NordenBladet — The working group’s final report finds that the level of information security and data protection in sectors critical to society should be increased by means of additional resources and more effective cooperation. The working group would steer the level of information security by means of more detailed and targeted statutory requirements and obligations, the implementation of which would be actively monitored. The working group’s report was published on 1 February 2021.

A digital society consists of many interdependent actors whose activities require reliable and secure connections and information systems. This is particularly important to the functioning of society’s critical services. In these sectors, individual information security and data protection violations and disruptions can have a direct impact on citizens’ lives and the functioning of the national economy.

Although general and sector-specific information security and data protection-related obligations have been imposed on critical services, the work of the working group has demonstrated that there are major differences between sectors in their ability to respond to growing information security and data protection challenges.

The working group made proposals for policy guidelines to improve the information security and data protection of critical sectors, and specified the parties responsible for the measures and schedules for their implementation.

The policy proposals are based on seven requirements that should be implemented to ensure that the information security and data protection of operations are adequate:
1. Legislation must include adequate information security and data protection requirements and obligations for critical sectors and precise regulations for their implementation.
2. Actors must have sufficient knowledge and competence to comply with the obligations.
3. Authorities must have sufficient powers to monitor the implementation of information security and data protectionand to engage in cross-sector cooperation.
4. Authorities must have sufficient competence and courage to exercise their powers and guide their sector.
5. Authorities must have sufficient resources to exercise their powers.
6. Each actor bears responsibility for the information security and data protection of their operations.
7. Authorities have an up-to-date situational picture of the level and situation of information security and data protection throughout the operating environment.

The report also provides an assessment of needed additional resources, with a focus on developing the operational capacity of supervisory authorities.

Investments in cyber security
The newly completed report by the working group is part of a larger cyber security-related entity.

“To ensure cyber security, society must be alert, prepared, and ready to partake in cooperation. Leadership is required from the Government, legislation must be reformed and the efficiency of the activities of the authorities must be improved. Resources must also be increased, but this is an investment in security that will pay for itself manifold,” emphasises Timo Harakka, Minister of Transport and Communications.

In Finland, many of society’s key sectors are obliged to ensure the information security and cyber security of their services. These obligations are supplemented by voluntary cooperation and exchange of information between the authorities and service providers. In addition, the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency’s National Cyber Security Centre monitors and develops the reliability and security of communications networks and services and helps in investigating information security breaches.

The development programme that extends over numerous government terms currently under consultation will also improve the planning and development of cyber security. The aim of the Programme is to provide guidance for the cyber security development extending across sectoral borders and government terms.

In 2020-2023, public administration’s digital security services will also be developed in accordance with the Ministry of Finance’s Haukka implementation plan. The implementation plan will also support the preparation and implementation of the cyber security strategy development programme.

The significance of cyber security was also highlighted in the final report of the Working group for a digital leap forward. The working group on digital means for the after-care of the coronavirus crisis proposed that Finland should promote the development of the information and cyber security ecosystem and infrastructure with research and by supporting the Finnish cyber industry. This would also safeguard Finland’s international competitiveness.

Background of the working group on information security and data protection in critical sectors
In November, the Ministry of Transport and Communications appointed a working group to identify needs to amend the legislation on data security and protection in sectors of key importance for the functioning of society and to submit a proposal to the Government for policy guidelines on them.

The working group’s report concentrated on the key sectors of society, such as health care, energy supply, the financial sector, water supply, traffic and digital infrastructure and its services.

The aim is for information security to be part of society’s preparedness and for the services provided by society and citizens’ data to be better protected from unauthorised processingThe group will be chaired by Laura Vilkkonen, Director-General at the Ministry of Transport and Communications. The group consisted of representatives from ministries and the authorities.

The working group’s final report Improving information security and data protection in the critical sectors of society can be read on the Government website (in Finnish, abstract in English).

