Human Rights Centre
LL.M. Sirpa Rautio has been appointed as the Director of the Centre. She began in the office on the 1st of March.
Tasks of the Human Rights Centre
The Human Rights Centre is a body constituted in accordance with the UN-approved Paris Principles with the aim of promoting fundamental and human rights.
Its tasks are:
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to promote information, education, training and research concerning fundamental and human rights
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to draft reports on implementation of fundamental and human rights
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to present initiatives and issue statements in order to promote and implement fundamental and human rights
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to participate in European and international cooperation associated with promoting and safeguarding fundamental and human rights
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to take care of other comparable tasks associated with promoting and implementing fundamental and human rights
The Centre does not handle complaints. Nor may it deal with individual cases that belong to the remits of the supreme overseers of legality.
The Human Rights Centre is operationally autonomous and independent, but administratively a part of the Office of the Parliamentary Ombudsman. It has a Director and two expert officials.
The term of office of the Director is four years. The Ombudsman appoints him or her after having heard the opinion of the Constitutional Law Committee.
Human Rights Delegation
The Centre has a Human Rights Delegation, which acts as a national cooperative body for actors in the sector of fundamental and human rights.
The Delegation
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deals with matters of fundamental and human rights that are far-reaching and important in principle
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approves annually the Centre?s operational plan and annual report
The Delegation has no fewer than 20 and at most 40 members. They represent civil society, research into fundamental and human rights as well as other bodies that participate in promoting and safeguarding these rights. Its permanent members are the supreme overseers of legality, the special ombudsmen and a representative of the Sámi Parliament.
The intention is to observe the rotation principle in the choice of civil society representatives.
The Ombudsman appoints the Delegation for four years at a time. Its chair is the Director of the Human Rights Centre.
