Finland Times

The government on Thursday approved the Human Rights Report for submission to Parliament, said an official press release.

 

The report assesses both international human rights activities and the implementation of fundamental and human rights in Finland. Its predecessor, the Government Report on the Human Rights Policy of Finland, was submitted to Parliament in 2009.

The report emphasizes long-term measures to promote equality. In addition, important principles and departure points in the Government's activities are to ensure the coverage and universality of human rights as well as strong participation rights for civil society.

Priorities in international activities are women's rights, intervention concerning the most serious forms of discrimination, civil society's participation rights and the openness of decision-making.

Finland stresses the importance of the implementation of international law and effective monitoring. Finland keeps human rights issues in the forefront regularly as an aspect of political contacts with other countries.

The report highlights the increased importance of the European Union in the promotion of fundamental and human rights within the Union and internationally.

Strengthening the fundamental rights dimension of the European Union is an important aim for Finland. Finland supports the EU's accession, as quickly as possible, to the European Convention on Human Rights as well as further strengthening of the position of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights.

The present government believes that the next government, during its term of office, should prepare Finland's second national action plan on fundamental and human rights, the priorities of which should be defined in the government programme.

The present Government, within its term of office, will launch a study on the position, distribution of tasks and resourcing of national actors involved in fundamental and human rights issues.

A wide range of non-governmental organizations, monitors of legality and other fundamental and human rights experts were consulted during the compilation of this report. Almost one thousand people responded to the questionnaire on fundamental and human rights posted on the otakantaa.fi service of the Ministry of Justice.