NordenBladet — The Ministry of the Interior has set up a project to prepare Finland’s strategy on expatriate Finns for 2022–2026. The position of expatriates is in a constant state of change, and the aim is to better respond to the changes, for example by means of digitalisation. The intention is that also Finns living abroad will maintain their contacts and opportunities to influence Finnish society.

The project will assess new channels and forums for expatriate Finns to participate and exert influence, which could focus on specific themes in addition to specific countries and municipalities. The purpose of the strategy is also to strengthen measures enabling all citizens who are interested in returning with possible foreign spouses and children to settle in Finland smoothly and in an assisted manner. The project will take into account possible legislative needs and future challenges. In addition, the Finnish terms that are being used, namely  ‘ulkosuomalaisuus’ and ‘paluumuutto’ (Finnish expatriation and return migration) and the need to update them will be examined. Consultation and involvement of different parties are integral parts of the work

The Ministry of the Interior coordinates the affairs of expatriate Finns in central government. In addition to the Finland Society and the Migration Institute of Finland, representatives from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment will be invited to participate in the project. In order to ensure the widest possible expertise during the project, various stakeholders, such as communities of expatriate Finns and representatives of businesses, will also be consulted. At the start of the project, Aalto University will prepare a report on how the strategy can be built in the most inclusive manner that complies with the principles of sustainable development. The project will draw on the results of the Migration Institute’s extensive survey for expatriate Finns, which will be completed in spring 2021. In summer 2021, the Finnish Expatriate Parliament that will be organised online will be involved in the preparation of the strategy. The project will also examine the ways in which other countries organise the affairs of their citizens residing abroad.

The Government’s previous policy programme for expatriate Finns was drawn up for 2017–2021. The new strategy on expatriate Finns will put into effect the general objectives set out in the Government Programme of Prime Minister Marin’s Government concerning sustainable development and increasing inclusion and vitality. The strategy will be completed by the end of 2021.

Position of expatriates is undergoing a change
Approximately 300,000 Finnish citizens live outside Finland’s borders, of whom approximately 254,000 have the right to vote. Most Finns move to Sweden, the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States and Spain. Net migration of Finnish citizens has been negative throughout the 2010s, which means that more Finnish citizens have emigrated from Finland than immigrated to the country. In 2019, for example, about 10,000 citizens moved abroad from Finland, and about 800 returned to Finland. Statistics show that 2020 made a significant exception to the situation that has been going on for years: even before the end of the year, the net migration of Finns back to their home country was almost 1,500 people. The global coronavirus pandemic and the fact that Finland has been able to control the disease relatively well have led to increased interest in return. Furthermore, the physical location is no longer as important as before in terms of work. Living and working in two or more countries are becoming more common. Moving abroad can also be temporary.

Issues that are important for expatriate Finns include citizenship issues and consular services, voting and other opportunities to influence and participate, schools that teach Finnish language and culture (Suomi-koulu), the maintenance of Finnish language and culture abroad, support for return, especially in employment matters, and the provision of expertise for Finnish companies in the country of residence.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

NordenBladet — A revision of the Act on Environmental Protection in Maritime Transport is underway. The draft has been modified based on initial comments, and the requirements for ports and the authorities have been relaxed. The Ministry of Transport and Communications requests comments on the draft by 12 February.

The act is being revised in accordance with Directive (EU) 2019/883 on port reception facilities for the delivery of waste from ships. The aim is to improve waste reception in ports in order to reduce marine litter and the introduction of plastic into seas.

Other changes based on national discretion will be made to the Act on Environmental Protection in Maritime Transport at the same time, as well as updates to the Act on the Technical Safety and Safe Operation of Ships, the Register of Ships Act, the Act on the Security of Certain Ships and Associated Port Facilities and on Monitoring Maritime Security, and the act on ship equipment (1503/2011). The draft was first circulated for comments in late 2020.

