Second Phase of the Process

The Helsinki Process on Globalisation and Democracy was jointly initiated by Finland and Tanzania as a result of the Helsinki Conference of December 2002. During the First Phase of the Process - from 2003 to September 2005 - the high-level Helsinki Group and three thematic Tracks worked on developing a concept for multi-stakeholder cooperation in global problem solving and suggested ways of addressing various global problems using this concept.

The First Phase of the Helsinki Process culminated in the Helsinki Conference of September 2005 - entitled Mobilising Political Will - which discussed selected proposals of the Helsinki Group and Tracks as well as how to mobilise the political will and resources required to implement these and other commitments agreed on by the international community, such as those outlined in the Millennium Declaration and the Millennium Development Goals.

The Helsinki Conference concluded that the Helsinki Process approach to multi-stakeholder cooperation could bring value-added to developing lasting solutions to global problems and restated the Helsinki Group's call for the continuation of the Helsinki Process in order to put this approach to practice. Therefore the aims of the Second Phase of the Helsinki Process - from October 2005 to the end of 2008 - were to:

1. Promote the implementation of selected proposals made during the first phase of the process;
   
   
2. Continue multi-stakeholder dialogue for finding feasible solutions to global problems;
   
   
3. Promote multi-stakeholder cooperation in institutions and mechanisms of global governance;
   
   
4. Strive to achieve the aims of the Millennium Declaration and the MDGs by 2015;
   
   
5. Create a framework for solving global problems beyond 2015;
   
   
6. Address the democracy, coherence, and compliance deficits in global governance.

The Second Phase of the Helsinki Process was built on two separate but mutually reinforcing tracks.

Firstly, the Friends of the Helsinki Process governments developed Road Maps for furthering selected proposals and took the lead in implementing them together with other partners. These Road Maps aimed at mobilising political will to further the implementation of international agreements and commitments.

Secondly, multi-stakeholder Round Tables were formed to devise new action plans on specific issues under the broad themes of Poverty and Development, Peace and Security, Human Rights, Governance, and the Environment. These Round Tables aimed at contributing to the achievement of the aims of the Millennium Declaration and the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, and sought to create a framework for solving global problems beyond 2015.

A high-level Consultative Network was formed to provide political support and guidance for the follow-up, and a smaller, more practically oriented Steering Group was formed to assist in concretising the functions of the Round Tables.

The Second Phase of the Helsinki Process culminated in the Helsinki Process Review Review Conference held 27-29 November 2007 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The Final Report of the Second Phase was presented to the Secretary-General of the United Nations during the Ministerial Week of the 63rd Session of the UN General Assmebly in September 2008.

Helsinki Group

Track Groups