The Norwegian Ministry of Public Security Responds to Preparedness Criticism
Kristine Kallset (Labor) is the state secretary for the Norwegian Justice and Public Security Minister Astri Aas-Hansen (Labor). (Photo: Trine Jonassen)
The Norwegian government’s new preparedness proposal for the High North falls short, expert believes. The Ministry of Public Security is now responding to the criticism. "The government is working on further measures," says State Secretary Kristine Kallset.
The Norwegian government recently announced the establishment of a national preparedness action zone in the counties of Troms and Finnmark, Northern Norway, in line with the Total Preparedness Commission's recommendation from 2023.
A separate preparedness investment for the North is a good thing, but this action zone should have been implemented long ago, said Odd Jarl Borch, preparedness expert and Professor at Nord University, to High North News on Tuesday.
"The measures now introduced by the government are both minuscule and old news. All in all, this is too narrow and weak. When developing a preparedness action zone, one must think much more broadly and include all sectors," the professor stated.
Response
State Secretary Kristine Kallset (Labor) in the Norwegian Ministry of Justice and Public Security responds to the criticism as follows:
"I register that Professor Borch thinks it's a good thing for the government to have a separate investment in preparedness in the North, but I believe parts of his criticism fall flat. The work to establish a national preparedness action zone in Troms and Finnmark does not happen overnight, and criticizing its content based on measures that have already begun this year is wrong, although I understand that many are impatient."
"I can also assure the professor that the government is working on further measures in which strengthening preparedness in the action zone is the end goal," Kallset adds.
The government includes all minsitries and relevant agencies.
Extensive process
The development of the action zone must involve many ministries, and the work should be led at the highest possible level with the inclusion of regional and local actors, Borch also said.
"The professor is right in saying that the development of a national preparedness action zone in Troms and Finnmark cannot be done by the Ministry of Justice and Public Security and the Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection (DSB) alone. Nor is that the government's plan," responds Kallset and continues:
"The government includes all ministries and relevant agencies in the work, but as the professor surely is aware, the Ministry of Justice and Public Security has an overall responsibility to coordinate the preparedness work, and the DSB is responsible at the agency level."
"Therefore, it is not unnatural that the case was presented from the government's side by the Minister of Justice and Public Security, and that references are made to specific activities initiated this year for which DSB has implementation responsibility."
"Nordland has not been forgotten"
The northern part of Nordland county in Northern Norway should also be included in the action zone, as the region is important in the total defense of the High North, believes Borch.
To this, the state secretary replies as follows:
"The government has implemented several measures to follow up on the Norwegian National Security Strategy, the long-term plan for the defense sector, and the Total Preparedness white paper, in which the purpose is to increase preparedness throughout the country. Nordland, or the northern part of Nordland to be more precise, has thus not been forgotten. A significant part of the defense boost is taking place in the High North, including in Nordland," says Kallset.