Six important changes after the first comments
1. The definition of satama (port) has been changed. The act’s waste management requirements would not apply to minor harbours, such as marinas with fewer than 25 moorings, or boatyards. The scope will remain the same for inland waters, meaning that the act would apply to marinas with a minimum of 50 moorings. The new limits would also reduce the impact on the obligations of the authorities.
2. In merchant shipping, ports would need to collect municipal waste, including organic, plastic and paper waste.
3. The reports submitted to the port waste management commission would be limited to the largest ports, which would reduce the requirements for the authorities, as large ports are capable of filing the reports themselves.
4. The proposal for a sulphur emission charge would be separated from the draft. It was previously proposed that a charge for vessels in violation of the limit on sulphur emissions be implemented in parallel with the criminal justice system. The preparation of this sanction would continue in a separate legal initiative for preparing the administrative sanctions of the Act on Environmental Protection in Maritime Transport.
5. The provision on the oil spill charge’s damage and hazard evaluation would be separated from the draft and prepared separately.
6. The Register of Ships Act would be changed. In future, it would suffice that the applicant submit a copy of their vessel’s title deed instead of the original document. It would still remain mandatory to present the original document to the authorities within one month of when the recording of ownership was required. After the initial comments, the limitation of only applying this procedure in exceptional circumstances has been removed from the draft.In addition, the impacts that the changes will have on the authorities are now further explained in the draft.

Next steps
The Ministry of Transport and Communications requests comments on the modified draft by 12 February. The government proposal is due to be presented to the Parliament in March 2021.The changes required in national legislation by Directive (EU) 2019/883 must be in effect by 28 June 2021. The changes to the Act on Environmental Protection in Maritime Transport, the Act on the Technical Safety and Safe Operation of Ships, and the act on ship equipment (1503/2011) are due to take place on the same date. The changes proposed to the Register of Ships Act and the Act on the Security of Certain Ships and Associated Port Facilities and on Monitoring Maritime Security would be put in place as soon as possible in spring 2021.

Additional information:Laura Sarlin, senior adviser, tel. +358 50 447 7597, laura.sarlin(at)lvm.fi, Twitter @SarlinLauraPäivi Antikainen, director of unit, tel. +358 50 382 7101, paivi.antikainen(at)lvm.fi, Twitter @PaiviAntikainenPress release 9 November 2020: Legislation on the management of vessel waste in ports tightened – comments invited
Press release 12 November 2019: Environmental legislation on maritime transport will be reformed – focus on waste management
Lausuntopalvelu.fi: Request for an opinion (in Finnish)
Gateway to Information on Government Projects: Amendments to the Act on Environmental Protection in Maritime Transport (LVM036:00/2019) (in Finnish)

NordenBladet — Finland proposes listing a set of 13 sites representing Alvar Aalto’s humane architecture as a cultural heritage site on the tentative list of UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The holy place of worship of Ukonsaari by the Saami people in Inari will remain on the list of sites on the national tentative list.Decisions on the sites to be included on the tentative list are made nationally. The decision is made by the Ministry of Education and Culture in the case of cultural heritage sites and by the Ministry of the Environment in the case of natural heritage sites. Decisions made by the Ministry of Education and Culture are based on a proposal prepared by the Finnish Heritage Agency. The national tentative list was last updated in 2004.

“The national tentative list is a fine set of sites complementing our existing group of world heritage sites and it is in line with the policies of the national world heritage strategy. The sites on the tentative list represent our national cultural heritage in a magnificent way, and we can be globally proud of such a heritage, too,” said Annika Saarikko, Minister of Science and Culture.

The other cultural heritage sites on the current national tentative list no longer fully meet the criteria of the World Heritage Convention and the guidelines for a representative, balanced and credible World Heritage List, which is why they will be removed from the tentative list. These include rock carvings from historic time at the island of Gaddtarmen (Hauensuoli), a large Stone Age ruin of Kastelli at Pattijoki, rock paintings of Astuvansalmi at Ristiina, and Paimio Hospital (formerly Paimio Sanatorium), which will be removed from the list as a separate site but is one of the set of 13 sites on the Alvar Aalto humane architecture list.

