51st session of the Human Rights Council. ID Racial justice and equality in law enforcement
3 October 2022
Nordic-Baltic Statement, delivered by Ambassador Kirsti Kauppi, Permanent Representative of Finland
Mr. President,
I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the Nordic-Baltic countries: Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden and my own country Finland.
The law enforcement has the duty to ensure national legislation is respected. Situations where law enforcement acts against those it has sworn to protect, especially persons in vulnerable situations, are always serious. These must be dealt with accordingly.
We are not yet free from racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerances. Better, disaggregated data, both quantitative and qualitative research as well as analysis are crucial to understanding how racism and racial discrimination can affect the behaviour and decision-making processes of the law enforcement. Furthermore, better data can shed more light on the multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination that people of African descent can face. The work done in this field by civil society organizations, researchers, academia and human rights institutions are especially valuable.
The Nordic-Baltic countries are committed to the fight against racism and racial discrimination in all spheres of our societies.
Thank you.