[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S.J. Res. 37 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. J. RES. 37

Calling upon the President to issue a proclamation recognizing the 35th 
                 anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             August 2, 2010

   Mr. Cardin (for himself, Mr. Brownback, Mr. Whitehouse, and Mrs. 
  Shaheen) 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 35th 
                 anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act.

Whereas August 1, 2010, is the 35th 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 provides a comprehensive concept of security 
        encompassing the military security, economic and human dimensions rooted 
        in the ``Declaration on Principles Guiding Relations between 
        Participating States'';
Whereas the Helsinki Final Act was the first international agreement to accord 
        human rights the status of a fundamental principle 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 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, in the 1990 Document of the Copenhagen Meeting of the Conference on the 
        Human Dimension, the participating States committed ``to build 
        democratic societies based on free elections'' and recognized ``that 
        vigorous democracy depends on the existence as an integral part of 
        national life of democratic values and practices as well as an extensive 
        range of democratic institutions'', including nongovernmental 
        organizations and independent media;
Whereas, in the 1991 Document of the Moscow Meeting of the Conference on the 
        Human Dimension, 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 the OSCE and the participating States have undertaken a series of 
        measures aimed at combating anti-Semitism, racism, xenophobia, and 
        discrimination including through the convening of related high-level 
        conferences and the appointment of Personal Representatives of the 
        Chairman-in-Office;
Whereas the 1999 Istanbul OSCE Charter for European Security and the 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 OSCE maintains important relations with countries beyond the OSCE 
        region, including the Mediterranean Partners for Cooperation countries 
        of Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia, and, since the 
        early 1990s, the Asian Partners for Co-operation countries of 
        Afghanistan, Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mongolia, and 
        Thailand;
Whereas OSCE institutions, such as the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the Office 
        for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the High Commissioner on 
        National Minorities, and the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media 
        are important instruments for advancing democracy, human rights, and the 
        rule of law as well as preventing conflicts;
Whereas field missions deployed by the OSCE in several participating States have 
        contributed directly to regional security and cooperation in particular 
        by deterring the spill over effects of conflict, assisting with post-
        conflict recovery, providing expertise on democracy-building, and 
        monitoring closely the situation of vulnerable or threatened communities 
        of people;
Whereas the main challenge facing the participating States remains the 
        implementation of the principles and provisions 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 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
    Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled, That Congress calls upon the 
President--
            (1) to issue a proclamation--
                    (A) recognizing the 35th 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 commitments under the Helsinki Final Act and 
                subsequent OSCE documents adopted by consensus; 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.
                                 <all>