[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.
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