In the context of wars, crises, and displacement, persons with disabilities are in a particularly vulnerable position. SaferGlobe, in collaboration with Kynnys ry, conducted a study on the status of people with disabilities in relation to comprehensive security within the activities of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Kynnys ry is a Finnish human and fundamental rights organization for people with various disabilities. The OSCE bases its activities on a comprehensive concept of security. The rights of persons with disabilities are particularly included in the human dimension of security. The study examined the OSCE’s activities, especially in the field of promoting political participation and non-discrimination of people with disabilities. Additionally, the study presented the treaty basis of the rights of persons with disabilities and Finland’s activities in the OSCE as a promoter of disability rights.
A particular focus of the study was the status of persons with disabilities amid the conflict in Ukraine and the way in which the OSCE has taken into account the position of persons with disabilities as part of its activities in Ukraine. The study utilized the OSCE’s documentary material, as well as interviews conducted by Kynnys in Ukraine and interviews with OSCE staff.
Considering the rights of persons with disabilities as part of international human rights treaties is a relatively new matter. At the international level, the most important universal treaty defining the rights of persons with disabilities is the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities from 2006. As a participating state of the OSCE, Finland has consistently sought to promote the rights of persons with disabilities.
This project fills a gap in public discourse and information dissemination, where there is no concise and up-to-date package in Finnish on EU crisis management. The goal is that citizens interested in the EU are informed about the potential impact of EU crisis management in relation to conflicts in neighboring areas.
SaferGlobe has published several reports related to the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, and the second European Communication project in 2016 continues this tradition. Aimed at a broad audience, the project informs about changes in the security environment, lessons and developments in crisis management, and analyzes the significance of changes outlined in the EU’s Global Strategy. As part of the project, a four-page brochure was published, describing the current state of EU crisis management and the requirements posed by the security environment.