WTMUGA participates in OSCE Helsinki 50+ Conference
The Western Thrace Minority University Graduates Association (WTMUGA) took part in the OSCE Helsinki 50+ Conference held on July 30–31, 2025 in Helsinki, the capital of Finland, which currently holds the OSCE Chairmanship.
The Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted this special conference to mark the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Helsinki Final Act, the founding document of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Representing WTMUGA at the conference were Human Rights Experts Dr. Pervin Hayrullah and Kerem Abdurahimoğlu.
The anniversary event began with a reception on the evening of July 30, hosted at Helsinki City Hall by the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The main conference took place on July 31, with opening speeches by:
- President of Finland Alexander Stubb
- Minister for Foreign Affairs and OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Elina Valtonen
- President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy
- UN Secretary-General António Guterres
- OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioğlu
- UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk
- Acting Executive Director of Human Rights Watch Federico Borello
The conference included three sessions under the themes Respect, Response, and Readiness, with participation from Foreign and State Ministers of OSCE participating countries, as well as high-level representatives from civil society and human rights organizations.
Key discussion topics included the signing process of the Helsinki Final Act, OSCE’s contributions and shortcomings over the past five decades, and its role in today’s challenging global environment.
At the conclusion of the sessions, the Helsinki 50+ Fund—initiated by 16 OSCE participating states—was introduced. The fund aims to promote the continued implementation and adoption of the Helsinki Final Act principles over the next 50 years.
The event concluded with a closing reception following the final session.
