National Action Plan for the Prevention of Violent Radicalisation and Extremism is progressing

The National Action Plan for the Prevention of Violent Radicalisation and Extremism for 2019–2023 has now reached its halfway point, and despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, reasonable progress was made in 2021. The main focus of the measures implemented in 2021 was on organising different types of training online, according to the annual report.

“One of the most important measures to increase healthcare and social welfare professionals’ basic knowledge of violent extremism was the free online training provided for them by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. In addition, training sessions on the themes of polarisation and the recognition of antisemitic symbols were organised for the police,” says Chief Specialist Hanna Nykänen. 

Every year, the National Cooperation Network for the Prevention of Violent Radicalisation and Extremism prepares a report on the progress of the Action Plan. The latest annual report contains information on how work progressed and how the objectives set out in the Action Plan were met in Finland in 2021 and early 2022.

The report discusses in more detail the situation with violent extremism and radicalisation at the local level and how measures related to recruitment efforts by different radical extremist groups have been identified and what has been done to prevent the participation of young people, for example, in extremist activity. The report also examines how the safety and security of the premises of religious communities have been promoted.

Action Plan guides preventive measures nationally and locally 

The National Action Plan for the Prevention of Violent Radicalisation and Extremism was adopted as a government resolution in December 2019. The Action Plan contains the national objectives and cross-administrative preventive measures for 2019–2023. The resolution requires that the progress of the implementation and the results of the Action Plan be reported annually.

Many European countries have their own action plans for preventing violent extremism and radicalisation, and cooperation within the EU is close in this field. 

The Action Plan guides preventive measures nationally and locally, and it was prepared in cooperation with authorities, non-governmental organisations and associations. Researchers and religious communities also participate in the implementation.

In Finland, violent radicalisation and extremism have been prevented systematically by various authorities, non-governmental organisations and other actors working in cooperation since 2012. The results of the work are reported regularly to the parties involved and to decision-makers and the general public in the form of an annual report that is publicly available.

Inquiries:
Hanna Nykänen, Chief Specialist, Ministry of the Interior, tel. +358 295 488 534, hanna.nykanen@govsec.fi