IIA 109th CONGRESS 1st Session S. J. RES. 19 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 17, 2005 Mr. Brownback (for himself, Mr. Smith, Mr. Chambliss, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Feingold, and Mrs. Clinton) introduced the following joint resolution; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations JOINT RESOLUTION Calling upon the President to issue a proclamation recognizing the 30th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act.

Whereas August 1, 2005, is the 30th anniversary of the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), renamed the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in January 1995 (hereafter in this resolution referred to as the Helsinki Final Act); Whereas the Helsinki Final Act was the first international agreement to accord human rights the status of a fundamental principle in regulating international relations; Whereas, during the Communist era, members of nongovernmental organizations, such as the Helsinki Monitoring Groups in Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Georgia, and Armenia and similar groups in Czechoslovakia and Poland, sacrificed their personal freedom and even their lives in their courageous and vocal support for the principles enshrined in the Helsinki Final Act; Whereas Congress contributed to advancing the aims of the Helsinki Final Act by creating the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe to monitor and encourage compliance with provisions of the Helsinki Final Act; Whereas, in the 1990 Charter of Paris for a New Europe, the participating States in the OSCE (hereafter in this resolution referred to as the participating States) declared that [h]uman rights and fundamental freedoms are the birthright of all human beings, are inalienable and are guaranteed by law and that [t]heir protection and promotion is the first responsibility of government; Whereas, in the 1991 Document of the Moscow Meeting of the Conference on the Human Dimension of the CSCE, the participating States categorically and irrevocably declare[d] that the commitments undertaken in the field of the human dimension of the CSCE are matters of direct and legitimate concern to all participating States and do not belong exclusively to the internal affairs of the State concerned; Whereas, in the 1990 Charter of Paris for a New Europe, the participating States committed themselves to build, consolidate and strengthen democracy as the only system of government of our nations; Whereas the pro-democracy revolution in Serbia in 2000, the Rose Revolution in Georgia in 2003, the Orange Revolution in Ukraine in 2004, and the popular revolution in Kyrgyzstan in 2005 demonstrate the primacy of popular sovereignty and the importance of OSCE commitments on free and fair elections; Whereas the OSCE and the participating States have undertaken a series of measures aimed at combating anti-Semitism, racism, xenophobia, and discrimination and should report on related progress during the OSCE Conference on anti-Semitism and on Other Forms of Intolerance in Cordoba, Spain, in June 2005; Whereas the 1999 Istanbul OSCE Charter for European Security and the November 19, 1999, Istanbul Summit Declaration note the particular challenges of ending violence against women and children as well as sexual exploitation and all forms of trafficking in human beings, and commit the participating States to strengthen efforts to combat corruption, eradicate torture, and end discrimination against Roma; Whereas the main challenge facing the participating States remains the implementation of the principles and commitments contained in the Helsinki Final Act and other OSCE documents adopted on the basis of consensus; Whereas the participating States have recognized that economic liberty, social justice, and environmental responsibility are indispensable to prosperity; Whereas the participating States have committed themselves to promoting economic reforms through enhanced transparency for economic activity, with the aim of advancing the principles of market economies; Whereas the participating States have stressed the importance of respect for the rule of law and vigorous efforts to fight organized crime and corruption, which constitute a great threat to economic reform and prosperity; Whereas OSCE has expanded the scope and substance of its efforts, undertaking a variety of preventive diplomacy initiatives designed to prevent, manage, and resolve conflict within and among the participating States; Whereas the politico-military aspects of security remain vital to the interests of the participating States and constitute a core element of OSCE's concept of comprehensive security; Whereas the OSCE has played an increasingly active role in civilian police-related activities, including training, as an integral part of OSCE's efforts in conflict prevention, crisis management, and post-conflict rehabilitation; and Whereas the participating States bear primary responsibility for raising awareness of violations of commitments contained in the Helsinki Final Act and other OSCE documents: Now, therefore, be it

That Congress calls upon the President— (1)to issue a proclamation— (A)recognizing the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe; (B)reasserting the commitment of the United States to full implementation of the Helsinki Final Act; (C)urging all participating States to abide by their obligations under the Helsinki Final Act; and (D)encouraging the people of the United States to join the President and Congress in observance of this anniversary with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities; and (2)to convey to all signatories of the Helsinki Final Act that respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, democratic principles, economic liberty, and the implementation of related commitments continue to be vital elements in promoting a new era of democracy, peace, and unity in the region covered by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.