Under the joint Finnish and Ålandic Chairmanship of the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Council for Nordic Co-operation on Disability, human rights were placed firmly at the centre of Nordic disability policy, with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) serving as the principal normative framework. For the first time, the Chairmanship was shared between two jurisdictions, demonstrating an innovative and inclusive approach to leadership and reinforcing the Nordic commitment to co-operation based on shared responsibility and mutual learning.
The Chairmanship’s overarching theme, Rights of Persons with Disabilities, guided a comprehensive programme of activities aimed at strengthening political anchoring, improving the knowledge base, and advancing Nordic and Nordic-Baltic co-operation on CRPD implementation. Throughout the year, Finland and Åland played a pivotal role in elevating disability rights within key policy debates, particularly in relation to independent living, participation, digitalisation, and systematic monitoring of rights realisation. These efforts contributed directly to increased policy coherence and to the integration of disability perspectives across multiple sectors within the Nordic co-operation framework.
Several high-level events and processes marked the year. A Nordic-Baltic expert seminar on the right to independent living set the tone for evidence-based political dialogue, highlighting both progress and persistent structural barriers. The Chairmanship also made a significant contribution to international policy processes through a Nordic side event at the UN Conference of States Parties to the CRPD, where inclusive, fair and accessible artificial intelligence was addressed as an emerging human rights issue. The adoption and political launch of a joint Nordic-Baltic ministerial declaration on inclusive artificial intelligence constituted a tangible policy outcome, reinforcing the Nordic region’s role as a global frontrunner in rights-based digital development.
A further key result of the Chairmanship was the strengthening of the link between research, statistics, and policymaking. Through a Nordic symposium at the Nordic Network on Disability Research conference and the initiation of a multi-year Nordic project on CRPD Article 31, the foundations were laid for more comparable data, common indicators and stronger analytical capacity. This work enhances the ability of Nordic countries to monitor progress, support national policy development and meet international reporting obligations.
The year also saw clear progress in embedding the perspectives of children and young people with disabilities into Nordic decision-making processes. The Nordic Youth Disability Summit continued to evolve into a recognised political arena, with its recommendations feeding directly into ministerial dialogues and parliamentary debates within the Nordic Council. This systematic connection between youth participation and formal political processes represents a significant democratic and structural achievement of the Nordic disability co-operation.
Overall, the Finnish and Ålandic Chairmanship in 2025 delivered concrete political results, strengthened cross-sectoral and cross-border collaboration, and reinforced the human rights foundation of Nordic disability policy. By linking knowledge production, political dialogue and international engagement, the Chairmanship contributed meaningfully to the long-term objective of a more inclusive, sustainable and integrated Nordic region where the rights of persons with disabilities are realised in practice.