CE Commissioner for Human Rights visited Finland

The human rights situation in Finland is good, although there is always room for improvement, said Alvaro Gil-Robles, the human rights commissioner of the Council of Europe, during his first visit to Finland. Mr Gil-Robles will submit a report based on his visit, which he will present to the Committee of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

At a press conference held on Wednesday, 6 June in Helsinki, he told the press that the report will be made based on the issues that were discussed with NGOs. The first topic is the status of asylum seekers in Finland and the various difficulties they confront, including racism. The second issue that arose during the discussions was the status of the consientious objectors, particularly the duration of the military service and criminal sanctions. The third issue discussed was minorities in Finland, particularly the Sami and the Romany minorities.

Gil-Robles said that his main tasks are the promotion of education in and awareness of human rights in the member states, the identification of shortcomings in legislation and in practice in the member states with regard to compliance with human rights and the promotion of effective observance and full enjoyment of human rights as embodied in the various Council of Europe instruments. The Commissioner is a non-judicial institution which does not take up individual complaints. He cannot, therefore, accept any requests to present individual complaints before national or international courts, nor before national administrations of member states of the Council of Europe. Nevertheless, he can draw conclusions and take initiatives of a general nature which are based on individual complaints.

Mr Gil-Robles met with Finnish President Tarja Halonen, Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja, Justice Minister Johannes Koskinen, Interior Minister Ville Itälä and Health and Social Services Minister Osmo Soininvaara. Meetings were also held with Parliamentary Ombudsman Lauri Lehtimaja, members of the Constitutional Law Committee and NGOs. The High Commissioner hopes that discussions held would lead to concrete improvements in the human rights environment in Finland.