Petri Toivonen
Secretary General
The Security Committee
Finland
There is an identified need for deeper cross-governmental and whole-of-society cooperation on preparedness. We have faced COVID-19, Russian attack to Ukraine, migration and refugee crisis in Europe, Nord Stream gas pipeline explosions at the Baltic Sea and Europe’s energy crisis. Simultaneously the climate change and various hybrid threats are challenging us. Unfortunately operating in world where our society’s crisis resilience is tested almost on daily basis has become a norm.
The Finnish model of preparedness is based on the concept of Comprehensive Security, where authorities, businesses, non-governmental organizations and citizens are jointly responsible for safeguarding society’s vital functions. The aim is that during crisis, the entirety of Finnish society is able to rapidly focus resources where needed, recover quickly, and adapt its functions based on the lessons learned. The roots of the concept are in the post-WWII doctrine of Total Defence, where the entire society was mobilized to support the military defence, if needed.
Incidents seldom occur alone, but rather as part of a so-called multiple disruption scenario. It is too late to react to an incident when it has already begun. Preparedness planning means identifying society’s vital functions, potential threats and weaknesses to these, as well as relevant security actors. Baseline of the Comprehensive Security is described in the Security Strategy for Society. The model is based on society-wide shared responsibilities with actors in all levels. In the core of the strategy are seven deeply intertwined vital functions for Society. These include: 1) Leadership, 2) International and EU-activities, 3) Defence capability, 4) Internal security, 5) Economy, infrastructure and security of supply, 6) Functional capacity of the population and services and 7) Psychological resilience.
In preparedness, everyone has a role. The Government is in charge of overall picture and coordination of efforts in safeguarding the vital functions. Authorities, municipalities and other public organs cooperate in order to ensure continuity of services while NGO’s provide services and coordinate the participation of volunteers in the activities supporting authorities. The private sector has increasingly important role in the preparedness process, as businesses operate on infrastructure critical for society. Finland has a lot to offer in comprehensive approach on security and resilience.
Resilience is national responsibility and Finland will strongly rely upon the principles of Comprehensive Security in enhancing society’s resilience. NATO has identified seven Baseline Requirements, which are seen as critical enablers for military action. These are ment to improve societal resilience and the institutional structures in member countries and through that in NATO and EU too. Improving resilience takes time. At the current situation, it is more than relevant to be able to resist different kind of threats and stand tall together. We need to be allied and we need to share our best practices.
How do we improve our resilience is a valid question – although the answer is far from simple. One factor, which we have identified in Finland, is working together and bringing all key societal actors around the same table when finding answers to the question on how to prepare and how to build our society more resilient.
This is also the idea behind the Security Committee in Finland. In a way it acts as a national resilience committee where represented are the permanent secretaries from all ministries and the Office of the President of the Republic along with all the heads of key security agencies. The private sector represented by the Chief Executive Officer of National Emergency Supply Agency and Chair of the National Emergency Supply Council. Finnish Red Cross, National Defence Training Association and Finnish National Rescue Association each take turn representing the whole field of NGO’s in the Security Committee.
The key element of preparedness is trust. Building trust requires active and sustained effort. Preparedness is never ready, and we constantly need to find ways to improve it. That is why we are currently updating the Security Strategy for Society to better and more comprehensively address changing security environment with its challenges. To be better prepared against hybrid operations and in order to be more resilient, we need to use the best qualities and strengths to counter malign hybrid actors. Preparedness work has to be done in all levels – international, state, regional and local level – as said before, everybody has a role in it – also in being resilient civilian. In sum, the Finnish model aims to combine a rapid, adaptable local response with system-level coordination and learning. Preparedness assures the best possible response no matter the threat.
The Finnish model of preparedness is based on the concept of Comprehensive Security, where authorities, businesses, non-governmental organizations and citizens are jointly responsible for safeguarding society’s vital functions. The aim is that during crisis, the entirety of Finnish society is able to rapidly focus resources where needed, recover quickly, and adapt its functions based on the lessons learned. The roots of the concept are in the post-WWII doctrine of Total Defence, where the entire society was mobilized to support the military defence, if needed.
Incidents seldom occur alone, but rather as part of a so-called multiple disruption scenario. It is too late to react to an incident when it has already begun. Preparedness planning means identifying society’s vital functions, potential threats and weaknesses to these, as well as relevant security actors. Baseline of the Comprehensive Security is described in the Security Strategy for Society. The model is based on society-wide shared responsibilities with actors in all levels. In the core of the strategy are seven deeply intertwined vital functions for Society. These include: 1) Leadership, 2) International and EU-activities, 3) Defence capability, 4) Internal security, 5) Economy, infrastructure and security of supply, 6) Functional capacity of the population and services and 7) Psychological resilience.
In preparedness, everyone has a role. The Government is in charge of overall picture and coordination of efforts in safeguarding the vital functions. Authorities, municipalities and other public organs cooperate in order to ensure continuity of services while NGO’s provide services and coordinate the participation of volunteers in the activities supporting authorities. The private sector has increasingly important role in the preparedness process, as businesses operate on infrastructure critical for society. Finland has a lot to offer in comprehensive approach on security and resilience.
Resilience is national responsibility and Finland will strongly rely upon the principles of Comprehensive Security in enhancing society’s resilience. NATO has identified seven Baseline Requirements, which are seen as critical enablers for military action. These are ment to improve societal resilience and the institutional structures in member countries and through that in NATO and EU too. Improving resilience takes time. At the current situation, it is more than relevant to be able to resist different kind of threats and stand tall together. We need to be allied and we need to share our best practices.
How do we improve our resilience is a valid question – although the answer is far from simple. One factor, which we have identified in Finland, is working together and bringing all key societal actors around the same table when finding answers to the question on how to prepare and how to build our society more resilient.
This is also the idea behind the Security Committee in Finland. In a way it acts as a national resilience committee where represented are the permanent secretaries from all ministries and the Office of the President of the Republic along with all the heads of key security agencies. The private sector represented by the Chief Executive Officer of National Emergency Supply Agency and Chair of the National Emergency Supply Council. Finnish Red Cross, National Defence Training Association and Finnish National Rescue Association each take turn representing the whole field of NGO’s in the Security Committee.
The key element of preparedness is trust. Building trust requires active and sustained effort. Preparedness is never ready, and we constantly need to find ways to improve it. That is why we are currently updating the Security Strategy for Society to better and more comprehensively address changing security environment with its challenges. To be better prepared against hybrid operations and in order to be more resilient, we need to use the best qualities and strengths to counter malign hybrid actors. Preparedness work has to be done in all levels – international, state, regional and local level – as said before, everybody has a role in it – also in being resilient civilian. In sum, the Finnish model aims to combine a rapid, adaptable local response with system-level coordination and learning. Preparedness assures the best possible response no matter the threat.