Nordic Council of Ministers for Digitalisation (MR-Digital)
Finland and Åland will hold the Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2025. Finland’s and Åland’s Presidency will focus on comprehensive security, children and young people.
The Nordic Council of Ministers was founded in 1971. Despite the name, it consists of several councils.
The Nordic Council of Ministers for Digitalisation (MR-DIGITAL) consists of one minister from each of the Nordic nations, Åland, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. There is also one minister from each of the Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Nordic-Baltic cooperation in MR-DIGITAL is characterised by the shared opportunities and challenges of our region. It involves working towards an inclusive and secure digital transition, boosting competitiveness and green growth, and increasing mobility and integration. The ultimate goal is to provide the people, businesses and public authorities in the region with secure and efficient cross-border digital services.
Strategic objectives for digitalisation during the Presidency
The Nordic-Baltic Cooperation Programme for Digitalisation outlines the political priorities for 2025–2030. The Nordic Council of Ministers’ vision is to make the Nordic region the most sustainable and integrated region in the world by 2030.
Finland’s Presidency will promote sustainable and equitable digitalisation as well as the effective and secure implementation of cross-border information management.
Digital literacy, the ability to use digital devices and services and the accessibility of digital services and products are cornerstones of a well-functioning, democratic and equal digital society. As digitalisation transforms society, digital security and preparedness become increasingly important. The digital competence of the population and the preparedness of other actors in society play a key role in comprehensive security.
The Baltic States also participate in the work done through the Nordic Council of Ministers for Digitalisation. Our societies are built on democracy, equality, human capital and social responsibility. We must ensure that we uphold these principles in the digital transition.
Digitalisation and technological innovation are in and of themselves major drivers of development in the private and public sectors. They are also key facilitators of the green transition. The Nordic-Baltic region is one of the most digitalised in the world. This puts us in a unique position to promote digital development both regionally and globally.
Vision 2030
The prime ministers have adopted a shared vision of the Nordic region becoming the most sustainable and integrated region in the world by 2030. This vision guides the work of the Nordic Council of Ministers. The vision includes three strategic priorities: a green Nordic region, a competitive Nordic region and a socially sustainable Nordic region. Sustainable development, equality and the rights of children and young people are cross-cutting themes in the work of the Nordic Council of Ministers.
The sectoral cooperation plans that guide the work of all the councils are based on the priorities of Vision 2030. Finland’s Presidency in 2025 falls on the first year of the cooperation programmes for 2025–2030.
By nature, digitalisation cuts across sectors. Multi-sectoral cooperation is an essential part of implementing the vision of the cooperation programme. Cooperation with the other sectors of the Nordic Council of Ministers (for example, environment and climate, growth, energy, health, education and research, natural resources, culture, and the Freedom of Movement Council) ensures that we can identify synergies and meet shared challenges. It also ensures that the ambitious objectives of the Vision 2030 are as effective as possible.
The goals of the Nordic Council of Ministers for Digitalisation for 2025–2030 are:
- Goal 1: The Nordic-Baltic region is a front runner in realising the digital and green transition.
- Goal 2: The Nordic-Baltic region is secure, connected, and integrated.
- Goal 3: The Nordic-Baltic region is secure, inclusive, and promotes a human-centric digital transformation to ensure resilient societies.
Breathing new life into Nordic digital solutionsLink to an external website
Inquiries:
Markus Rahkola, Senior Specialist, tel. +358 295 530 139, markus.rahkola@gov.fi