Helsinki+50 Conference underlined the function of civil society

HELSINKI, 1 August 2025 – To mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act, Finland organized a high-level convention at Finlandia Hall on 31 July 2025. The convention, hosted by the OSCE Chair-in-Office, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland Elina Valtonen, paid tribute to the legacy of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) held in Helsinki in 1975 and highlighted the function of civil society in advancing the OSCE’s rules and commitments. The Helsinki+50 Fund was launched as a part of the Conference to help the OSCE’s operational capability.

“What made the signing of the Helsinki Final Act truly groundbreaking was the recognition that security is not merely a matter between states—it is inseparable from the rights of individuals. The Final Act redefined security, expanding it beyond military considerations to encompass human rights, economic co-operation, and environmental protection. We must uphold the core of the OSCE: shared commitments, open dialogue, and the essential voice of civil society,” mentioned Minister Valtonen.

The occasion at Finlandia Hall was opened by Minister Valtonen and High-Level Keynotes had been delivered by President of the Republic of Finland Alexander Stubb, OSCE Secretary-General Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk and Interim Executive Director of Human Rights Watch Federico Borello. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke on the convention by way of distant connection. UN Secretary-General António Guterres despatched a video message.

The different audio system on the convention included Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia Batmunkh Battsetseg, Minister of State for Europe of the UK Stephen Doughty, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia Tanja Fajon, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Malta Ian Borg, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Albania Igli Hasani, Minister delegate for Europe of France Benjamin Haddad, and OSCE management (listed right here so as of look).

Oleksandra Matviichuk, Head of the Center for Civil Liberties, the Ukrainian human rights group and Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 2022, and different civil society representatives and human rights defenders additionally spoke on the convention.

With over 1,000 registered individuals, the viewers included representatives of the OSCE collaborating States, OSCE Partners for Co-operation, OSCE govt buildings, and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, in addition to representatives of civil society and worldwide organizations.

The convention was livestreamed and the hyperlink to the recording will be discovered on the Ministry of Foreign Affair’s YouTube account (www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYbq8Ksya-E).

Helsinki+50 Fund

Minister Valtonen launched the Helsinki+50 Fund on the Helsinki+50 Conference on 31 July 2025. The goal of the Fund is to help the OSCE’s operational capability and enhance the strategic administration of voluntary funding within the OSCE. As of right this moment, 16 OSCE collaborating States and Partners for Co-operation have pledged to the Fund. The contributions by Finland, Norway, France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Austria, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, San Marino, Estonia, Malta, Thailand, Germany, and Switzerland quantity already to over 16 million euros.

You can discover extra info on the launching of the Helsinki+50 Fund right here (Updated: OSCE Chairperson-in-Office launches Helsinki+50 Fund | OSCE).

Side occasions

Civil society organized eight facet occasions in the course of the convention. They had been chosen in keeping with standards emphasising the proposals’ alignment with the Helsinki Principles.

The facet occasions addressed a variety of subjects, together with the function of civil society in peacebuilding, the way forward for European safety and co-operation, the work of human rights defenders and efforts to fight human trafficking. The audio system on the facet occasions represented a broad spectrum of civil society and academia from throughout the OSCE area.

Helsinki+50 Discussions

The Helsinki+50 Conference was adopted by the Helsinki+50 Discussions on the way forward for the OSCE on 1 August 2025. You can discover extra info on the Helsinki+50 Discussions right here (

More info

Toni Sandell
Spokesperson and Deputy Head of the Task Force for the Finnish OSCE Chairpersonship 2025
Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland
Tel. +358 295 350 748, toni.sandell@gov.fi