World Progress Falls Short of the Helsinki Accord's Reach (After Half a Century)
Fifty years ago, in 1975, the Western bloc and the Soviet Union signed the Helsinki Accords, an unprecedented diplomatic effort during the Cold War. The Accords aimed to ease relations and fill the diplomatic void inherited from 1945, focusing on great principles such as the inviolability of borders, international cooperation, and respect for human rights.
The Accords were signed by around thirty countries, including Canada, and marked a significant shift in the international order. The Soviet Union, having made territorial gains during World War II, sought to have its borders in Eastern Europe recognized and to attract foreign capital by improving its relations with the West.
The emergence of "Helsinki Committees" in several parts of the USSR aimed to defend human rights and expose USSR violations. Notably, dissidents like Andrei Sakharov and Ludmila Alexeyeva found a language to pressure the Russian government to respect its commitments in matters of human rights or freedom of expression.
Anne Leahy, a former Canadian diplomat, closely monitored the treatment of Russian dissidents and worked to protect their rights during her time as the first secretary at the Canadian embassy in the USSR. She believes it is the duty of Canada and every country to honor the principles of Helsinki, at home and abroad.
However, the Helsinki Accords have been severely affected in the last few decades, particularly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Professor Emmanuelle Rousseau confirms that Russia has violated all 10 Helsinki principles since 2022. The annexation of Crimea, the conflict in eastern Ukraine, and the termination of OSCE monitoring missions by Russia have significantly undermined the Helsinki framework and questioned the organization's effectiveness due to the failure to maintain consensus and enforce compliance.
Despite the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which oversees these principles, continuing to affirm their importance and legacy—including through various landmark follow-up agreements—the ongoing war in Ukraine by Russia constitutes a "grave and unprecedented violation" of these commitments. Efforts within the OSCE to document violations and pursue accountability, such as activating fact-finding missions under the Moscow Mechanism and supporting a special tribunal for the crime of aggression, demonstrate attempts to uphold these principles legally despite practical setbacks caused by geopolitical tensions.
Meanwhile, some political actors in Europe have debated whether rapprochement with Russia is feasible, but the predominant stance since 2022 rejects previous doctrines of change through cooperation, reflecting a wider recognition of the principle violations that Russia’s actions represent. No country benefits from war or a declining civil society, according to Anne Leahy, who argues that human dignity, the principle that everyone has the same rights, is crucial.
In summary:
- Respect for sovereignty: Severely violated by Russia’s annexation and invasion of Ukraine.
- Non-use of force: Breached by Russia's 2014 and 2022 military actions.
- OSCE effectiveness: Hampered by consensus difficulties and Russian resistance.
- Legal/accountability efforts: Ongoing via Moscow Mechanism and special tribunals.
- Political consensus in Europe: Divided, with most rejecting Russia’s actions, some calls for cautious future cooperation.
Thus, the Helsinki principles serve more as a normative ideal and legal benchmark today than a fully effective operational framework, challenged by renewed geopolitical conflicts between NATO countries and Russia following the 2014 Crimea crisis and the subsequent war in Ukraine.
- The Helsinki Accords, which were initially signed in 1975 to improve international relations and promote human rights, are now facing significant challenges as a result of Russia's violations of these principles, such as the annexation of Crimea and the ongoing war in Ukraine.
- The government of Russia, having previously signed the Helsinki Accords, has been accused of breaching key principles, including respect for sovereignty and the non-use of force, in its military actions towards Ukraine, ultimately undermining the effectiveness of the Helsinki framework in political news and war-and-conflicts contexts.
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