Statement by Elina Valtonen, Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Permanent Council of the OSCE, January 23, 2025
Excellencies,
The Helsinki Final Act was a turning point for European security. As a result, 35 states across the Cold War divide committed to following shared principles that laid the foundation for the European security architecture.
These principles gave rise to the idea of the spirit of Helsinki. The most important element of the spirit of Helsinki is the belief that States can resolve their differences through diplomacy instead of war. Consensus was reached as the Helsinki Principles represent the essence of humanity: the longing for freedom, co-operation, and peace.
Now, almost three years have passed since the Russian Federation started its war of aggression in Ukraine. The war undermined the European security order. Russia is violating all of the Helsinki Principles: inviolability of frontiers, territorial integrity, peaceful settlement of disputes, and other key values.
Russia violates the principles and commitments it has negotiated and signed up to itself.
Excellencies,
Finland Chairs the OSCE for the second time. The world has changed since 2008.
Supporting Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence is at the heart of the OSCE’s work and our Chairpersonship.
Our task as Chair is to ensure that our shared principles are not merely memories of the past but continue to live and guide us through these difficult times.
The people of the participating States deserve to live in freedom, peace and safety - I am more convinced of this than ever before having personally visited Ukraine and Moldova at the beginning of the Chairpersonship year. I wanted to visit these countries right at the start of our Chairpersonship to underline our support.
Excellencies,
As OSCE Chair, we strive to be resilient together.
We focus on ways for the participating States to strengthen their resilience. A stable and resilient society recognises plurality and extensive rights of participation. Human rights, democracy and the rule of law lay the foundations for stable societies.
The autonomous institutions of the OSCE, as well as the OSCE field operations provide invaluable support to the participating States across all dimensions and regions.
As Chair, Finland prioritises gender equality and the functioning of a free civil society. We also work towards improving opportunities for young people and persons with disabilities to participate in the OSCE’s work.
The Chairpersonship programme is built on three guiding principles: Respect – Respond – Prepare.
On respecting the principles and commitments - the global security order is based on international law, the UN Charter and multilateralism. The OSCE’s commitments, such as the 1975 Helsinki Final Act and the 1990 Charter of Paris, support and strengthen this order in the OSCE region.
- The Helsinki Final Act laid down the ground rules for cooperation between states in the OSCE region based on a comprehensive approach to security.
- Fifteen years later, the Charter of Paris institutionalised the OSCE’s work to promote human rights, democracy and the rule of law, and to prevent conflicts.
- Since then, the participating States have jointly and by consensus agreed on further commitments to strengthen European security.
- Finland calls attention to the importance of implementing OSCE principles and commitments. The OSCE offers a wide range of tools that help the participating States to walk the talk. The Secretariat and autonomous institutions play a key role in this respect.
With respect to responding to today’s challenges, Ukraine is fighting to defend not only its independence and peaceful future, but also the jointly agreed security order based on international law.
As the previous Chairpersonships, Finland will keep support for Ukraine at the heart of the OSCE’s work. The OSCE’s Support Programme for Ukraine (SPU) is important for meeting Ukraine’s needs.
The OSCE plays an important role in holding Russia accountable Human rights violations committed by Russia in Ukraine are monitored and documented by ODIHR and in four Moscow Mechanism reports. The OSCE also monitors the environmental damage caused by the war.
For more than 1000 days, three OSCE officials — Vadym Golda, Maksym Petrov and Dmytro Shabanov — remain in detention in Donetsk and Luhansk. Russia must immediately release them.
Furthermore, tens of thousands Ukrainian children are forcefully separated from their families. We urge Russia to make their return possible.
Prepare the OSCE for the future is the most challenging task during 2025.
We stand ready to roll up our sleeves.
Finland wants to safeguard the OSCE’s operational capacity and role as a forum for political dialogue.
The OSCE’s extensive geographical coverage and comprehensive concept of security make it a unique security organisation. Ensuring a well-functioning OSCE is the joint responsibility of all participating States.
It is our collective duty to ensure that the OSCE survives not only to its 50th anniversary but also beyond.
In this respect, we have concrete suggestions.
First off, Finland as Chair will initiate small group discussions on the future of the OSCE. I have tasked Ambassador Häkkinen to conduct such work in Vienna. The results of this work would be reported to the Ministerial Council at the end of the year.
Second, Finland will establish a Helsinki+50 fund together with interested participating States and the OSCE Secretariat. The fund will not replace the Organization's budget, but supplement it. The aim is to enhance the use of voluntary funding for the OSCE to deliver on its mandate, based on principles and commitments of the OSCE.
Thirdly, as is the case with many other organisations, I encourage participating States to consider holding the annual OSCE Ministerial at the seat of the organisation - in Vienna. Funding should be covered from the Unified Budget. These arrangements would also make it easier for states to assume the Chair, and even consider rotating Chairpersonship.
Finally, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act, we will organize a Chairpersonship event in Finlandia hall, Helsinki, on 31 July and 1 August 2025. The event will highlight the OSCE principles, and it is being planned and prepared together with civil society.
Excellencies,
When a state challenges the foundations of our common security, we must rise to vigorously defend our principles.
Right now, the Helsinki Principles are more important than ever.
They are a reminder of what we can achieve through cooperation and trust – and what is at stake if we fail to defend them. Now, more than ever, these principles need their defenders.
We stand ready to engage with all and work with all countries that respect the OSCE principles.
I wish you courage and a spirit of cooperation during year ahead.
I thank you.