The Security Committee’s anniversary event and the publication of the Security Strategy for Society on 3 February 2025

The 12th anniversary of the Security Committee was celebrated on February 3, 2025, at the House of Nobility. The event also celebrated the renewed Security Strategy for Society, published on January 16, 2025. The Security Strategy for Society describes the concept for comprehensive security, in which the vital functions of society are taken care of in collaboration between the authorities, business community, organisations and citizens. Comprehensive security forms the foundation of resilience in Finnish society. President of the Republic Alexander Stubb brought the greetings of the state leadership to the event:

“Comprehensive security is a typically Finnish approach to security. Its seeds were sown after our experiences during the Second World War. We understood that Finland, as a society, can only cope if we act seamlessly together, with unity in our goals, pragmatism in our cooperation. Comprehensive security means collaboration between the authorities, business community, organisations and citizens. In other words, it is a matter that belongs to all of us”.

The renewed strategy emphasises the importance of our response to disruptions and crises. In addition, the link to the evolving resilience work in the EU and NATO has been strengthened.

According to the President of the Republic Alexander Stubb: “The strategy underscores not only preparedness, but also our ability to respond to disruptions and crises, our response. Recent events in the Baltic Sea emphasise the importance of response capability. Rapid reaction, actions by authorities, such as seizing the vessel in the Eagle S case, minimising the impacts of disturbances and rapid repair of damages. All these are part of effective response”.

The renewed strategy emphasises the role of individuals as key actors in comprehensive security. Citizens have a constitutional right to security but also a responsibility to act within their abilities in a manner that enhances security and the sense of security in communities and society.

“Psychological resilience is crucial. Citizens must be able to trust each other and the authorities. We must resist any developments that would create or deepen divisions. I have often stressed the importance of a culture of listening and respectful discussion in Finnish society. The value of trust and a culture of discussion becomes even more evident during disruptions”, President of the Republic Alexander Stubb emphasised.

The vital functions of society are secured by implementing strategic tasks based on legislation, confirmed by agreements and complemented by voluntary activities. The renewed strategy defines 56 strategic tasks.

“Strategic tasks secure the vital functions of our society. Each strategic task can be further divided into more detailed sub-tasks. These sub-tasks extend to national and international levels, both regional and local. In other words, each ministry or administrative branch is responsible for its own tasks. In practice, this means that each ministry is also responsible for international preparedness and response in its own field. In this regard, our active engagement in the EU and NATO provides Finland with stronger support than ever before“,
said Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen, who brought the Government’s greetings to the event.

Read the speech of the President of the Republic here.