Finland

Introduction [page 11]

“In Finland, there has been a desire to construct a society based on equality and to develop methods and a culture is sensitive to the impact of equality and gender. Equal treatment is taken into consideration in all the legislation and preparation of the national budget, various central government programmes and projects, and personnel policies.”

1 The state obligation to protect human rights

1.1 Human rights in Finnish legislation [page 13]

“According to the equality provision of the Constitution, no one may be treated differently based on sex…”

1.2 Activities in international organizations [page 14]

“Generally, Finland supports the mutual dialogue between international organisations and their cooperation on human rights issues to increase coherence. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has used development cooperation funds to finance actions related to features such as rights at work, the economic empowerment of women, and decent work.”

3 Expectations towards companies and support services

3.5 Support for Finnish and international organisations promoting the subject [page 28]

“The Ministry for Foreign Affairs uses development cooperation funds to support international organisations, programmes and initiatives which promote the theme of business and human rights. For instance, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs has supported the following projects:

The UN Global Compact CSR initiative for EUR 350,000 in 2013 and its Business for Peace initiative for EUR 200,000 between 2013 and 2014. The activities focus on features such as human rights, gender equality, good governance and environmental affairs.

In 2014, approximately EUR 17 million were spent to support the projects of the International Labour Organisation (ILO). The projects are related to matters such as rights at work, green workplaces for the construction sector, the inclusion of women in the labour market, and decent work.”