Publisert med forbehold om endringer under fremførelsen.

Distinguished guests, musicians, artists, dear friends,

I would like to start by thanking Abazar Hamid for his amazing performance. I’m sure we are all profoundly touched by your brave story. I am so pleased that - after such a long wait and such a hard struggle – you now have the opportunity to create and perform music in a safe environment here in Harstad. To you, Abazar, and to your fellow musicians, I have an important message: I hope you don’t feel like guests here in Scandinavia. Rather, I want you to take part in social life and in musical events and performances. I am sure your contributions will be greatly appreciated.

While lately the attention of the international media has focused on drawings and caricatures, musicians around the world are still very much a target. This conference therefore turns the spotlight on persecuted music artists worldwide. In a number of countries, the works of such people are banned and censored. Or even worse, the artists themselves face imprisonment and are silenced. The people of Afghanistan under Taliban rule have been subjected to an extreme form of music censorship. In northern Mali, a country that has become internationally renowned for its music, Islamist militants are banning music. Today, music has almost ceased to exist in this region.

Last summer I was lucky enough to meet two Iranian sisters who were performing at a music festival in Førde. Masha and Marjan Vardat have made Persian vocal art familiar the world over. Home in Iran, however, they can´t sing. The regime does not allow it. Another case in point is the group Pussy Riot in Russia. Fêted abroad, forbidden at home.

Sadly, these cases are far from unique. Last year a total number of 90 attacks and violations against musicians´ rights to musical freedom of expression were registered.

There are few with the power to convey something about the society we live in with such depth, complexity and honesty as artists and musicians. The role of art is to take us to the edge, expand the universe and open our minds. No-one has the ability to ease society’s pain like artists and musicians. Which is why their voices are so essential.

Music and freedom of expression are both vital elements in any successful democracy. They are also priceless human treasures. John F. Kennedy and Nelson Mandela used the same three-word phrase: “Freedom is indivisible”. This says it all. You cannot divide freedom into parts. Do that, and it ceases to be freedom. You can dislike provocative rap lyrics; you can dislike a music genre related to a particular tradition or people. But this has nothing to do with their right to perform. Curb artistic freedom and you curb democracy altogether.

Throughout history, artists and musicians have pushed back the boundaries of society. They have played a crucial role in standing up for human rights and human dignity. My own country, for instance, by many regarded as a quiet corner of the world, a safe haven, has in the past tried to ban certain music and, consequently, the freedoms it expresses.

Joik – a vocal form of expression special to the Sami people and their culture – was up until as late as the 1950s prohibited in schools in the Sami areas. The Sami minority was for generations treated as second class citizens in Norwegian society, and the ban on performing joik is but one of many grim examples of the societal and cultural suppression of the Sami population throughout history.

We have also experienced what happens when democracy is set aside. During the Second World War certain Norwegian songs were banished as they were thought to inspire unwelcome resistance towards the German regime.

Freedom of expression is one of the core values on which our Constitution is founded. We must not take these values for granted. Democracy does not emerge from nothing. It takes time and effort to develop democratic traditions and a free society, where all citizens can enjoy equal opportunities. And it takes time and effort to preserve a democratic society. The job is never done. Democracy is a continuous process, and we all have a shared responsibility to protect the freedom it gives us.

Perhaps one of our greatest challenges today is to include and encourage all citizens to take an active part in our democracy, now and in the future. Involvement is crucial. It can prevent a situation in which an increasing polarization in our societies causes groups of individuals to feel alienated and build alternative communities.

A well-functioning democracy requires that we facilitate and encourage full participation in democratic processes; be it at work, at school or in the wide variety of voluntary activities that we take part in. It requires that people have a sense of belonging and of equality. Not least, it requires that they have confidence in the institutions of democracy, which must be easily and equally accessible for all.

This year a new national institution for monitoring human rights in Norway is in the process of being established. As parliamentarians, elected by and for the people, I believe we have a particular responsibility to ensure that rights laid down by the Constitution are not violated. By taking the decision to reorganize our national institution, this time as a body under the Norwegian Parliament, we aim to strengthen the coordination of human rights in Norway.

If we are to speak boldly and with authority about the need to respect human rights in other parts of the world, we cannot be seen to take our own human rights obligations lightly. This is why it has been of vital importance to me and my fellow parliamentarians that the new institution operates as an independent body; a centre of expertise assisting not only the authorities, but civil society as well.

I would like to close by thanking SafeMuse for inviting me here today and for making this conference possible. I encourage organizations and institutions to work for freedom of expression without fear. I would like to commend SafeMuse for their work to promote human rights on a general basis, and their capacity to shed light on the challenging conditions of persecuted musicians in particular. I would also like to congratulate Harstad as a safe city for musicians.

So, to all of you, it is with great pleasure and much privilege that I declare this conference officially open.