Finland endeavours to promote human rights everywhere in the world.
Human rights are high on the foreign and security policy agenda and Finland takes an active and consistent part in their promotion in each of the foreign and security policy sub-sections The European Union is a key channel of influence and action of Finland's human rights policy. The EU has committed to promoting respect for human rights worldwide. During its Presidency of the EU in the latter half of 2006, Finland tried to advance the coherence of the Union's human rights policy and the development of the Union's fundamental rights sector.
In its human rights policy, Finland has undertaken to pursue openness in the dialogue and cooperation carried out bilaterally and in the EU. In the UN, Finland endeavours to find ways to bridge gaps between opposing parties and to improve human rights situations through dialogue. However, dialogue cannot be an absolute value as such, ruling out any criticism of drawbacks. Openness and related pubic discussion form an integral part of the international promotion of human rights.
Even if human rights are universal, they do not in practice materialise equally.
Finland tries to focus especially on the promotion of the rights of women, children, minorities, indigenous peoples and persons with disabilities, because they are more easily discriminated. It is of utmost importance that the different groups can take part in decision-making that concerns themselves at all levels from policy formulation to the pursuit of policies at international forums.
