United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet to visit Finland

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet will visit Finland on 5–6 February 2020.

During the visit, Michelle Bachelet will meet Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto, Prime Minister Sanna Marin, Minister of Justice Anna-Maja Henriksson and Minister of the Interior Maria Ohisalo. The visit will be hosted by Foreign Minister Haavisto.

In addition, High Commissioner Bachelet will meet, among others, the Deputy Parliamentary Ombudsman, the Director of the Centre for Human Rights, and representatives of the Sámi Parliament and Finnish civil society organisations.

Bachelet will also attend the Hanalys Conference on multilateral cooperation, the rule of law, and sexual and reproductive health and rights.

During the visit, discussions will be held on Finland's Government Programme, topical international questions, and global challenges relating to the protection and promotion of human rights. Finland is a candidate for membership of the UN Human Rights Council for 2022–2024.

Michelle Bachelet is the UN's highest human rights leader, a global opinion-maker and former President of Chile. She has actively promoted women's and girls' rights and equality during her career, for example while working as Director of UN Women.

Finland supports the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), its independence and the strengthening of its operating conditions despite the pressures on human rights.

Inquiries: Joel Linnainmäki, Special Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 295 350 466 and Eija Limnell, Counsellor, Unit for Human Rights Policy, tel. +358 50 576 8985.

The email addresses of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs are in the format firstname.lastname@formin.fi.