The overall purpose of HNC cooperation is to further strengthen and expand regional cooperation in civil preparedness between the two northernmost regions of Finland, Sweden, and Norway. This regional cross-border cooperation is based on a jointly prepared Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which was updated in 2024.
Last year, cooperation deepened further as the significant change in the security environment led to Finland and Sweden applying for and being accepted as NATO members.
A lot happened in the field of cooperation in 2024. The in-person HNC group event took place in Rovaniemi in April, and the Governors’ North Meeting was held as a digital event in May. Additionally, several planning meetings were organized, including meetings of the crisis communication network, connection tests, and situation brief exercises. The most important HNC cooperation event was the ICC24 in Umeå. The focus of the ICC was NATOs fifth baseline requirement: the ability to deal with mass casualties and disruptive health crises. The course brought together stakeholders and experts from Finland, Sweden, and Norway for two days of networking, briefs, and workshops.