Government Report to Parliament •On Thehuman Rights Policy Offinland 2004 2004 5
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GOVERNMENT REPORT TO PARLIAMENT • ONTHE HUMAN RIGHTS POLICY OF FINLAND 2004 TOPARLIAMENT GOVERNMENT REPORT 2004 5 PUBLICATIONS OF MINISTRY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS UM 5• 2004 Government report to Parliament on the human rights policy ISSN 0358-1489 ISBN 951-724-452-5 of Finland 2004 Government report to Parliament on the human rights policy of Finland 2004 PUBLICATIONS OF MINISTRY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS ISSN 0358-1489 http://formin.finland.fi/ihmisoikeudet ISBN 951-724-452-5 EDITA PRIMA OY, HELSINKI 2004 2 CONTENTS OBJECTIVES OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS POLICY OF THE FINNISH GOVERNMENT ............................................................... 8 1. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................... 10 2. FINNISH ACTION FOR THE PROMOTION OF RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS: MAIN PRINCIPLES ......... 13 2.1 Universality ............................................................................. 14 2.2 Indivisibility ............................................................................ 15 2.3 Principle of non-discrimination ............................................... 19 2.4 Transparency........................................................................... 19 2.5 Human rights training ............................................................. 21 3. EUROPEAN UNION AND HUMAN RIGHTS ........................... 23 3.1 Strengthening the protection of fundamental rights within the EU ........................................................................................... 23 3.1.1 Assessment of the Charter of Fundamental Rights ...... 23 3.1.2 Objectives for the strengthening of the protection of fundamental rights ....................................................... 24 3.1.3 European Ombudsman and the European Parliament Committee on Petitions ................................................ 26 3.2 Human rights in the external relations of the EU ..................... 27 3.2.1 Common foreign and security policy ............................ 28 3.2.2 Human rights clauses in agreements concluded with third countries .............................................................. 29 3.2.3 Human rights dialogue between the EU and third countries ....................................................................... 30 3.2.4 Finnish presidency of the EU and human rights ........... 32 4. PROMOTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN INTERNA- TIONAL ORGANISATIONS ....................................................... 37 4.1 United Nations ........................................................................ 37 4.1.1 General ......................................................................... 37 4.1.2 Commission on Human Rights .................................... 38 4.1.3 Third Committee of the General Assembly .................. 40 4.1.4 High Commissioner for Human Rights ........................ 41 3 4.2 Council of Europe ................................................................... 42 4.2.1 General ......................................................................... 42 4.2.2 Relationship between the Council of Europe and the EU ................................................................................ 43 4.2.3 Third summit of the Council of Europe........................ 44 4.2.4 Development of the treaty framework of the Council of Europe ..................................................................... 45 4.2.5 Monitoring of compliance by member States with their obligations, and recommendations of the monitoring bodies ........................................................................... 46 4.2.6 European Forum for Roma and Travellers .................. 46 4.2.7 Guaranteeing the resources of the European Court of Human Rights .............................................................. 48 4.2.8 Giving effect to the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights .......................................................... 49 4.2.9 Establishment of the status of the Commissioner for Human Rights .............................................................. 50 4.3 Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) .................................................................................... 56 4.3.1 Finland’s priorities in respect of the human dimension 56 4.3.2 Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights . 58 4.3.3 Relationship between the EU and the OSCE................ 62 4.3.4 OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media .......... 62 4.3.5 High Commissioner on National Minorities ................ 63 4.3.6 Field missions ............................................................... 63 4.3.7 Parliamentary Assembly ............................................... 64 4.4 Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) .................................. 64 4.5 International Labour Organization (ILO) ............................... 67 5. GLOBAL CHALLENGES ............................................................ 69 5.1 Globalisation and human rights .............................................. 69 5.1.1 General ......................................................................... 69 5.1.2 Helsinki process............................................................ 72 5.1.3 Report of the ILO World Commission on the social dimensions of globalisation .......................................... 73 5.2 Human rights and human security .......................................... 78 5.2.1 General ......................................................................... 78 5.2.2 Failed state situations ................................................... 82 5.2.3 Responsibility to protect .............................................. 84 5.2.4 Putting an end to impunity ........................................... 86 4 5.3 Human rights and civilian crisis management ......................... 88 5.4 Terrorism and human rights .................................................... 95 5.4.1 Respect for human rights in the suppression of terrorism ....................................................................... 95 5.4.2 Treatment of suspects ................................................... 97 5.5 Refugees, immigration and human rights ................................ 99 5.5.1 General ......................................................................... 100 5.5.2 Quota refugee policy .................................................... 103 5.5.3 Asylum issues ............................................................... 104 5.5.4 Reception of asylum seekers ......................................... 108 5.5.5 Reception of minors arriving without an accompanying adult ..................................................... 109 5.5.6 Rights of immigrants .................................................... 111 5.6 Human rights and Finland’s development policy .................... 115 5.6.1 General ......................................................................... 115 5.6.2 Human rights based approach to development ............ 116 5.6.3 Use of development cooperation for the enhancement of respect for human rights ........................................... 117 5.6.4 Non-governmental organisations as partners of cooperation .................................................................. 120 5.7 Human rights and trade .......................................................... 121 5.7.1 General ......................................................................... 122 5.7.2 World Trade Organization ........................................... 123 5.8 Exports of defence materiel and human rights......................... 128 5.8.1 General ......................................................................... 128 5.8.2 Finnish legislation and the EU code of conduct for arms exports ................................................................. 129 5.8.3 Assessment of the human rights situation in the recipient country........................................................... 130 5.8.4 Finland as an exporting country ................................... 131 5.8.5 International cooperation in arms exports.................... 131 5.8.6 Small arms and light weapons and human rights.......... 132 5.8.7 Towards an international convention concerning arms exports ................................................................. 133 6. THEMATIC ISSUES .................................................................... 134 6.1 Development of human rights ................................................. 134 6.1.1 Treaty system ............................................................... 134 6.1.2 Periodic reporting ......................................................... 137 6.2 Rights of women ..................................................................... 141 5 6.2.1 Rights of women in international fora .......................... 141 6.2.2 Rights of women and development cooperation ........... 144 6.2.3 Women’s rights in Finland ........................................... 147 6.3 Trafficking in human beings .................................................... 150 6.4 Rights of the child ................................................................... 154 6.4.1 Rights of the child in international fora........................ 154 6.4.2 Special Session of the UN General Assembly ............... 156 6.4.3 Rights of the child and development cooperation......... 157 6.4.4 Rights of the girl child .................................................. 157 6.4.5 Suppression of trafficking in children ........................... 158 6.4.6 Children