GLOBAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE UKRAINE WAR – A new turning point for peace and security?

invitation only · Livestream · 05.09.2022 09:30 - 11:30

invitation only

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine marks a historic turning point for Europe’s security architecture. The war will also have significant implications beyond Europe, with some even suggesting that it could shake up the international order as much as 9/11. That notwithstanding, the international system has been in the process of a transition since long before the onset of the full-scale war, with rising great power rivalry, military spending, and nationalism challenging the paradigms of accelerating economic globalisation and a liberal rules-based international order.

The joint seminar between the CMI – Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation – and FIIA focuses on the wider implications of the war on security, peace, and conflict dynamics amid the transitioning international order. The seminar addresses questions such as how the war influences geopolitical dynamics and conflict resolution efforts in regions such as the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa; how China will respond to the war and how the war impacts US-China relations; as well as whether the non-alignment movement is making a come-back and how the war and the changing international order is viewed beyond Europe and the West.

 

PROGRAMME:

Opening remarks:
Elina Valtonen, Member of the Parliament of Finland

Speakers:
David Lanz, Representative for Dialogue Promotion, International Crisis Group (ICG)
Tiina Kukkamaa-Bah, Head, Sub-Saharan Africa, CMI – Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation
Sinikukka Saari, Leading Researcher, FIIA
Mikael Mattlin, Research Professor, FIIA
Maruan El-Krekshi, Head, Middle East and North Africa, CMI – Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation

Moderator:
Dr Juha Jokela, Programme Director of the European Union Research Programme, FIIA

Speakers

Opening remarks

Elina Valtonen

Member of the Parliament of Finland

Elina Valtonen is a Member of The Finnish Parliament, Vice-Chair of the centre-right National Coalition Party, and Chair of the Finnish NATO Parliamentary Assembly. She has been a Member of Parliament since 2014 and is a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee. Prior to entering politics she worked for 10 years in the financial sector, both in London (Royal Bank of Scotland) and the Nordics (Nordea). Her latest title was Director in Global Banking and Markets at RBS.

Valtonen holds Master of Science degrees in Technology (Computer Science) and Financial Economics, with doctoral studies in applied mathematics. Early in her career, she programmed an artificial intelligence solution for the financial sector: a neural network for forecasting the term structure of interest rates (2005). In 2018, she published her book “Vapauden Voitto” (Otava), on reforming the Nordic welfare model. She has co-authored several societal reports such as “The Future of the Euro - The alternatives for Finland” (2014) and “The Life Account - A Social Security Reform” (2013).

Speakers

David Lanz

Representative for Dialogue Promotion, International Crisis Group (ICG)

David Lanz is the Representative for Dialogue Promotion at the International Crisis Group. He leads dialogue efforts in cooperation with Crisis Group’s regional programs and provides analysis on peace negotiations and international mediation initiatives.

David Lanz is a trained mediator with fifteen years of experience supporting international mediation processes and leading dialogue efforts. Prior to joining Crisis Group in 2022, he led Swisspeace’s mediation program for six years and served in the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre for three years, deploying as part of the organisation’s response to the Ukraine crisis in 2014. He also has experience working for the UN Mission in Sudan and as an election observer for the Carter Center.

David Lanz has Masters’ degrees from the Graduate Institute, Geneva, and from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Basel and was a visiting fellow at the Kroc Institute of International Peace Studies at Notre Dame University.

Tiina Kukkamaa-Bah

Head, Sub-Saharan Africa, CMI – Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation

Tiina Kukkamaa-Bah is the Head of CMI’s Sub-Saharan Africa team and leads CMI’s programme activities in the region. Ms. Kukkamaa-Bah joined CMI in 2019 and has previously worked at the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights as Chief of the Democratic Governance and Gender Unit based in Warsaw, Poland as well as at Political Parties of Finland for Democracy, Demo Finland as the Executive Director. She has also worked with a number of Finnish development NGOs, including Kepa as a Project Adviser based in Tanzania. She holds a Master’s degree in Social Sciences (Sociology) from University of Helsinki, Finland.

Sinikukka Saari

Leading Researcher, FIIA

Sinikukka Saari is a Leading Researcher at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs. She has significant experience working at the interface of research and policy planning. Her work experience includes positions at the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the EU Institute for Security Studies in Paris, as well as the EU Monitoring Mission in Tblisi. She holds a Ph.D. in International Relations from The London School of Economics.

Mikael Mattlin

Research Professor, FIIA

Mikael Mattlin is Research Professor at FIIA. He has earlier inter alia held positions as Professor of Political Science and TIAS Collegium Researcher in the University of Turku, as well as Professor of Chinese Studies in the University of Helsinki. He is also a Docent in the University of Turku. Prof. Mattlin leads the Academy of Finland-funded ForAc -research project, and he is the Vice-Chair of Board of the Helsinki-based Foundation for Foreign Policy Research (Ulkopolitiikan tutkimuksen säätiö). He has published extensively in leading academic journals, e.g., The China Quarterly, Information, Communication & Society, Cooperation and Conflict, Journal of Contemporary China and European Political Science. In the spring 2022, Prof. Mattlin co-authored the first comprehensive Finnish-language research-based book on the Chinese political system (Vastapaino). Prof. Mattlin has also long developed, taught and researched a negotiation simulation-based teaching concept for international relations. The teaching concept has received recognition both nationally and internationally, e.g., recently receiving an honorary mention from the European Political Science Consortium (2021 EPS Jacqui Briggs Prize).

Maruan El-Krekshi

Head, Middle East and North Africa, CMI – Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation

Maruan El-Krekshi is the Head of CMI’s Middle East and North Africa and leads CMI’s programme activities in the region. Prior to joining CMI, El Krekshi served as a Governance Programme Officer with UNDP in Yemen for 3 years, working on elections, human rights, transparency, justice sector and civil society capacity development related projects. He has also worked for the World Food Programme, where he served as a Policy and Programme Support consultant in the Office of the Executive Director, in addition to short assignments with UNHCR and UNDP programmes in Libya. He holds a Master’s degree in Development Studies from the University of Helsinki.

Moderator

Dr Juha Jokela

Programme Director of the European Union Research Programme, FIIA

Dr Juha Jokela is the Programme Director of the European Union research programme at FIIA. His current research interests include political implications of Brexit and differentiated integration in EU’s external relations. Dr Jokela’s previous projects and publications include the EU’s sanctions policy, political and security developments in the Arctic, the EU’s role in the G20, Europeanisation of foreign policy, and Finland’s EU policy. He has previously worked at the EUISS as a Senior Associated Analyst and Senior Visiting Research Fellow, as an Advisor at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, and as Research Fellow and Director of the Network for European Studies at the University of Helsinki. Dr Jokela holds a Ph.D. from the University of Bristol (UK).