Strasbourg, 17 February 2010 ACFC/SR/III(2010)001 THIRD REPORT SUBMITTED BY FINLAND PURSUANT TO ARTICLE 25, PARAGRAPH 1 OF THE FRAMEWORK CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF NATIONAL MINORITIES (Received on 17 February 2010) THIRD PERIODIC REPORT ON IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON THE PROTECTION OF NATIONAL MINORITIES FINLAND FEBRUARY 2010 INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................................ 5 PART I ......................................................................................................................................................... 6 A. FOLLOW-UP OF RESULTS OF SECOND MONITORING CYCLE OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ............................................................................................................... 6 B. PUBLICATION OF RESULTS OF SECOND MONITORING CYCLE .................................................. 6 C. CONTRIBUTION OF CIVIC SOCIETY TO IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FRAMEWORK CONVENTION AND MEASURES TO DEVELOP THIS CONTRIBUTION ............................................. 7 PART II ........................................................................................................................................................ 9 A. RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS ....................................................... 9 Recommendation 1 ............................................................................................................................... 9 Recommendation 2 ............................................................................................................................. 11 Recommendation 3 ............................................................................................................................. 11 Recommendation 4 ............................................................................................................................. 12 Recommendation 5 ............................................................................................................................. 13 Recommendation 6 ............................................................................................................................. 14 Recommendation 7 ............................................................................................................................. 14 Recommendation 8 ............................................................................................................................. 15 Recommendation 9 ............................................................................................................................. 15 B. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FRAMEWORK CONVENTION BY ARTICLE .................................. 16 ARTICLE 1 ......................................................................................................................................... 16 Human rights policy and minority rights in Finland ....................................................................................... 16 International treaty obligations ...................................................................................................................... 16 ARTICLE 2 ......................................................................................................................................... 17 ARTICLE 3 ......................................................................................................................................... 17 Population register authorities ....................................................................................................................... 17 Population ..................................................................................................................................................... 17 Minority groups............................................................................................................................................. 18 Sámi ........................................................................................................................................................ 18 Roma ....................................................................................................................................................... 18 Swedish-speaking citizens of Finland ....................................................................................................... 18 Old Russians and other Russian-speakers ................................................................................................. 18 Tatars....................................................................................................................................................... 18 Jews ......................................................................................................................................................... 19 Åland ....................................................................................................................................................... 19 ARTICLE 4 ......................................................................................................................................... 19 Equality as a basic right ................................................................................................................................ 19 Revisions of non-discrimination legislation.................................................................................................... 20 Equality Committee....................................................................................................................................... 20 Implementation of non-discrimination directives 2000/78/EC and 2000/43/EC .............................................. 20 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities ................................................................................... 21 General implementation of equality plans ...................................................................................................... 22 Implementation of equality plans in municipalities ........................................................................................ 23 National monitoring system for discrimination ............................................................................................... 24 Racism on the Internet ................................................................................................................................... 24 Interfaces between discrimination and exclusion – challenges to a Roma child's growth ................................. 26 Roma and employment .................................................................................................................................. 26 Roma and housing ......................................................................................................................................... 27 ARTICLE 5 ......................................................................................................................................... 29 Support to minority cultures .......................................................................................................................... 29 The establishment of the Sámi Cultural Centre .............................................................................................. 30 Definition of Sámi ......................................................................................................................................... 30 Questions pertaining to Sámi land rights ....................................................................................................... 31 ARTICLE 6 ......................................................................................................................................... 31 Act on the Ombudsman for Minorities and the National Discrimination Tribunal of Finland .......................... 31 Advisory Board for Minority Issues ............................................................................................................... 32 Decisions of the National Discrimination Tribunal of Finland in minority issues ............................................ 32 “YES – Equality is priority” -project ............................................................................................................. 34 The Advisory Board for Ethnic Relations (ETNO) ......................................................................................... 35 2 Establishment of the Islamic Council of Finland (SINE) ................................................................................ 36 Finnish Roma Forum ..................................................................................................................................... 36 Fostering tolerance and preventing racism in police administration ................................................................ 37 About the attitudes of the police towards minorities ....................................................................................... 38 Recruitment of police personnel .................................................................................................................... 39 Situation and segregation of Roma prisoners.................................................................................................. 40 Prosecution Service and minority rights ........................................................................................................