Helsinki Policy Forum

Description What is done in the programme or project and why, what results are pursued, who benefits from the activities and who are involved in the implementation.

Helsinki Policy Forum (HPF) is a dialogue process founded in February 2014 to facilitate a peaceful dialogue and understanding between the secular and religious worlds focused on the most pressing challenges in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. HPF has set up its position and expanded its network to high-level participants at the dialogue meetings from governments, parliaments, business world, science and civil society from European countries and MENA region. The network is supposed to further broaden according to the progress of the political processes. The next Helsinki Policy Forum meeting will take place in Helsinki in spring 2016 at ministerial level. ALI-10 unit from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs co-operates with the Forward Thinking -organization in arrangements of the meeting. Helsinki Policy Forum is in line with the Finnish development policy by contributing to the peaceful and functioning societies, capacity building of the private sectors, employment and taxation capability of the countries in MENA region. The project supports the action program of the sustainable development accepted in UN in September 2015 as well as Finland's mediation action program. Helsinki Policy Forum aims to promote confidential high-level dialogue. Helsinki Policy Forum offers the participants a secure, unofficial but political dialogue forum for peaceful dialogue, to deepen the scrutiny of the focal challenges and to phrase guidelines to moderate internal and regional tension and to create foundation to common solutions. The funding, 190 000 euros will be granted to Forward Thinking for facilitation of the Helsinki Policy Forum in 2016.