The Helsinki Conference on International Law & Women's Rights

"An Interdisciplinary Analysis of the Role of International Law in Promoting Women's Rights"

(Helsinki; March 10th - 12th, 2014)

Conference Overview

The Helsinki Conference on International Law & Women Rights will be hosted by the ICD Inter-parliamentary Alliance for Human Rights & Global Peace, which was established in 2009 with the aim of promoting local legislation that protects human rights, and support the long-term campaign for global peace and stability.

The digital revolution, which has been highlighted by extensive citizen journalism, the dominance of social networks, as well as growing possibilities for people to travel and move around the world, has brought a renewed awareness and emphasis once more on the current widespread gender imbalance worldwide. It has become apparent to the global community that in both developing to industrialized countries, gender imbalance exists in many forms and creates a burden on society in economic, moral and other terms at local, national and global levels. Global governance organizations, federal governments, parliaments and NGOs from around the world are therefore working tirelessly, and in some cases collectively, to both raise awareness for this situation and to improve it by tackling gender imbalance both directly and indirectly.

International law has the unparalleled potential to support and protect women's rights as well as to equalize them to men's rights. It also plays a vital role in the development and the progress of improving their future status.  However, in order to improve the reality of women's rights globally, and to implement international law at all levels, the legislation of these laws at the local parliamentary level must take place in each individual country providing the framework for the application of women's rights.  Without this legal framework applied at both the global and the local level, it will be considerably more difficult to constitute and to assure the protection of women's rights globally in a sustainable approach.

Conference Speakers & Delegates

Speakers & Delegates during the conferences will include, among others, heads of state & leading politicians, senior diplomats, leading governmental officials, senior academics, renowned authors, journalists, and celebrated artists. These speakers will include a significant number of individuals from the ICD Advisory Board. To learn more about the ICD Advisory Board, please click here.

Speakers for the Conference include:
The Hon. Mari Kiviniemi
Former Prime Minister of Finland
Minister Erkki Tuomioja
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland
MEP Anneli Jäätteenmäki
Former Prime Minister of Finland
The Hon. Elisabeth Rehn
Former Minister of Defence of Finland
MP Aila Paloniemi
Member of the Finnish Parliament
The Hon. Ulla-Maj Wideroos
Former Minister of Finance of Finland
Amb. Norma Bertha Pensado Moreno
Ambassador of Mexico to Finland
MP Pia Kauma
Finnish Columnist, Writer; TV& Radio Performer
MP Elisabeth Nauclér
Member of the Parliament of Finland
Jukka Relander
Finnish Columnist, Writer; TV& Radio Performer
Johanna Norrback-Ilvessalo
Senior associate, Attorneys at Law Borenius LtD
MP Satu Haapanen
Member of Parliament of Finland

Conference Agenda

The Institute for Cultural Diplomacy recognizes the historic importance and potential for international law to serve as a strong catalyst for women's rights advocacy. Therefore, this event has been designed in order to be the first of an event series aiming to analyzing the role of international law in promoting human and women's rights.

The Helsinki Conference on International Law & Women Rights will be hosted by the ICD Inter-parliamentary Alliance for Human Rights & Global Peace, which was established in 2009 with the aim of promoting local legislation that protects human rights, and support the long-term campaign for global peace and stability. The conference will further explore and discuss these issues to formulate joint strategies for future implementation. The conference will feature a variety of lectures and panel discussions providing participants the opportunity to debate the role of international law in promoting women rights.

The conference will focus, in particular, on the following areas and issues:
  • The Potential for International Law to create a Framework for the Development and Protection of Women's Rights
  • Using International Law for Effective Implementation of Gender Equality Policies
  • The Role of Cultural Diplomacy to Promote Gender Equality
  • Raising Awareness for Gender Equality Globally using International Law

Conference Participants »

Participation in the summit events is by invitation only.

Sustainable Network »

During the program participants will have a number of opportunities to network with one another, with the speakers, and with ICD Advisory Board Members and partners. Conference participants will become part of the ICD Alumni, a growing international network of people of diverse interests and backgrounds from around the world who share a commitment to intercultural exchange. Members of the ICD Alumni Group will benefit from the following opportunities: Alumni online forum, Advisory Board Networking, ICD support for individual leadership Initiatives, free access to all ICD research, videos and photos as well as other event documentation. Participants will be able to remain in touch with each other through the ICD Networks. (more »)

Participant Papers »

The Institute for Cultural Diplomacy encourages academic research and analysis of issues related to the goals of the Conference. The ICD would therefore like to welcome the participants of the conference to submit a paper they would like to be considered for presentation at the conference as well as being included in the proposal document that will be issued following the conference and will be sent to all governments and leaders of the international community worldwide.

Certificate of Attendance

All conference participants will be awarded an official certificate of attendance upon completion of the program, which will provide details of the speakers who took part and the topics discussed. Each certificate will be signed by members of the ICD's Advisory Board.