Finland´s national statement

Finland made its national statement about the rights of minorities on Tuesday, 12 April, paying special attention to the Roma and sexual minorities.

FINLAND
Item 14: Minorities

Mr. Chairperson,

Tolerance, equality and non-discrimination are cornerstones of the rule of law. The principle of non-discrimination lies at the heart of human rights and democratic governance. The enhancement of the rights of minorities and the work against discrimination are in practice linked one with another, in many respects.

The equal implementation of rights without discrimination because of origin, sex, age, religion, opinion, disability or sexual orientation or other comparable reasons, is a principle on which the protection of human rights and Finland´s human rights policy are essentially based.

Unfortunately, it is clear that the de facto enjoyment of human rights or fundamental rights is not equal and persons belonging to
different minorities still face discrimination in various parts of the world.

Sexual orientation continues to spark discrimination, harassment and human rights violations. It is clear, however, that each and every individual should benefit from the principle of non-discrimination and be protected against human rights violations. The
Commission on Human Rights cannot shy away from addressing the clearly existing human rights challenges related to sexual orientation.

We are worried by the discrimination that many people face, many times on multiple grounds. Finland organizes a side event next week, on Tuesday the 12th of April where this issue will be discussed more in detail.

The main purpose of this panel discussion is to underline the need to take stronger action against discrimination on multiple grounds, and to bring forward examples of the particularly difficult situation of persons faced with discrimination on more than one ground. In our view, the Commission on Human Rights could do more in addressing issues relating to discrimination.

Mr. Chairperson,

A good example of a way of giving the voices of the minorities themselves more strength is the creation of an advisory body for the Roma of the Council of Europe which will soon begin it´s task. The advisory board will represent the Roma at a pan-european level. The initiative is based on the concern over the inadequate possibilities of the Roma in Europe to participate in decision-making, present their views and invoke their rights.

When talking about the rights of minorities or indeed of all human rights, Finland is convinced that the main challenge ahead does not lie so much in drafting new human rights instruments but in implementing the ones we have. During our term in the Commission, we will therefore look for concrete ways of contributing to enhanced implementation of the existing standards.

The United Nations could and should do more for the protection of minorities worldwide. As it is, the UN lacks capacity to efficiently monitor the situation of minorities and to react quickly to violations of the human rights of persons belinging to minorities, as they occur. In this respect, we welcome the High Commissioner´s plans to strengthen her office´s capacity to react quickly to situations around the world when human rights are in danger.

Finland gives great importance to the role of the civil society in
protecting and strengthening human rights around the wolrld, including the rights of minorities. The civil society carries out invaluable work in this task.

Confidence can be built by ensuring that everyone can rely on the principles of the rule of law and good governance. Democratic processes should be inclusive enough to enable participation by all segments of society.

Thank you, Mr. Chairperson.