The EU joint foreign and security policy strives to preserve peace and to strengthen international security. EU member nations now work together on crisis management issues. This gives Sweden full participation and insight into EU decision making processes, while at the same time imposing demands on our commitment to common efforts. This means, for instance, that Sweden will establish a rapid response unit to be at the disposal of the EU, the Nordic Battle Group. Finland, Estonia, Ireland and Norway also contribute to this force.

International forces

At present, some 1,000 Swedish men and women are engaged in helping to create a more tolerable environment and more secure future for people living in some of today’s trouble spots. Their duties vary from ensuring peace agreements are adhered to, to demining and aid work.

An international presence in war torn areas helps maintain calm and security for the civil population. Civil and military cooperation also aids the reconstruction of communities.

Our international forces are split into a number of missions in various parts of the world. Each mission serves in a specific area and with a specific mandate. Personnel from other countries also take part in these missions.
The mandate can be issued by the United Nations (UN), or by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Read more about each mission

Partnership for peace

Sweden is also a member of Partnership for Peace, PFF, which is a practical cooperation programme between NATO and individual partner countries within the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). A fundamental premise of PFF is that each individual state chooses its own priorities for cooperation. The aims of PFF include increasing the capacity to participate in international peacekeeping missions, primarily by increasing interoperability between countries.