Constructing Peace in a Multipolar World: Finland’s UN Speech and Integral Human Development

On September 24, 2025, President Alexander Stubb of Finland addressed the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, articulating a vision of peace in a rapidly shifting multipolar world. Stubb situated Finland’s foreign policy within the framework of values, interests, and power, underscoring that while large states rely on hard power, smaller nations must exercise agency through diplomacy, dialogue, and coalition-building. His proposals emphasized safeguarding sovereignty, reforming the UN Security Council to reflect contemporary realities, and strengthening multilateral institutions as mechanisms for inclusive global governance. Stubb also highlighted ongoing crises—such as Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, violations of international law in Palestine, and humanitarian emergencies in Africa and Asia—as evidence of the urgent need to uphold human dignity and international law. Importantly, he warned against transactional diplomacy and the risks of a purely multipolar order, calling instead for cooperation grounded in shared values and sustainable development. This article analyzed Stubb’s speech through the lens of the Catholic doctrine of Integral Human Development (IHD), which frames peace as inseparable from justice, solidarity, dialogue, and the common good. By thematically coding Stubb’s references to sovereignty, institutional reform, and global cooperation against IHD principles, the study evaluated the extent to which his construct of peace aligns with ethical, holistic approaches to international relations. Findings suggest that while Stubb’s discourse substantially supports IHD’s vision in areas of global cooperation and justice, it reflects partial alignment in sovereignty and institutional reform, offering critical insights into the role of non-aligned states in peace communication.