A transforming international order - Is there still room for values in today's world?

A transforming international order - Is there still room for values in today's world?

Before the event at 15:30 you are welcome to join a guided tour in our art park
featuring three exciting new sculptures on the occasion of our anniversary.

The event will conclude at 17:00 with an afterwork networking opportunity in our wine bar.

Dialogue participants

• Gabriella Irsten, Head of sustainable peace and human security, Svenska Freds
• Caroline Holmqvist, Swedish Defense University Stockholm and political scientist
• Ilmari Nalbantoglu, Director of Advocacy, Fingo
• Moderator: Iida Hyyryläinen, The Ulkopolitist

The global security landscape is in turmoil. For small states like Sweden and Finland, which share common values, defending a rules-based world order is a critical foreign policy goal. With an increased emphasis on hard security issues and the heightened challenges to the rules-based international order especially by authoritarian countries, there is a declining focus on core international values and the multilateral structures built to maintain them.

Amid the changing world order, it is even more important that Finland and Sweden combine their influence and drive action that protects and advances their shared values on the global arena. How can the two countries safeguard a balance between values and realism at a time of increasing geopolitical tensions? How can Finland and Sweden work together to ensure that democracy, human rights and rule of law remain at the center of international cooperation in the future as well?

The transforming international order also poses questions about the need to reform international institutions. How can Finland and Sweden, in their part and together, work to uphold the multilateral system and develop it to meet future challenges better? What is at stake, if we only focus on hard security and fail to nurture soft security aspects?