Speech by President of the Republic of Finland Tarja Halonen at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg on 28 April 2009

I would like to thank you for the invitation to Strasbourg, and for the opportunity to address the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Council of Europe - and the 20th anniversary of Finland’s membership in the organisation. Our world has changed in many ways during the years, but the core principles – democracy, human rights and the rule of law – remain at the heart of our work. We must continue building our future on these common values. This work is essential for Europe and for Europe’s democratic development.

Finland has had a longstanding interest in the Council of Europe and its activities. The Finnish Parliament and parliamentarians have taken a particular interest in the work of the Parliamentary Assembly – and with a good reason. The Parliamentary Assembly is really the heart of the Council of Europe. For me personally it was always a great pleasure to participate in the work of the Council throughout my political life.

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Europe has lived through several changes after the Second World War. The Council of Europe and its work have been most valuable. It has ensured that the principles of democracy, human rights and rule of law have been applied. And the work continues because today we are still facing many challenges.

The international economic crisis affects all of us. In many countries, economic activity has slowed down considerably and led to growing unemployment. This causes human suffering and may also cause social instability. The scale and impact of the crisis are still largely unknown, but we must be prepared for difficult times ahead.

The economy must be revitalized in a manner which is effective but also socially just. We need a fair globalization that promotes stable growth, provides adequate financing for enterprises and responds to the needs of workers for decent work. We have to remember that the welfare of people goes hand in hand with the welfare of nature. Markets alone cannot give the answers.

The Council of Europe can provide us with useful tools in responding to the challenges of today. We must keep human rights firmly in our minds and work together for our shared principles and values. A human rights based approach will lead to more equitable and sustainable solutions.

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The European Convention on Human Rights and the Court on Human Rights are the flagships of the Council. We must ensure that the Court can effectively fulfil its tasks. I am personally convinced of the importance of the 14th Protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights. Furthermore, we must remember that proper implementation of the Human Rights Convention at the national and local level is best for the people. It could also lead, in a positive way, to a decrease of the number of cases put forward to the Court on Human Rights.

In order to ensure the reinforcement of democracy and human rights, it is important to monitor the compliance of commitments undertaken by the Member States. Currently, the Parliamentary Assembly conducts state-specific, public monitoring of new Member States. I believe that extending monitoring by the Parliamentary Assembly to all the Member States of the Council could be studied. All in all, I have started to think how human rights processes could be taken more as encouragement rather than “punishment”, not for me but for my neighbour.

Finland was active in setting up the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights and now we are satisfied with the results. Both Commissioner Alvaro Gil-Robles and Commissioner Thomas Hammarberg have been very successful in promoting the awareness of and respect for human rights.

Recently, Commissioner Hammarberg has played an active role in monitoring the human rights situation which followed the crisis in Georgia last year. I encourage all parties to implement the six principles in question.

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Last month, I had the honour to co-convene together with the President of Liberia Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf the International Colloquium on Women's Empowerment in Monrovia, Liberia. The Colloquium sent out a strong message about the need to fully implement the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. The Council of Europe has an important role in supporting the implementation of this resolution. All member countries should adopt a national action plan in support of this work.

We must strongly condemn rape and sexual violence that occurs in conjunction with conflicts, and ensure the fundamental and human rights of women and girls. I repeat my proposal that systematic rape in armed conflict should be classified as a weapon of war.

Violence against women is in all circumstances a human rights violation. At the Council of Europe Summit in Warsaw 2005, we agreed to undertake a pan-European campaign to combat violence against women, including domestic violence. I am pleased that the campaign led to a decision to draft a convention.

It is self-evident that children – both girls and boys - need special protection. We must take firm measures to eradicate all forms of violence against children. It is essential that the Member States ratify and implement the relevant legal instruments to prevent sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children, trafficking and customs and practices that are harmful to children.

All children should be ensured an adequate standard of living, social protection, health and education – in other words a good childhood. In particular, access to education of children belonging to minorities and migrant communities has to be secured. Children's rights have to be mainstreamed into all areas of activities in the Council and in the Member States.

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Democracy is based on equality between people. Finland pays special attention to the rights of minorities. One of our main aims is to strengthen the social and minority rights of the Roma. I am happy that the European Roma and Travellers Forum has become our common project. This Forum has a valuable role in ensuring that the voice of Roma is heard in decisions affecting them and in promoting mutual understanding. They cannot do this work alone, and they need our support and cooperation.

Promoting intercultural dialogue is crucial in today’s globalized world. Our societies are increasingly multicultural and their peaceful development will depend on tolerance and respect between the various ethnic, cultural and religious communities. I am very happy about the progress that the Alliance of Civilizations Initiative is making. We should all make a serious effort to implement its goals in our own countries.

During the past 60 years, the achievements of the Council of Europe have been impressive. It has contributed to making Europe a continent of democracy, human rights and rule of law. It has built an excellent network of cooperation with the European Union, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the United Nations.

Honourable Members, I thank you for your work, I encourage you to further achievements and I promise you my sincere support.