Finland participates in Holocaust Task Force Plenary in Vienna
Finland participates in the Plenary Meeting of The Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research (ITF) on 14-17 December in Vienna. Finland showed interest in becoming a member of the organisation in the summer of 2008 and was then accepted as an observer country. Gaining full membership is a progressive project which takes approximately two years.
The Finnish delegation in Vienna is headed by Counsellor of Foreign Affairs Kari Kahiluoto, Ambassador for Human Rights and Democracy of the Foreign Ministry. The experts of the delegation include representatives from the Ministry of Education, the National Board of Antiquities and the Jewish Community of Finland. By participating in the Plenary Meeting, Finland aims to strengthen its membership in the ITF by getting familiar with the activities of the organisation and by networking with other member states.
In order for Finland to gain full membership and to fulfil the membership criteria, the Finnish Foreign Ministry has founded a national network of Finnish experts related to holocaust. A significant partner in this network is the Ministry of Education since most of the aims of the ITF activities fall under the governance of that Ministry.
The Task Force is an international inter-governmental organisation which promotes education, research and remembrance of holocaust all over the world and aims at finding the support of heads of societies to its activities. The organisation now has 25 member states and it was founded by the initiative of former Swedish Prime Minister Göran Persson in 1998.
The ITF key principles, which Finland is also committed to as a member, are establishing the holocaust memorial day, opening up the holocaust archives to researchers and especially organising education related to holocaust at schools and universities.
Further information:
Counsellor of Foreign Affairs Kari Kahiluoto, Unit for Human Rights Policy, tel. +358 40 481 9843, [email protected]
The Foreign Ministry’s website dedicated to human rights:
http://formin.finland.fi/public/default.aspx?nodeid=15630&contentlan=2&culture=en-US
The Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research:
http://www.holocausttaskforce.org