UNHRC to review human rights in Finland

The UN Human Rights Council will review Finland’s human rights record on May 3, 2017 in Geneva.

Minister of Social Affairs and Health Pirkko Mattila will lead Finland’s delegation to the meeting, said an official press release.

The delegation comprises representatives from different ministries and civil society organisations who have an independent observer status.

The government has sent Finland’s national human rights report (Universal Periodic Review, UPR) to the UN together with an account of the implementation of the recommendations received earlier.

The review will focus on the government’s actions to promote the adoption of international human rights agreements, to enhance human rights training and education, to fight violence against women, and to protect the rights of minorities. In February 2017, the government adopted Finland’s second national programme on fundamental and human rights for the period 2017-2019.

Each UN member state’s human rights record is discussed in a cooperative peer review dialogue, where the member states present question to the state under review and make recommendations on its national human rights record.

This review mechanism plays a significant role in the international human rights dialogue and complements other human rights mechanisms of the UN. The previous review of Finland’s human rights record was conducted in 2012.