WTMUGA participated in the OSCE Helsinki 50+ conference held in Helsinki, the capital of
Finland, on July 30-31, 2025. The Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized a special
conference to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Helsinki Final Act, the
OSCE’s founding document. Human rights experts Dr. Pervin Hayrullah and Kerem
Abdurahimoglu attended the conference on behalf of WTMUGA. The special 50th
anniversary event began on Wednesday evening, July 30, with a reception hosted by the
Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs at Helsinki City Hall. On Thursday, July 31, the Helsinki
50+ Conference began with speeches by Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Minister of
Foreign Affairs and OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Elina Valtonen, President of Ukraine
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, UN Secretary-General Antonio Gueterres, OSCE Secretary-General
Feridun Sinirlioglu, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, and Human
Rights Watch Interim Executive Director Federico Borello. The conference, which consisted
of three sessions titled “Respect,” “Response,” and “Preparation,” featured Foreign and
Government Ministers from OSCE Participating States, as well as high-level representatives
from human rights organizations and civil society organizations. Key topics covered at the
conference included the signing of the Helsinki Final Act, the OSCE’s contributions and
shortcomings to the security and stability of Europe and the wider region over the past 50
years, and the role of the OSCE in today’s challenging times. Following the sessions, the
Helsinki 50+ Fund, initially established with contributions from 16 OSCE Participating States
to ensure more effective implementation and adoption of the principles set forth in the
Helsinki Final Act over the next 50 years, was introduced. The event concluded with a
reception following the conference.
