[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 100 (Thursday, July 27, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1360-E1361]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE HELSINKI FINAL ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 27, 2000

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, next Tuesday marks the 25th 
anniversary of the signing of the Helsinki Final Act, which organized 
what has become known as the Helsinki or OSCE process, a critical venue 
in which the United States has sought to advance human rights, 
democracy and the rule of law. With its language on human rights, the 
Helsinki Final Act granted human rights of a fundamental principle in 
regulating international relations. The Final Act's emphasis on respect 
for human rights and fundamental freedoms is rooted in the recognition 
that the declaration of such rights affirms the inherent dignity of men 
and women and are not privileges bestowed at the whim of the state. The 
commitments are worth reading again. Among the many pages, allow me to 
quote from several of the documents:
  In the Helsinki Final Act, the participating States commit to 
``respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the freedom 
of thought, conscience, religion or belief, for all without distinction 
as to race, sex, language or religion.''
  In the 1990 Charter of Paris for a New Europe, the participating 
states declared, ``Human rights and fundamental freedoms are the 
birthright of all human beings, are inalienable and are guaranteed by 
law. Their protection and promotion is the first responsibility of 
government.''
  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 States concerned.''
  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.''
  The 1999 Istanbul Charter for European Security and Istanbul Summit 
Declaration notes the particular challenges of ending violence against 
women and children as well as sexual exploitation and all forms of 
trafficking in human beings, strengthening efforts to combat 
corruption, eradicating torture, reinforcing efforts to end 
discrimination against Roma and

[[Page E1361]]

Sinti, and promoting democracy and respect for human rights in Serbia.
  Equally important, the standards of Helsinki, which served as a 
valuable lever in pressing human rights issues also provided 
encouragement and sustenance to courageous individuals who dared to 
challenge repressive communist regimes. Many of these brave men and 
women--members of the Helsinki Monitoring and affiliated Groups in 
Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Georgia, Armenia, and similar groups in 
Poland and Czechoslovakia and elsewhere, Soviet Jewish emigration 
activists, members of repressed Christian denominations and others--
paid a high price in the loss of personal freedom and, in some 
instances, their lives, for their active support of principles 
enshrined in the Helsinki Final Act.
  Pressure by governments through the Helsinki process at various 
Helsinki fora, thoroughly reviewing compliance with Helsinki 
commitments and raising issues with Helsinki signatory governments 
which violated their freely undertaken human rights commitments, helped 
make it possible for the people of Central and Eastern Europe and the 
former Soviet Union to regain their freedom and independence.
  With the dissolution of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia, the OSCE 
region has changed dramatically. In many of the States, we have 
witnesses widespread and significant transformations and a 
consolidation of the core OSCE values of democracy, human rights and 
the rule of law. Unfortunately, in others, there has been little if any 
progress, and in some, armed conflicts have resulted in hundreds of 
thousands having been killed and in the grotesque violation of human 
rights.
  Mr. Speaker, this milestone anniversary presents the President an 
appropriate opportunity to issue a proclamation in recognition of the 
obligations we and the other OSCE States have committed to uphold. It 
is important to keep in mind that all of the agreements of the Helsinki 
process have been adopted by consensus and consequently, each 
participating State is equally bound by each document. In addition to 
committing ourselves of the faithful implementation of the OSCE 
principles, the President should encourage other OSCE signatories as 
all of us have recognized 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 and genuine security and cooperation 
in the OSCE region. Each participating State of the OSCE bears primary 
responsibility for raising violations of the Helsinki Final Act and the 
other OSCE documents.
  In the twenty-five years since this historic process was initiated in 
Helsinki, there have been many successes, but the task is far from 
complete. Mr. Speaker, we can look at OSCE's past with pride and its 
future with hope, keeping in mind President Ford's concluding comments 
at the signing of the Helsinki Final Act: ``History will judge this 
conference not by what we say here today, but by what we do tomorrow--
not by the promises we make, but by the promises we keep.''

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