Strasbourg, 8 April 2015 ACFC/SR/IV(2015)001 FOURTH REPORT SUBMITTED BY FINLAND PURSUANT TO ARTICLE 25, PARAGRAPH 2 OF THE FRAMEWORK CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF NATIONAL MINORITIES Received on 27 January 2015 FOURTH PERIODIC REPORT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FRAMEWORK CONVENTION | 1 FOURTH PERIODIC REPORT BY THE GOVERNMENT OF FINLAND ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FRAMEWORK CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF NATIONAL MINORITIES December 2014 FOURTH PERIODIC REPORT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FRAMEWORK CONVENTION | 2 INTRODUCTION 6 PART I – INCREASING AWARENESS OF THE RESULTS OF THE THIRD MONITORING CYCLE 7 A. PUBLICATION OF RESULTS OF THE THIRD MONITORING CYCLE 7 B. FOLLOW-UP OF RESULTS OF THE THIRD MONITORING CYCLE OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FRAMEWORK CONVENTION 8 C. THE CONTRIBUTION OF CIVIC SOCIETY TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FRAMEWORK CONVENTION AND MEASURES TO DEVELOP THIS CONTRIBUTION 8 D. OTHER MEASURES FOR INCREASING AWARENESS ON THE CONVENTION 8 Network of contact persons for fundamental and human rights 8 Events related to the Framework Convention in Finland 9 Events related to the Framework Convention in Strasbourg 10 PART II – ISSUES REQUIRING IMMEDIATE MEASURES 11 A. THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS REQUIRING IMMEDIATE MEASURES 11 Recommendation 1 – the Sámi Homeland land rights questions 11 Sámi issues in the Government programme 11 Indigenous peoples' rights to land and rights to exercise traditional livelihoods 11 Central Lapland logging ban agreement 13 Mining and Water Act 13 Recommendation 2 – Revival of the Sámi languages 13 Sámi linguistic rights 14 Sámi language revival programme 15 Continuing education for personnel engaged in teaching and early-years education 16 Recommendation 3 – consultation of national minorities 17 Non-discrimination planning and the assessment of the non-discrimination impact 17 Language impact assessment 17 Citizens’ initiative 18 The Local Government Act and its amendment 18 Advisory boards 19 Human Rights Delegation 19 Recommendation – consolidation of Sámi affairs 19 Amendment to the Act on the Sámi Parliament 19 Amendment to the Act on the Finnish Forest and Park Service 20 Akwé: Kon guidelines 20 Youth Council of the Sámi Parliament 21 PART II – OTHER MEASURES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FRAMEWORK CONVENTION 22 B. THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FRAMEWORK CONVENTION BY ARTICLE 22 ARTICLE 1 22 International treaty obligations 22 Human rights strategy of the Foreign Service 22 European Policy on Roma 22 Finland's support to the UN work for Indigenous Peoples 23 ARTICLE 2 24 ARTICLE 3 25 FOURTH PERIODIC REPORT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FRAMEWORK CONVENTION | 3 Population 25 Swedish-speakers 26 Sámi 26 Roma 27 Russian-speakers 28 Tatars 28 Jews 28 Karelian-speakers 29 Special status of the Åland Islands 30 Swedish language 31 Finnish-speaking population in Åland 31 Discrimination 32 Cultural rights 33 Law enforcement officials in Åland 33 Health care in Åland 34 ARTICLE 4 34 Recommendation – consultation of minorities in the Non-Discrimination Act project 34 Recommendation – prevention of racism and xenophobia 35 Anti-discrimination work 35 New legislation on non-discrimination 36 Good Relations project 37 Discrimination-free zone 38 Bullying of minority children 38 Attitudes towards national minorities 39 Report on discrimination against the Roma 40 Roma and housing 40 Intimate partner and domestic violence experienced by Roma women 42 Community as a resource -project 43 ARTICLE 5 44 Recommendation – implementation of the Roma policy programme 44 Monitoring the Roma policy programme 44 Social commitment to sustainable development 45 Recommendation – inclusion in the decision-making process for cultural projects 45 Accessibility of art and culture 45 Discretionary Government transfers for the support of multiculturalism 46 Report on the participation of the Roma in cultural activities 47 International Romani Day 48 Report on the participation of Russian-Speakers in cultural activities 48 Arts Promotion Centre Finland 49 Support for literature translation 49 Support to the Swedish-language culture 49 Support for the Roma culture 49 Support for the Sámi culture 50 Sajos - the Sámi cultural centre 51 Establishment of Skolt Sámi language and cultural centre 51 Support for the Russian language culture 51 Promotion of the Tatar culture 52 Promotion of Karelian-language culture 52 ARTICLE 6 52 Criminal Code amendment 52 Racist, discriminatory and xenophobic material on the Internet 53 Police actions in the prevention and investigation of hate crimes 53 Cooperation for the prevention of racism and discrimination 55 Regional anti-discrimination counselling (SYNE) 55 Study on the judicial protection of victims of discrimination 55 ARTICLE 7 56 The right to freedom of conscience and religion 56 ARTICLE 8 56 Safeguarding the freedom of religion by means of legislation 56 FOURTH PERIODIC REPORT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FRAMEWORK CONVENTION | 4 Protection of the freedom of religion under the Criminal Code 57 Finland's state churches 57 Registering religious communities in Finland 58 Criteria of the Religious Freedom Act for the registration of a religious community 58 Rights of religious communities 58 Language strategy of the Evangelic Lutheran Church 59 Complaints on the freedom of religion solved by the Chancellor of Justice 59 Religious dialogue and ecumenicalism 61 Freedom of religion in early childhood education 61 Religion and ethics in basic education 62 Freedom of religion in the Defence Forces 63 Non-medical circumcision of boys 63 Working group for religious and cultural dialogue 64 ARTICLE 9 64 Recommendation – mass media for minorities 65 Media and publishing activities in minority languages 65 Swedish-language media and publishing activities 65 Sámi-language media and publishing activities 65 Russian-language media and publishing activities 66 Roma language media and publishing activities 67 The Jewish Congregation's media and publishing activities 67 Karelian-language media and publishing activities 68 ARTICLE 10 68 Recommendation – Swedish-language services 68 National language strategy 68 National language network 69 National language strategy – practical tools for municipalities 69 Report of the Government on the application of the language legislation 70 Realization of linguistic rights 70 Language rights in the public social welfare and health care service structure reform 72 Working group for linguistic police services 74 Language rights of the Sámi in the public social welfare and health care service structure reform 74 Revival programme for the Sámi language 75 Linguistic diversity of the Sámi 75 Sámi language social and health services 77 State support under the Sámi Language Act 78 Report on the protection of the linguistic rights of the Roma 79 Russian language social and health services 81 Considering children's linguistic and cultural background in child protection work 81 Standardisation of the Karelian language and language planning 82 Danger Communications Act and danger communications manual 82 ARTICLE 11 83 Sámi language in the population data system 83 Karelian language in the population data system 83 Bilingual signs and product information 83 ARTICLE 12 84 Recommendation of the Committee of Ministers – minority education 84 Supplementary training of Swedish-speaking teachers 84 Fostering the education, language and culture of the Roma population 85 Electronic learning material on the Roma language 88 Study on the history of the Finnish Roma 88 Production of learning materials in Sámi 88 New learning materials for the teaching of Inari and Skolt Sámi 89 Research Society of Sámi Language and Culture 90 New Helsinki University study project on indigenous peoples 90 Study on the situation of the Karelian language 90 ARTICLE 13 90 Private schools 91 ARTICLE 14 91 FOURTH PERIODIC REPORT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FRAMEWORK CONVENTION | 5 Swedish language in early childhood education and teaching 91 Swedish language in basic education 92 Swedish language in upper secondary and higher education 93 Report for organising the teaching of the Swedish language 93 Immersion education programme of Swedish language 94 Teaching of the Roma language 94 Roma language nests activities 95 Teaching of the Sámi language 95 Sámi language nest activities 98 Instruction in the Russian language 99 Instruction in Yiddish 99 Instruction in the Hebrew language 100 Instruction in the Karelian language 101 ARTICLE 15 101 Government’s report on democracy policy 2014 101 ARTICLE 16 101 Reform Project for Regional Administration 102 Language barometer 2012 102 More freely from a monolingual municipality to a bilingual one 102 ARTICLE 17 103 Support for the capacities of non-governmental organisations 103 International democracy work 104 International Conference of Roma Women 104 ARTICLE 18 104 Draft Nordic Sámi Convention 104 Nordic legislative cooperation 105 Nordic medical cooperation 105 Nordic educational and research cooperation 105 Cooperation between Nordic educational institutions 105 Nordic cultural cooperation 106 Nordic library cooperation 106 Finnish-Russian cultural forum activities 106 ARTICLE 19 107 APPENDIX 1 - Finnish Government report on the application of language legislation 2013 107 FOURTH PERIODIC REPORT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FRAMEWORK CONVENTION | 6 INTRODUCTION The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopted the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities in November 1994. Finland