The monitoring of fundamental and human rights to be improved with indicators

Yesterday, the Government confirmed its resolution on the contents of the third national fundamental and human rights action plan. The action plan includes indicators for fundamental and human rights, which can be used to produce systematic data on how these rights are realised in the everyday lives of people.

The third national fundamental and human rights action plan develops the way these rights are monitored in Finland and improves knowledge-based decision making around human and fundamental rights questions. 

- It is important for us to receive regular updates on how fundamental rights are realised in the everyday lives of people in order to efficiently address any problems, says Anna-Maja Henriksson, Minister of Justice.

In addition to implementing indicators, the monitoring of fundamental and human rights will be improved by promoting research and data collection, following the recommendations of international treaty-monitoring bodies and their enforcement more efficiently and developing the assessment of fundamental and human rights in law-drafting.

Fundamental and human rights indicators describe the realisation of rights in everyday life

Non-discrimination is the overarching principle of the fundamental and human rights indicator model. The monitoring objects and their indicators have been grouped into nine categories: 

•    personal liberty, integrity and the right to life
•    legal protection and good governance
•    private and family life
•    freedom of speech, opinion, religion and beliefs
•    language and culture
•    inclusion and influence
•    livelihood and decent work
•    education
•    health, wellbeing and environment. 

The preparation process for the indicators has been open and interactive. The final choices are based on the recommendations of international treaty-monitoring bodies, observations by legality reviewers, statements by the Constitutional Law Committee and questions raised in hearings and discussions with the expert work group. 

Finland’s fundamental and human rights monitoring needs developing 

The Constitutional Law Committee, national treaty-monitoring bodies and the previous actions plans along with their independent evaluations have highlighted a need to develop national monitoring of fundamental and human rights as well as data collection on the subject. The Constitutional Law Committee has also found preparing an action plan for each government term necessary.

Knowledge-based policy-making is one of the policy reforms promised by Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s government. 

Inquiries:
Anna Saarela, Ministerial Adviser, tel. +358 295 150 106, [email protected]