Memoria de la V Conferencia Nacional sobre Derechos Humanos

INAUGURAL LESSONMRS. ELINA SANA*ADVISER ON REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTFOR CENTRAL AMERICAEMBASSY OF FINLANDDistinguished members of the directive table, government authorities, diplomatic representatives,academic authorities, teachers, students, ladies and gentlemen:The Government of Finland, through its Political Program for International Cooperation in the fieldof Human Rights has the fundamental objective to promote democracy and to strengthen the structuresof the rule of law and good governance, knowing that the institutions and the democratic services mustbe accessible to different social groups, both for women and men, in the process of promoting equalityin areas such as education, health and justice.Based upon its cooperation policy, in the year 2001 the Finnish Government launched a project ofSupport to Education in Human Rights in Guatemala, and since 2004 it carries out a second phase withregional character, which covers Guatemala and Honduras, whose overall objective is “to promoterespect for human rights, democracy and a culture of peace, and non-discrimination through educationand research at the institutions of higher education, as well as non formal training in human rights”.This project works in Guatemala with the San Carlos University of Guatemala and the RafaelLandívar University, and in Honduras, with the National Autonomous University of Honduras andthe Francisco Morazán National Pedagogic University. Moreover, it supports non formal educationalprograms for indigenous women and men and African descendants in Guatemala with the Association ofResearch and Social Studies –ASIES–, and in Honduras, with the Center for Research and Promotion ofHuman Rights –CIPRODEH–. This project is supported by the United Nations Development Program–UNDP–.Among the main activities we can mention the annual conferences on human rights (five in Guatemalaand two in Honduras), conducted for the purpose of serving as a reference point and as a convergenceplace for state institutions, social organizations, indigenous peoples and academic and internationalsectors, where strategic agreements and proposals of political nature can be reached in the consolidationof the full validity of human rights and the strengthening of the rule of law.Throughout this week, in which the plenary sessions of the 5 th Conference “Democratic Governanceand Human Rights” took place, has arisen a series of deep reflections on both the main theme and the* Adviser of Regional Development for Central America of the Embassy of Finland in Nicaragua.– 427 –