Last week, AR-Resident Ana Jabauri and Artists at Risk (AR) co-founder Marita Muukkonen attended the Helsinki+50 Conference at Finlandia Hall, organised by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.
The Helsinki+50 Conference marks the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act of 1975. While the conference celebrates the progress made, it also highlights the role of civil society in advancing respect for principles and commitments proposed by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
With notable keynote speakers including Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, Ukrainian Nobel Laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk, as well as the UN and OSCE Secretary Generals, the conference spoke to the importance of continued progress towards peace, human rights, and democracy globally.
Current AR-Resident and Human Rights Defender (HRD) Ana Jabauri was invited to speak at a regional side-event of the conference held by the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH).
The event, titled ‘Repressive trends and civil society responses across Eastern Europe and Central Asia’, examined the trends and tools often used against HRDs and civil society actors, as well as best practices, coping strategies and innovative approaches developed to navigate and resist these challenges. Ana spoke as an independent expert on the severe deterioration of the situation of HRDs in Georgia.
