Item 10: General debate on technical assistance and capacity-building

55th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council: Item 10: General debate on technical assistance and capacity-building, Statement by Finland, 3 April 2024

Mr. President,

Finland aligns itself with the EU statement.

Technical assistance and capacity-building are key elements in the fulfilment of human rights. Finland continues funding the OHCHR and the Voluntary Fund on Technical Cooperation (VFTC) also in 2024. We hope new donors would join supporting this critical work.

We will also continue to work for sufficient funding through the UN regular budget. At the moment, we are concerned about the impacts of the liquidity crisis of the UN to its human rights work and hope this crisis will be solved soon.

To respond to the multiple challenges that we are facing and lie ahead of us in the coming decades, technical cooperation should always be based on the universality and indivisibility of all human rights. We echo expert views that technical cooperation can only be successful when it is formulated and implemented with the broadest possible participation of all parts of society. Decisions that do not reflect the voices of those affected may perpetuate long-standing patterns of discrimination and marginalization. This is a human rights concern, but also an obstacle to achieving peaceful and resilient societies. 

Finland supports Georgia’s cooperation with the OHCHR on its path of human rights reforms. We fully support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders and call for unhindered access for international and regional human rights mechanisms to Abkhazia and South-Ossetia.

We remain deeply concerned about the crisis in Haiti, including the latest developments, and lend our full support to the actions by this Council as proposed by the draft resolution to be addressed in the coming days.

We strongly encourage the Government of the Philippines to continue and consolidate the achievements of the UN Joint Programme (UNJP), ensuring a leading role for the Philippines Commission on Human Rights and close participation by civil society.

Thank you.