POLITICAL VOICES

Tarja Halonen

President of the Republic of Finland (2000 – 2012), Member of Club de Madrid

Tarja Halonen is the 11th President of the Republic of Finland and Finland’s first female head of state. She acceded to office in March 2000, and was re-elected in 2006.

As part of Tarja Halonen’s political activity, she served five terms in the Helsinki City Council in 1977-1996. Halonen also served in three cabinets, being appointed as Minister of Social Affairs and Health in 1987-1990, Minister of Justice in 1990-1991, and Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1995-2000. She was also Minister responsible for Nordic co-operation in 1989-91. During her time as Foreign Minister, Finland held for the first time the EU Presidency.

Halonen is very active in the activities of non-governmental organizations. She has been involved in the solidarity movement and in the defense of human rights and peace.

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Action

President Halonen put forward her proposal of European Roma Forum in her address to the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly in January 2001. The main task of the Forum is to support the participation of the Roma people in decision-making that affects their position and their enhanced integration into society, as well as the promotion of their human rights. The key areas of interest are combat against discrimination and racism and improvement of education, employment and health care. The Forum gives opinions either on request or independently about issues concerning the Roma, launches initiatives and gives advice not only to the Council of Europe but also to other international organizations, governments and regional authorities.

Relevant discourse

Speech at the opening of the European Roma and Travelers Forum in Strasbourg on December 15th, 2004:

‘’People have often asked me why the rights of the Roma have such a prominent place in Finland’s human rights policies. I would say that the reason for this lies simply in the fact that although human rights are the same for everyone, they are not always put equally into practice. The Roma, as a group, are more likely to face discrimination and their socio-economic position everywhere is weaker than that of others. That is why we need to pay special attention to this group’s equality’’. ‘’We all certainly agree that everyone should be able to participate in decision-making that concerns themselves. We in Finland have had good experience with consultative bodies for example among the Roma and Saami’’.

More information about fields of expertise (i.e. AIDS, reconstruction, digitalization…): Gender equality, climate action, desertification prevention; social inclusion

Personal Website or others: https://presidenthalonen.fi/

IGOs positions (i.e. EU, OSCE, ILO, OAS… in bold if they are currently holding that position): Council of Europe, first as Deputy-Chair of the Finnish Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly from 1991 to 1995 and later in the Ministerial Committee. She was also a Member of the Committee of Wise Persons of the Council of Europe in 1989-99. During her presidency Tarja Halonen has served as co-chair of World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalisation, appointed by International Labour Organization ILO, from 2002 to 2004. In August 2010, Tarja Halonen was appointed co-chair of the UN Secretary-General’s High-level Panel on Global Sustainability.

Tarja Halonen's channels

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Inclusive discourse