The ANU Centre for European Studies (ANUCES) and the ANU College of Asia & the Pacific are proud to present this public lecture on European Security to be delivered by Mr Pasi Patokallio.

European security today is under geopolitical and institutional strain. Tensions between Russia and the West  are near Cold War levels. What is the reaction from the capital where the Helsinki Final Act was signed in 1975?  The European Union is facing unprecedented problems, many with security implications. How is  the EU coping?

Finland has a long history of cooperation and conflict with its neighbour Russia.  Finland was for centuries the eastern half of the Swedish realm, it was a Grand Duchy of the Russian Empire for a century, and this year it celebrates its 100^th anniversary as an independent State. Today the Nordic nation is a the core of the European Union, involved in everything the EU does.  Small countries are profoundly affected by great powers and their policies. Can they still make vital choices of their own?  Is geography destiny?  

Ambassador Pasi Patokallio will explore these timely issues from his perspective.

Mr Patokallio served as Ambassador of Finland to Australia and, on a non-resident basis, to Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Samoa. Before that Mr Patokallio was the Foreign Minister´s Special Representative in charge of Finland´s campaign to win a seat on the United Nations Security Council for the term 2013–14.

Previously Mr Patokallio served as Ambassador of Finland to Canada and, on a non-resident basis, to The Bahamas. He was a Fellow at Harvard University’s Weatherhead Center for International Affairs for the academic year 2003–04, studying and speaking on issues relating to the Middle East and small arms proliferation. He has also served as Finland’s Ambassador to Israel and, on a non-resident basis, to Cyprus for more than five years.

Mr Patokallio has also served as Deputy Director-General for Multilateral Affairs (responsible for UN affairs, arms control, human rights and the environment); and Director for Arms Control and Disarmament. He was Finland´s permanent observer to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva (1986–88) and member of the Finnish delegation to the UN Security Council in New York during Finland´s tenure on the Council (1989–90). He has participated in the work of the UN General Assembly´s First Committee since 1986 and served as its Vice-Chairman. He has led Finnish delegations to numerous international conferences relating to conventional arms and weapons of mass destruction.

Mr Patokallio chaired two preparatory meetings of the NPT Review Conference, and has worked with international export control regimes, serving as Chairman of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). At the United Nations he has been closely involved with the issue of illicit trade in small arms and light weapons, serving as a member of the group of governmental experts on small arms appointed by the Secretary-General. He also chaired the UN Second Biennial Meeting of States.

Free and open to the public

RSVP by Tuesday 11 July on Eventbrite

Download event flyer (PDF 187.41KB)

The ANUCES is an initiative involving six ANU Colleges (Arts & Social Sciences; Law; Business & Economics; Asia & the Pacific; Medicine, Biology & Environment, and Engineering & Computer Science) co-funded by ANU and the European Union.

The ANU College of Asia & the Pacific hosts the largest number of regional experts and specialist academic programs in the English-speaking world, and plays a vital role in informing public policy and Australia’s intellectual engagement with the societies, cultures and economies of Asia and the Pacific.