The address by Ambassador Aleksi Härkönen at International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights
The address by Ambassador Aleksi Härkönen at International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights, International Colloquium: "Prospects and Challenges of the Human Rights Movement, Helsinki, 16 November 2007
"Human Rights Priorities of the 2008 Finnish OSCE Chairmanship”
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is an honour for me to participate in this Colloquium celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights. Through its long-standing engagement the IHF holds a special place among international NGO’s monitoring commitments made by the OSCE participating States. The name of the Federation, borrowed from the capital of Finland reminds us of the successful negotiations which led to the Helsinki process, the CSCE and the OSCE, and the end of the cold war.
The chances of implementing human rights commitments have considerably improved thanks to the efforts of organizations such as the IHF, which defend human rights and protect human rights defenders, often against official resistance. The gloomy outlook today is that their work is likely to become even more difficult in many countries in the coming years.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Finland is actively preparing for the OSCE Chairmanship of 2008. In those preparations participating States as well as civil society representatives are being consulted. The outcome of the Madrid Ministerial Council, to be held in two weeks time, will largely set next year's agenda. Many fundamental questions for European security and cooperation, among them then fate of the Conventional Armed forces Treaty in Europe, the status of Kosovo, and compliance with election-related commitments, remain open.
Finland appreciates its good cooperation with the Spanish 2007 OSCE Chairmanship, and will wait until after the Madrid Ministerial before finalizing its 2008 Chairmanship programme, including priorities in the various dimensions: the politico-military, the economic and environmental and the human dimension, as well as cross-dimensional activities.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Now I would like to make some remarks regarding preliminary priority themes of the Chairmanship and the activities in the human dimension.
As an OSCE participating State Finland emphasizes continuity in the work of the OSCE and the effective implementation of existing commitments. The participating States are first and foremost responsible for ensuring that political commitments are turned into real-life action.
In assisting and monitoring the implementation of commitments, the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights is a key OSCE institution. ODIHR’s activities are highly valued and supported by Finland. I would also like to emphasize the leadership role of the OSCE Representative on the Freedom of the Media and that of the Special Representative for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, as well as the valuable support provided by the High Commissioner on National Minorities.
The customary human dimension meetings, in particular the annual Human Dimension Implementation Meeting, are unique forums for discussing progress and shortcomings in implementing commitments in an open and transparent manner. The broad and active participation of non-governmental organizations in human dimension meetings is an achievement of which the OSCE should be proud. Finland is committed to ensuring the effective participation of NGO’s in the work of the OSCE on the basis of existing commitments, in particular the CSCE 1992 Helsinki Document.
Continued cooperation and ensuring synergies with other international and regional organisations, as well as with the European Union, is of great importance, and Finland will continue to put emphasis also on this aspect during our Chairmanship. We stress the importance of the cooperation between the OSCE and the Council of Europe, especially in the four identified priority areas: combating trafficking in human beings, minority rights, promoting tolerance and non-discrimination and combating terrorism.
With regard to specific themes to be brought up during the OSCE chairmanship, Finland is considering the following areas: combating trafficking in human beings, the promotion of tolerance and non-discrimination, in particular the situation of the Roma, and gender mainstreaming. In all these areas there is an agreed action plan guiding the work of the OSCE and the participating States. In addition, the implementation of the Roma and Sinti Action Plan is currently being reviewed and the recommendations of the forthcoming report could and should be discussed next year.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Whether we want it or not, democratization and its problems are becoming an important theme. Numerous parliamentary and presidential elections in the OSCE area are foreseen at the end of this year and in 2008. We would like the election monitoring performed by the ODIHR, together with the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, to continue in a credible manner. It is every Chairmanship’s obligation to encourage the participating States to abide by their election-related commitments.
It is of major significance that each and every participating State invites in good faith the OSCE – the ODIHR and the Parliamentary Assembly – and other international observers to monitor their elections. Election observation must be seen as a means for all participating States to further democratic processes, a goal to which they have all subscribed.
The age of digital democracy is dawning, and Finland looks forward to the comments of international observers when piloting electronic voting in our municipal elections in the autumn of 2008.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The freedom of assembly, association and expression as an important theme in the human dimension is recognized by Finland. Related to this theme, during 2008 there will be two anniversaries to be celebrated in the human rights sphere: the 10th Anniversary of the OSCE Office of the Representative on the Freedom of the Media and the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In spite of their clear difference in scope, both of these anniversaries will draw the attention of the human rights and the OSCE community to the core of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Freedom of the media is directly linked to the right to freedom of opinion and expression, which includes a right to seek and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media plays a crucial role in defending the freedom of expression. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides the basis for modern day human rights norms, including the commitments made by OSCE participating States.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The institutions and mechanisms for ensuring monitoring and support for the implementation of commitments are largely in place in the OSCE. What is unfortunately not in place in many countries is the implementation itself.
I would like to conclude by thanking the International Helsinki Federation for the inspiration that it has provided to the OSCE over many years. It is the hope of Finland that in spite of temporary difficulties the promotion of human rights will retain its hard-won place in the participating States area and in the activities of the OSCE.
Thank you.