Helsinki's Unfulfilled Pledges: A Reflection After Half a Century
In August 1975, amidst the Cold War, the Western bloc and the Soviet Union signed the Helsinki Accords, an unprecedented diplomatic effort aimed at easing their relations and filling the diplomatic void inherited from 1945 [1][2]. The agreement was a result of "very strong lobbying" by the Soviets, who were negotiating the reduction of military forces present in Europe with the Americans [6].
The Helsinki Accords were more than just a treaty; they established principles that continue to influence international cooperation, human rights norms, and European security [1][3]. The ten non-binding principles endorsed in the Accords included the inviolability of borders, the sovereignty of states, and the respect for human rights [4].
The West saw the Helsinki Accords as an opportunity to "stabilize the Cold War a bit" and promote "certain liberal values that are dear to them," starting with human rights and freedom of expression [5]. The Accords led to the creation of Helsinki Watch in 1978, which later became Human Rights Watch, a leading global human rights organization [7].
The Helsinki Accords gave impetus to protest movements and foreign diplomacy, as representatives of various countries monitored the treatment of Russian dissidents and worked to protect their rights [5]. Several dissidents, like Andrei Sakharov or Ludmila Alexeyeva, found a language to put pressure on the Russian government to respect its commitments in matters of human rights or freedom of expression, following the signing of the Helsinki Accords [8].
However, Russia's invasion of Ukraine has severely damaged the promises of the Helsinki Accords, as confirmed by Professor Emmanuelle Rousseau. Russia has allegedly violated all ten principles of the Helsinki Accords since 2022, according to Professor Rousseau [9]. The conflict tests the durability and enforcement of these Cold War-era commitments amid sharper geopolitical tensions.
Despite these challenges, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), a product of the Helsinki Accords, remains a significant heritage and can still serve as a privileged space for cooperation [10]. The OSCE Troika recently commemorated the 50th anniversary, emphasizing their continuing relevance in underpinning common security and cooperation across Europe [1].
Anne Leahy, a prominent figure, believes it is the duty of Canada and each country to honor the principles of Helsinki, both domestically and internationally. She argues that no country benefits from war or a declining civil society [11]. The Helsinki Accords emphasize the importance of rules to protect human dignity and uphold human rights, principles that still inform regional diplomacy [3].
In summary, the Helsinki Accords today symbolize a historic commitment to peace and human rights that continues to influence international cooperation. However, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine poses a direct challenge to the Accords’ principles, underscoring the difficulty of upholding these norms amid contemporary security conflicts between NATO and Russia [1][2][5].
The Helsinki Accords, signed in 1975, established principles that continue to shape international cooperation, politics, and general news, particularly in regards to human rights and war-and-conflicts. Despite the passage of time, the principles set forth in the Accords are still being tested, as evidenced by Russia's violation of these norms during its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
