Address by President Halonen commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Council of Europe and the 20th anniversary of Finnish membership in the organisation at the Parliament on 18 May 2009

It is a real pleasure to address this Special Anniversary Session commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Council of Europe and the 20th anniversary of the accession of Finland to the Council of Europe. I am happy that that you, Mr. de Puig, the President of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly, and members of its Committee on Economic Affairs and Development are present here today.

The achievements of the Council of Europe have been impressive. The Council has contributed to making Europe a continent of human rights, democracy and rule of law. Our continent has changed in many ways in the past decades, but the core principles have guided and will to guide its nations.

This is also the time to look back at Finland’s twenty years as a Member of the Council of Europe. Our country has greatly benefited from her membership. The Council has brought a whole new dimension to our foreign policy, based on shared values. For me personally and for many others, it has always been a great pleasure to participate in the work of the Council.

Twenty years is a long time. Finland’s relationship with the Council of Europe, however, is much older. Since the early nineteen-sixties (in 1963) Finns started participating in expert meetings as observers. At the same time, also Members of the Finnish Parliament were invited to attend sessions of the Parliamentary Assembly. The first Council of Europe convention was ratified by Finland in 1970, and after that we adhered to many other conventions. These conventions have had a paramount importance for the development of our national legislation already before membership.

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The Parliamentary Assembly could be called the heart of the Council of Europe. It has the broadest political representation, and one can see it in the activities. The Finnish Parliament and the Members of Parliament have taken a particular interest in the work of the Assembly. I hope that they will continue their active engagement in its work.

The European Convention on Human Rights and the Court on Human Rights are the cornerstones of legality in Europe. The Court must have the provisions to effectively fulfil its tasks and keep the complaints mechanism a credible instrument. However, we must remember that proper implementation of the Human Rights Convention at the national and local level would be best for the people.

We take seriously the decisions of the European Court on Human Rights and the opinions of other international human rights bodies concerning Finland. But we also know what an effort it requires to improve the situation. Last week, a discussion at our Presidential Forum was devoted exactly to the realisation of human rights and basic freedoms in Finland.

It is important that the Parliamentary Assembly conducts public monitoring of new Member States, and extending monitor to all Member States should be studied. Human rights processes should be taken as encouragement rather than “punishment” – necessary for my neighbour but not for me! The Human Rights Commissioner has done a lot to make human rights a natural part of discussions with Member States.

The current economic crisis affects all of us. Growing unemployment is a reality in many countries. The effects are harsh for citizens and may also cause social instability. The Council of Europe can help us to ensure that respect for human rights is upheld also in difficult times. A human rights based approach will lead to more equitable and sustainable solutions in all circumstances.

Urgent measures are needed to curb climate change. I hope that all countries will join in preparing the United Nations Copenhagen Climate Summit in a responsible way. In Northern Europe, saving the Baltic Sea for future generations is a priority. I therefore very much welcome the activity of the Finnish Parliament to restore the healthy state of the Baltic Sea. I also thank the Parliamentary Assembly’s Committee on Economic and Development issues for making Baltic Sea environmental issues the theme of your seminar tomorrow.

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As we saw in the film in the beginning of this session, the Council of Europe has been a visible proof of the genuine will of Europeans to come together, to be a family of Europeans in the spirit of respect for democracy, human rights and the rule of law. With these values it can be a happy family. The relations between people need caring, and I hope that we all will continue developing this kind of relations in Europe.