The co-operation places special focus on the fundamental conditions required for the upholding of democracy, trust and cohesion in the Nordic Region. A solid and well-functioning state of law is a central prerequisite for maintaining trust and cohesive power in the Nordic countries, and so continued focus must therefore be placed on this area.
In addition, it is also true that developments in the neighbouring areas of the Nordic Region are putting pressure on some of the fundamental rights and values of the region, and on its concept of legal certainty. There is an ambition here for the Nordic Region to counteract this development as a unified and cohesive region. The rule of law and the existence of a well-functioning democracy, in which active efforts are made to combat discrimination and uphold fundamental rights, constitute the foundation of a resilient society that can support a free and viable civil society.
The Nordic societies are well advanced when it comes to digitalisation. Digitalisation can increase the availability and effectiveness of the public administration and the courts; however, the digitalisation of the public sector also entails challenges which have implications for the legal certainty of both businesses and individuals. This is therefore an area in which the exchange of knowledge and experiences between the Nordic countries is of considerable importance.
Co-operation in the justice sector can also contribute towards strengthening efforts against discrimination and protecting fundamental human rights, including equality between women and men, the rights of children and young people, the rights of people with disabilities and LGBTI persons.
Crime knows no borders. This is true in both the physical and digital worlds. Cross-border crime is a common challenge for all of the Nordic countries. Greater co-operation between police forces in the Nordic Region to prevent and fight cross-border crime is therefore a priority area for co-operation within the justice sector.
Several Nordic countries face challenges relating to organised crime, gang criminality and sexual offences. The same is also true in regard to the fight against human trafficking.
In the fight against organised crime and gang criminality, it is especially important to prevent acts of aggravated violence, to combat the criminal economy and to prevent children and young people from being recruited into criminal gangs. It is also important to counteract infiltrations and other acts of undue influence over public authorities and decision-makers.
Radicalisation and violent extremism are other challenges that are common to the Nordic countries and which can constitute a threat against democracy and cohesive power in the Nordic Region. The prevalence of anti-Semitism and anti-Semitic hate crimes is also a considerable challenge, and these form part of the patchwork of violent and extremist ideologies and world views that exist today. The justice sector will therefore continue its collaboration and exchange of experiences in order to raise further awareness around the prevention and combat of these phenomena.
Digital advancements have meant there is now a need for greater focus on types of criminality that occur online. This applies not only to the sexual abuse of minors, but also to digital offences and financial crime. At the same time, however, digitalisation also presents opportunities to develop new methods for the Nordic countries to investigate crimes. The Nordic nations can benefit greatly from working together to exchange knowledge around these issues, and so the justice sector has therefore established working groups to coordinate these efforts within areas such as the combating of human trafficking and cybercrime.
Domestic violence is a common challenge across all of the Nordic countries, and an issue on which the justice sector wishes to place focus as part of the co-operation. Preventing the occurrence of domestic violence is essential in order to ensure that the Nordic societies are secure and equal, and to ensure that the rights of both women and children are protected.
Differences in the laws of the Nordic nations create border obstacles and restrict the free movement of both families and enterprise within the Nordic Region. The justice sector is thus working to promote legal unity across the Nordic Region. In this context, the occurrence of regular meetings for the cross-border exchange of information within the justice sector, both between the justice ministers and in the Committee of Senior Officials, is a crucial precondition. The same also applies to the recurring meetings held by the expert groups on family law and criminal law, which take place as part of the existing co-operation in the justice sector.
As EU/EEA law continues to develop, there is also a considerable need for Nordic co-operation around the implementation of EU/EEA legal cases and judgements in the Nordic countries. The same applies to other matters within international contexts, such as those which concern the European Convention on Human Rights and other international instruments. In addition, the Nordic justice ministers are also responsible for co-operation on matters that in most Nordic countries generally fall under the purview of the justice departments.
Judicial co-operation takes the form of annual meetings between the ministers, meetings within the Committee of Senior Officials and in the permanent working groups. In addition, the sector also funds seminars and networks which enable the exchange of knowledge between experts and practitioners within a broad range of different disciplines. The sector also finances studies and investigations which can provide a basis for further work within the Nordic nations. These activities often also include Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and a Nordic-Baltic Contact Group has therefore been established, comprising of officials from both the Nordic and Baltic nations. This group meets annually in accordance with its own mandate. The Nordic and Baltic justice ministers meet every other year.
The Nordic Council of Ministers for Justice Affairs has adopted the following goals and sub-goals for the work to be undertaken in the 2025–2030 period. The political priorities guide all activities in the policy area of Nordic co-operation.