The report gives an overview of activities carried out by regional authorities in Finland, Sweden, and Norway to strengthen cross-border civil preparedness in the northern regions.
In 2025, Nordland held the HNC chairmanship. Together with partners in all three countries, the team coordinated a broad set of activities that strengthened shared situational awareness, communication, and planning capacity across borders.
Key activities in 2025
A key development in 2025 was the approval of the High North Civil Preparedness Forum (HNCPF) under the Interreg Aurora Programme.
This three‑year project will strengthen cooperation across Finland, Sweden, and Norway in areas such as joint risk assessments, host nation support, resilience against information influence, and improved cross‑border networks.
The report highlights several other important key achievements from 2025, including:
- Monthly HNC and Crisis Communication Network (CCN) meetings, ensuring regular updates and coordination across regions.
- Two cross-border communication tests in March and November, verifying the use of Virve/Nødnett/Rakel talk groups.
- The annual Governors North meeting in Bodø in June, bringing leaders and preparedness experts together for joint discussions and briefings.
- The International Cooperation Course (ICC25) in Skellefteå, gathering 80 participants for workshops on managing uncontrolled population movement and cross-border evacuation planning.
- Assessment of existing cross‑border cooperations, carried out by KPMG to support further HNCPF development.
The report also marks the transition of the HNC chairmanship from Nordland to Norrbotten for 2026.
The full Annual Report 2025 is available here: Download report