EU Presidency and Commission organise annual NGO forum on human rights

Press release 510/2006
5 December, 2006

The EU Presidency and the European Commission will organise the annual NGO forum on human rights at the House of Estates in Helsinki on 7-8 December. The forum aims to bring together representatives of non-governmental organisations, EU institutions and governments to discuss the EU human rights policy. The forum will focus on mainstreaming human rights and democracy in EU policies, such as crisis management and counter-terrorism, and particularly the role of women as human rights defenders.

The forum will be attended by over a hundred representatives of non-governmental organisations, EU members states and different institutions. The speakers of the forum include Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Thomas Hammarberg, former UN Under Secretary General Elisabeth Rehn, UN Special Rapporteur Martin Scheinin, Member of the European Parliament Hélène Flautre, and human rights defenders worldwide.

The forum will begin with a plenary session followed by workshop sessions.

Further information: Director Johanna Suurpää, Unit for Human Rights, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 9 1605 6551, +358 40 724 0287