The OSCE meeting in Helsinki addresses the issue of combating hate crime
Press release 218/2008
June 13, 2008
The OSCE Participating States appointed National Points of Contact on combating hate crime convene for the first time in a meeting to be organised in Helsinki on 16-17 June. Finland is organising the meeting in cooperation with the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, ODIHR. The meeting will be opened by Permanent Secretary Ritva Viljanen, Ministry of the Interior, and ODIHR Director Christian Strohal. The participants include 38 of the 56 OSCE Participating States.
The aim of the meeting is to promote cooperation between the OSCE Participating States and to exchange best practices for combating hate crimes.
The meeting will be preceded by a NGO Roundtable on Hate Crime, organised by the Finnish League for Human Rights, on the basis of which NGOs will draw up recommendations for the National Points of Contact on how to combat hate crimes.
ODIHR has been collecting data on hate crimes through the OSCE participating States appointed National Points of Contact (NPCs) since 2004. Finland’s two NPCs have been appointed from among the Ministry of the Interior staff. The reporting covers, for instance, monitoring of statistical data, follow-up of the legislative development, and the development of good practices. On the basis of the reports, ODIHR collects an annual report on the development trends regarding hate crimes in the OSCE area. The groups targeted by hate crime include, in particular, the Jews, the Muslims, the Roma, representatives of other minorities, refugees, and representatives of sexual minorities.
Hate crime is one of the most serious manifestations of intolerance and discrimination. According to the ODIHR’s working definition hate crime is any criminal offence, including offences against persons or property, where the victim, premises, or target of the offence are selected because of their real or perceived connection, attachment, affiliation, support, or membership with a certain group. Such a group may be based upon a characteristic common to its members, such as real or perceived 'race', national or ethnic origin, language, colour, religion, sex, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, or other similar factor. This working definition takes national differences into account, such as differences in legislation, resources, approach, and needs.
Promotion of tolerance and non-discrimination is one of Finland’s OSCE Chairmanship priorities. Finland emphasises the importance of taking all forms of discrimination into consideration.
Additional information: Second Secretary Ann-Mari Fröberg, Finnish OSCE Chairmanship Task Force, tel. +358 9 160 55493, +358 400 183 421