Finland
Following Finland’s accession to NATO in 2023, the Finnish government outlined its position on the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) in a statement to parliament. ‘The [TPNW] is incompatible with our NATO membership,’ it said. ‘The TPNW would weaken our influence in the alliance and could be interpreted as a lack of solidarity.’1 Finland may sign and ratify or accede to the TPNW, but will have to make changes to its policies and practices to become compliant.
TPNW Status
| Key weapons of mass destruction treaties | ||
|---|---|---|
| NUCLEAR WEAPONS | ||
| Party to the TPNW | No | |
| Party to the NPT | Yes (Ratified 1969) | |
| Ratified the CTBT | Yes (Ratified 1999, Annex 2 state) | |
| Party to an NWFZ | No | |
| CSA with the IAEA | Yes (In force 1981) | |
| AP with the IAEA | Yes (In force 2004) | |
| BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL WEAPONS | ||
| Party to the BWC | Yes (Ratified 1974) | |
| Party to the CWC | Yes (Ratified 1995) | |
| TPNW Art. 1(1) prohibitions: Compatibility in 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|
| (a) | Develop, produce, manufacture, acquire | Compatible |
| Possess or stockpile | Compatible | |
| Test | Compatible | |
| (b) | Transfer | Compatible |
| (c) | Receive transfer or control | Compatible |
| (d) | Use | Compatible |
| Threaten to use | Compatible | |
| (e) | Assist, encourage or induce | Non-compatible |
| (f) | Seek or receive assistance | Compatible |
| (g) | Allow stationing, installation, deployment | Compatible |
| TPNW voting and participation | |
|---|---|
| UNGA resolution on TPNW (latest vote) | Voted no (2024) |
| Participated in 2MSP (2023) | No |
| Participated in 1MSP (2022) | Yes (observer) |
| Average MSP delegation size (% women) | 3 (33%) |
| Adoption of TPNW (7 July 2017) | N/A |
| Participated in TPNW negotiations (2017) | No |
| Negotiation mandate (A/RES/71/258) | Abstained |
| Fissile material | |
|---|---|
| Nuclear facilities | Yes |
| Fissile material production | No |
| HEU stocks | No |
| Plutonium stocks | No |
| SQP with the IAEA | No |
Latest developments
In March 2024, the newly elected President of Finland, Alexander Stubb, said ‘that we in Finland must have a real nuclear deterrent, and that’s what we have’ (owing to its NATO membership). He added that it would be for the Finnish government and parliament to decide if Finland wishes to alter its current legislation banning nuclear weapons on Finnish territory, including their transfer.2 In a subsequent interview, he said that Finland contributes to NATO’s nuclear planning but ‘is not in the business of taking nuclear weapons on its territory’.3
The opposition Left Alliance in the Finnish parliament expressed concern in October 2024 at the lack of parliamentary debate on Finland’s nuclear weapons policy since it joined NATO. ‘Finland should not participate in NATO’s nuclear war exercises,’ the leader of the party’s parliamentary group, Aino-Kaisa Pekonen, said in a statement.4 Her remarks coincided with Finland’s participation for the first time in NATO’s annual nuclear strike exercise, known as Steadfast Noon.5
In September 2024, the Finnish government said: ‘Finland actively promotes nuclear disarmament and the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. NATO membership will not change Finland’s arms control and disarmament policy, which emphasises the importance of agreements and of ensuring that the agreements are complied with and implemented.’6
In the First Committee of the UN General Assembly in October 2024, Finland expressed concern at ‘the increasing nuclear risks in the current turbulent international security environment’. ‘Nuclear weapons pose a risk for every nation. A nuclear weapon detonation would have catastrophic humanitarian consequences,’ it said.7
Having observed the First Meeting of States Parties (1MSP) to the TPNW in 2022, Finland opted not to observe the second such meeting in 2023. ‘NATO’s nuclear powers have criticised member countries that participated in the TPNW meeting in June 2022 and often recall the incompatibility of NATO membership and the TPNW,’ the government informed parliament, recommending that Finland refrain from observing all future TPNW meetings.8
Finland voted against the 2024 UN General Assembly resolution on the TPNW, which called upon ‘all States that have not yet done so to sign, ratify, accept, approve or accede to the Treaty at the earliest possible date’.9 Prior to applying for NATO membership, Finland had consistently abstained from voting on this annual resolution since 2018.
Recommendations
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Finland should renounce the possession and potential use of nuclear weapons on its behalf, and ensure that nuclear weapons do not have a role in its defence posture.
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Finland should comply with its existing obligation under Article VI of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and pursue negotiations in good faith on nuclear disarmament.
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Finland should urgently adhere to the TPNW. Until it is in a position to do so, it should welcome the TPNW as a valuable component in the global disarmament and non-proliferation architecture, work with the Treaty's states parties on practical steps towards disarmament, and attend the meetings of states parties as an observer.