The Ministry of the Environment is responsible for updating natural heritage sites on to the list in cooperation with the National Parks Finland services of Metsähallitus. The Ministry of the Environment has proposed including the archipelago habitats of the Saimaa ringed seal on the national tentative list, replacing the Saimaa-Pielinen lake system included on the current list.

Set of 13 sites representing Alvar Aalto’s humane architectureThe set of sites on the tentative list consists of 13 sites designed by Alvar Aalto: Alvar Aalto’s Studio Aalto, Aalto House, Finlandia Hall, main building of the Social Insurance Institution and Helsinki Hall of Culture (Kulttuuritalo), Jyväskylä University Campus, Muuratsalo Experimental House and Säynätsalo Town Hall in Jyväskylä, Paimio Hospital (formerly Paimio Sanatorium), Seinäjoki Administrative and Cultural Centre, Sunila Sulphate Pulp Mill and Residential Area in Kotka, Villa Mairea in Pori, and the Church of the Three Crosses (Vuoksenniska Church) in Imatra.

The number of sites in the set of sites may still change when preparations start for submitting the site on the tentative list for inscription to the World Heritage List. A date for the preparation will be decided separately.

World Heritage Convention and Tentative List
The World Heritage Convention (UNESCO Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage) was adopted in 1972. Finland acceded to the Convention in 1987. The aim of the World Heritage Convention is to identify and protect the world’s natural and cultural heritage considered to be of outstanding universal value.

The World Heritage Convention includes a World Heritage List, which currently contains 1,121 sites. Seven sites in Finland have been inscribed on the list: Old Rauma (1991), Fortress of Suomenlinna (1991), Petäjävesi Old Church (1994), Verla Groundwood and Board Mill (1996), Bronze Age Burial Site of Sammallahdenmäki (1999), Struve Geodetic Arc (2005) and High Coast / Kvarken Archipelago (2006, natural heritage site).National inventories, also known as tentative lists, are kept on sites that States Parties nominate for inscription to the actual World Heritage List. The national tentative list includes sites that are expected to meet the Convention’s selection criteria and ones that are intended to be submitted for inscription as World Heritage Sites in the next few years. The national tentative list has usually been updated roughly once a decade.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

NordenBladet — Today the Ministry of the Interior has opened a call for proposals under the Internal Security Fund (ISF). About EUR 4.2 million in EU financial support will be made available for projects that meet the objectives of the Fund. The call for proposals will be open until 31 March at 16.15.

As regards the management of the Union’s external borders and visa policy (ISF-B), funding is mainly intended for the implementation of the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) and the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS). Funding will also be available for developing the national visa information system, renewing border check equipment and developing border control technology that utilises unmanned aircraft.

As for police cooperation, preventing and combating crime as well as crisis management (ISF-P), funding will be available for the integration of the authorities’ joint emergency response centre information system, the field command system and the command centres.

NordenBladet — Finland strengthens its support for education in developing countries as a donor of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE). At the virtual Educa goes digital event on Friday 29 January, Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari informed that Finland will allocate EUR 25 million to GPE’s next replenishment for 2021-2025.

GPE is the largest global fund dedicated to supporting education systems in developing countries. It gives grants for the development of the education sector in lower-income and fragile countries.  The majority of the grants are given to countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.Finland has collaborated with GPE before. In 2013–2016, Finland supported the fund by a total of EUR 6 million. At the end of 2020, Finland allocated EUR 2 million to GPE’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic to be used for supporting continuity of learning in developing countries in the emergency caused by the pandemic. The support focuses on ensuring the continuity of learning and return to school especially for girls and other children in vulnerable position.

“Given the international interest that our good expertise and education system attract, Finland can play a role in advancing the sustainable development goal of the UN 2030 Agenda on quality education in different parts of the world. Finland wants to work towards the common goal of providing quality education for the most vulnerable children and youth,” said Minister Skinnari at Educa.

