A New Helsinki-style Framework Could Tame the Security-Driven Global Economy

The column contends that the increasingly security-obsessed global economy would benefit from a structured Helsinki-style process, similar to the confidence-building measures adopted during the Cold War. It recalls how the 1975 Helsinki Final Act and the later Stockholm Document introduced mechanisms such as prior notification, observation, and verification to reduce military uncertainty without requiring trust. Today’s weaponised trade, however, is driven by a focus on resilience, with “just-in-time” logistics replaced by “just-in-case” preparations.

This mindset leads each nation to view another’s resilience steps as precursors to decoupling, prompting localized production, export restrictions, and alternative networks. While each action may be rational in isolation, together they create a geoeconomic security dilemma that inflates costs for everyone. The author calls for a renewed, transparent framework to break this cycle and restore predictability to international commerce.