The Helsinki Policy Forum, 02-04 June 2014

The inaugural meeting of the Helsinki Policy Forum, organised by Forward Thinking and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, was held on the 02-04th of June in Helsinki.   The meeting provided an informal space and network for senior parliamentarians, political leaders, government officials, and financial experts from both the West and MENA region to hold an informed and confidential dialogue on the challenges and opportunities facing the MENA/Gulf region and the potential impact on international relationships. The Forum provides an opportunity for participants to attempt to address such issues as the relationship between political and economic stability and the development of strong democratic institutions in states in transition.Participants at the Forum were also invited to the Finnish Parliament by the Foreign Affairs Committee for discussions on how to create the sufficient conditions for democracy. Several key conditions were raised across the discussions including: the need to ensure the full participation of all groups (particularly women and young people) and the various mechanisms to achieve this; the need to "protect"  political opposition and embed the norm of handing power over peacefully; the vital role performed by the free media that expresses a variety of opinions; and the importance of establishing strong economies to reinforce the democratic process.