Finland considers that it is particularly important to support access to education for girls and children with disabilities and to develop teacher training.GPE aims to raise USD 5 billion in development finance during the next five years. The funding will be used to strengthen education systems comprehensively, to improve the quality of teaching, and to promote the education of girls and the most marginalised children in more than 70 developing countries.

The countries receiving grants from GPE are required to be able to provide sufficient national funding for the education sector as well as to promote gender responsive and equitable education sector plans. GPE’s work is based on partnerships with developing countries, donors, development finance institutions, organisations and the private sector..

NordenBladet — At the presidential session on Friday 29 January, the President of the Republic decided to appoint new Ambassadors to Stockholm and Beijing and a new Consul General to Los Angeles.

The President of the Republic appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Maimo Henriksson to serve as Head of Mission at Finland’s Embassy in Stockholm, starting on 1 September 2021. Henriksson will move to Stockholm from the Foreign Ministry’s Department for Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, where she has worked as Director General since 2016. Before that, in 2015–2016, she served as Chief of Protocol. In 2010–2014, Henriksson worked as Finland’s Ambassador in Oslo. Her career in the Diplomatic Service includes posts in Budapest and Moscow. Henriksson joined the Foreign Ministry in 1989. She holds two university degrees: Master of Laws and Master of Science in Economics and Business Administration.

The President of the Republic appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Leena-Kaisa Mikkola to serve as Head of Mission at Finland’s Embassy in Beijing, starting on 1 September 2021. Mikkola will move to Beijing from the Ministry’s Department for Africa and the Middle East, where she has worked as Director General since 2017. In 2016–2017, she served as Senior Adviser responsible for monitoring the situation in Syria.  In 2011–2016, Mikkola worked as Finland’s Ambassador in Tel Aviv. Her career in the Diplomatic Service includes posts in the Permanent Representation of Finland to the EU in Brussels and the Embassies of Finland in Canberra, Athens and Budapest. Mikkola joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1992. She holds a Master of Laws degree.

Okko-Pekka Salmimies
The President of the Republic appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Okko-Pekka Salmimies to serve as Consul General at Finland’s Consulate General in Los Angeles, starting from 1 September 2021. Salmimies will move to Los Angeles from the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, where he is currently Visiting Senior Fellow. In 2016–2020, he served as Ambassador for Team Finland. In 2013–2016, Salmimies worked as Ambassador and Head of Mission at the Permanent Delegations of Finland to the OECD and to UNESCO in Paris. In the Diplomatic Service, he has also held posts in Paris and Brussels. Salmimies joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1997. He holds a Master’s degree in Social Sciences.

NordenBladet — Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari will participate in a panel discussion on sustainable investments, organised by the World Economic Forum (WEF) on Friday 29 January. The annual WEF “Davos Agenda” is organised virtually from 25 to 29 January.

Minister Skinnari will attend a panel discussion focusing on global investment flows and on how to mobilise investments to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs). The COVID-19 pandemic has decreased foreign direct investments (FDI) by more than 40 per cent, which has a severe impact on the future prospects of sustainable growth. The key question at the event is what changes are needed to restore global investments and to get them back on track.

NordenBladet — Finland has granted a million euros to UN Women for its peacebuilding activities in Syria. The project, which is entitled Supporting Syrian Women’s Engagement in the Syrian Political Process: Building a Constituency for Peace, aims to support women’s engagement in and influence on political processes in Syria. The project runs from October 2020 until December 2021.Geir O. Pedersen, United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, meets the Syrian Women’s Advisory Board (WAB) in Geneva in 2019.

Finland has funded the project via UN Women since 2017. The project has four pillars: supporting political processes, grassroots dialogues, international coordination, and gender-related research and analysis in Syria. Sustainable and fair peace cannot be achieved without women’s participation.

