Annual Report of the Human Rights Centre published

During the year 2018, the Human Rights Centre (HRC) improved the monitoring of fundamental and human rights. The HRC was actively involved in international and European cooperation.

The HRC continued its monitoring work and together with the Ministry of Justice and the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights, drew up a national survey, the findings from which will for the first time in Finland provide data on the implementation of rights, including comparative data between different groups. Persons with disabilities and the largest linguistic groups were selected for the national section of the survey.

The monitoring of the implementation of human rights was improved robustly. With regard to the specified themes, statements were issued on the periodic reports on a wider basis than previously, and consultation forums were participated in. This all was made possible inter alia by a wide network of cooperation. Promotional and monitoring activities were also carried out by submitting statements and adopting positions (including own initiative positions) on several themes for domestic and international actors.

During the year, inadequacies in child protection and the care for older people were under discussion. The problems that came to light in the area of care for older people resulted in granting exceptional additional funding to the Office of the Parliamentary Ombudsman to step up the promotion and supervision of the rights of older people at the end of the year. The HRC is also strengthening its efforts to promote the rights of older people with all the means and resources it has at its disposal.

Contact information:

Sirpa Rautio, the Director of the Human Rights Centre sirpa.rautio@ihmisoikeuskeskus.fi, +358 9 432 3780