Finland’s foreign and security policy, particularly in relation to societal resilience and complex, interconnected risks. It brings together policymakers, researchers, and practitioners to identify concrete opportunities for advancing human security within Finland’s international engagement and the wider Nordic context.

The Nordic region is recognized for its strong commitment to peace, multilateralism, inclusivity, and trusted public institutions. These ideals continue to shape how Nordic societies approach security in an era of accelerating geopolitical, environmental, and technological change. They also provide an essential foundation for examining how a human?centered approach can remain relevant as risks become more interconnected and pressures on governance and resilience grow.

A longstanding Nordic understanding is that societal resilience and human dignity are central to security. Inclusive governance, social cohesion, preparedness, and cooperation across sectors help underpin stability, particularly during periods of uncertainty or rapid change. As Nordic states adapt to shifting geopolitical dynamics, tighter fiscal conditions, and pressures on the multilateral system, these foundational principles remain critical, particularly in how they are expressed in concrete policy frameworks, institutional design and cross-sector cooperation.

For example, Finland’s internationally recognized comprehensive security model, grounded in whole?of?society cooperation and high institutional trust, reflects these Nordic principles. It offers a practical framework for linking traditional defense preparedness with broader human?centered perspectives on resilience and security.

The Helsinki Dialogues build on this foundation, bringing Finland’s experience to bear on questions that resonate within and extend well beyond its borders, at a moment when human security thinking is needed more than ever before.