Finland chairs the Human Dimension Committee of the OSCE
Press Release 9/2016
19 January 2016
Ambassador Katja Pehrman, Permanent Representative of Finland to the OSCE, will chair the Human Dimension Committee (HDC) of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in 2016. Pehrman will assume the position at the request of the German Chairmanship of the OSCE. In 2014 and 2015, the Chairperson of the HDC was Norway's OSCE Ambassador Robert Kvile.
The OSCE's work is based on a comprehensive approach to security, and the human dimension themes are central in all OSCE activities. The human dimension covers the promotion of democracy and development of the rule of law as well as the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Other important themes are, for example, gender equality, minority rights, freedom of expression, and the role of civil society. The Committee is one of the most important forums of the OSCE for the promotion of these goals.
Ambassador Pehrman expects that the chairmanship will bring challenges but also an opportunity for increasing the visibility of Finland's human rights policy priorities.
"We emphasize questions related to the rights of women and persons with disabilities as well as minority rights. Our priorities also correspond to those of the German OSCE Chairmanship of 2016 and our cooperation is excellent," Pehrman says.
The HDC meets at least once a month to hear specialists' presentations; in addition to that the participating States report on the implementation of the human dimension commitments. One essential part of the HDC's work is to prepare decisions for the Permanent Council and the annual Ministerial Council. The activities of the HDC are based on the participating States' open discussion and consensus building, which have traditionally been Finland's strengths, too.
The opening session of the HDC will be organized on Tuesday 19 January 2016.
Inquiries: Nina Nordström, Director, tel. +358 295 350 104, Katja Pehrman, Permanent Representative of Finland to the OSCE, tel. +43 676 848 350 420, and Päivi Karhio-Szilvay, Counsellor, tel. +43 699 1003 7151