The Syrian conflict has lasted for almost a decade. The conflict cannot be resolved by military means but the political process and peacebuilding requires the Syrian people’s engagement. The peacebuilding project, implemented by UN Women, fosters dialogue between women from various backgrounds and contributes to women’s participation in the political process.

The UN Secretary-General has appointed a Special Envoy for Syria to mediate the peace process. The Special Envoy is assisted by the Syrian Women’s Advisory Board (WAB), which brings women’s perspectives to the political process and supports, for example, the Syrian Constitutional Committee’s (SCC) work.  Thanks to the advocacy work done by the Advisory Board for several years, almost 30 per cent of the members of the Constitutional Committee are now women. The project supports the work of the WAB and its contacts with grassroots level actors.

Women’s participation contributes to peace
The UN has tried to increase women’s participation in the peace talks. Finland supports its objectives. In its mediation projects, Finland has come to the same conclusion as is stated in the UN Resolution 1325 (Women, Peace and Security), according to which women’s participation in peace talks contributes positively to the promotion and maintenance of peace.  Studies show that women’s inclusion increases the likelihood that peace agreements are implemented.

Finland participates in three different projects relating to mediation in the Syrian conflict. In addition to the project implemented by UN Women, Finland supports a project implemented by Berghof Foundation and a joint project by the Finnish Evangelic-Lutheran Mission (FELM) and the Common Space Initiative (CSI). The mediation projects aim at supporting Syrian grassroots level actors’ and influencers’ peacebuilding efforts by means of producing background material for their work, offering training, organising discussion events for Syrian people, and establishing contacts for them with significant external actors. Finland has also supported the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) since its establishment. IIIM, a body operating under the UN, assists in the investigation and prosecution of persons responsible for the most serious crimes and aims to bring the perpetrators to justice and to ensure justice for victims.

NordenBladet — On Thursday 28 January, the Government appointed Antti Pelttari, Master of Laws, to continue in his post as the Director of the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service. The post will be filled for the period from 1 March 2021 to 28 February 2026.

Antti Pelttari has served as the Director of the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service since 2011. His leadership experience is mostly concentrated in the Ministry of the Interior’s branch of government and he has extensive skills in implementing development projects related to the remit of the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service. As the Director of the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service, Pelttari has been responsible for the organisational change of the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service in connection with the entry into force of the civilian intelligence legislation when the status, operational nature and role of the Service transformed from a police organisation into a security and intelligence organisation. As the Director, Pelttari has also been responsible for a number of other development projects in the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service, such as the information system reform and the premises project.

“National security issues will become increasingly important in Finland due to, for example rapid digitalisation and the continuing instability of the international situation. The Finnish Security and Intelligence Service plays an important and, in my opinion, growing role in maintaining Finland’s national security. My main task, together with others working here, is to continue the transformation of the agency, which is well under way, into Finland’s security and intelligence service. Our aim is that the information produced by the Service will better support the decision-making of the Finnish state leaders in foreign and security policy and the activities of the authorities in protecting national security,” says Pelttari.

Pelttari served at the Ministry of the Interior as the State Secretary in 2009–2011, the Director General of the International Affairs Unit in 2005–2008 and a Senior Ministerial Adviser in 1996–1998. Between 1998 and 2005, Pelttari worked as a Committee Counsel in Parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Defence Committees. From 1993 to 1996, Pelttari served as a Legal Officer in the Legal Department of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

The Director of the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service is in charge of the operations of the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service and ensures that the tasks of the Service are carried out effectively, appropriately and efficiently. In addition, the Director of the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service is responsible for, among other things, ensuring the general operating conditions of the Service, agreeing with the Ministry of the Interior on the performance targets and appropriations of the Service, and establishing the operational strategy and the priorities of the activities. The Director is also responsible for operationally important development projects, international contacts and stakeholder cooperation.A comprehensive security clearance has been conducted on the Director of the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service and a non-compete agreement has been concluded with him under the Act on Public Officials in Central Government.