A joint resolution to designate August 1, 1989, as "Helsinki Human Rights Day".
PL 101-69 (S.J.Res.150), enacted 08/02/1989

103 STAT. 176 
PUBLIC LAW 101-69—AUG. 2, 1989 
Public Law 101-69 
101st Congress 
Joint Resolution 
Aug. 2, 1989 
,j,^ designate August 1, 1989, as "Helsinki Human Rights Day". 
[S.J. Res. 150] 
Whereas August 1, 1989, will be the fourteenth anniversary of the 
signing of the Final Act of the Conference on Security and 
Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) (hereafter in this preamble referred 
to as the "Helsinki accords"); 
Whereas on August 1, 1975, the Helsinki accords were agreed to by 
the Governments of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Cyprus, 
* 
Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Finland, France, the German Etemo-
cratic Republic, the Federal Republic of Germany, Greece, the 
Holy See, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxem-
bourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Por-
tugal, Romania, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, 
the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom, the 
United States of America, and Yugoslavia; 
Whereas the participating States have committed themselves to 
balanced progress in all areas of the Helsinki accords; 
Whereas the Helsinki accords recognize the inherent relationship 
( 
between respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and 
the attainment of genuine security; 
Whereas the Helsinki accords express the commitment of the 
participating States to "recognize the universal significance of 
human rights and fundamental freedoms, respect for which is an 
essential factor for the peace, justice and well-being necessary to 
ensure the development of friendly relations and cooperation 
among themselves as among all States"; 
Whereas the Helsinki accords also express the commitment of the 
participating States 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"; 
Whereas the Helsinki accords also express the commitment of the 
participating States to "promote and encourage the effective exer-
cise of civil, political, economic, social, cultural and other rights 
and freedoms all of which derive from the inherent dignity of 
the human person and are essential for his free and full 
development"; 
Whereas the Helsinki accords also express the commitment of the 
participating States to "recognize and respect the freedom of the 
individual to profess and practice, alone or in community with 
others, religion or belief acting in accordance with the dictates of 
his own conscience"; 
Whereas the Helsinki accords also express the commitment of the 
participating States on whose territory national minorities exist 
to "respect the right of persons belonging to such minorities to 
equality before the law" and that such States "will afford them 
the full opportunity for the actual enjoyment of human rights and 
PUBLIC LAW 101-69—AUG. 2, 1989 
103 STAT. 177 
fundamental freedoms and will in this manner, protect their 
legitimate interests in this sphere"; 
Whereas the Helsinki accords also express the commitment of the 
participating States to "constantly respect these rights and free- -
doms in their mutual relations 
and that such States "will 
endeavor jointly and separately, including in cooperation with the 
United Nations, to promote universal and effective respect for 
them"; 
Whereas the Helsinki accords also express the commitment of the 
participating States to "conform the right of the individual to 
know and act upon his rights and duties in this field"; 
Whereas the Helsinki accords also express the commitment of the 
participating States in the field of human rights and fundamental 
freedoms to "act in conformity with the purposes and principles of 
the Charter of the United Nations and with the Universal Dec-
laration of Human Rights" and to "fulfill their obligations as set 
forth in the international declarations and agreements in this 
field, including inter alia the International Covenants on Human 
Rights, by which they may be bound"; 
Whereas the Helsinki accords by incorporation also express the 
commitment of the participating States to guarantee the right of 
the individual to leave his own country and return to such 
country; 
Whereas the Helsinki accords also express the commitment of the 
participating States to "facilitate freer movement and contacts, 
individually and collectively, whether privately or officially, 
among persons, institutions and organizations of the participating 
States, and to contribute to the solution of the humanitarian 
problems that arise in that connection"; 
Whereas the Helsinki accords also express the commitment of the 
participating States to "favorably consider applications for travel 
with the purpose of allowing persons to enter or leave their 
territory temporarily, and on a regular basis if desired, in order to 
visit members of their families"; 
Whereas the Helsinki accords also express the commitment of the 
participating States to "deal in a positive and humanitarian spirit 
with the applications of persons who wish to be reunited with 
members of their family" and "to deal with applications in this 
field as expeditiously as possible"; 
Whereas the Helsinki accords also express the commitments of the 
participating States to "examine favorably and on the basis of 
humanitarian considerations requests for exit or entry permits 
from persons who have decided to marry a citizen from another 
participating State"; 
Whereas the Helsinki accords also express the commitment of the 
participating States to "facilitate wider travel by their citizens for 
personal or professional reasons"; 
Whereas the Helsinki accords also express the commitment of the 
participating States to "facilitate the freer and wider dissemina-
tion of information of all kinds, to encourage cooperation in the 
field of information and the exchange of information with other 
countries"; 
Whereas all the participating States, including the Governments of 
the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, 
the German Democratic Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Roma-
nia, in agreeing to the Helsinki accords, have made a commitment 
103 STAT. 178 
PUBLIC LAW 101-69—AUG. 2,1989 
to adhere to the principles of human rights and fundamental 
freedoms as embodied in the Helsinki accords; 
Whereas, despite some significant improvements in some of these 
countries, the aforementioned Governments still have the worst 
performance records and have failed to fully implement their 
obligations under Principle VII of the Helsinki accords to respect 
human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the freedom 
of thought, conscience, religion or belief, and under Basket III of 
the Helsinki accords to promote free movement of people, ideas 
and information; 
Whereas representatives from the signatory States convened in 
Vienna on November 4, 1986, to review implementation and 
address issues of compliance with the human rights and humani-
tarian provisions of the Helsinki accords; 
Whereas representatives from the signatory States reached consen-
sus on the Concluding Document of the Vienna Meeting on Janu-
ary 19, 1989, a document which has added clarity and precision to 
the obligations undertaken by the States in signing the Helsinki 
accords; and 
Whereas by agreeing to the document, the signatory States 
"reaffirmed their commitment to the CSCE process and under-
lined its essential role in increasing confidence, in opening up new 
ways for cooperation, in promoting respect for human rights and 
fundamental freedoms and thus strengthening international secu-
rity": Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled, That— 
(1) August 1, 1989, the fourteenth anniversary of the signing 
of the Final Act on the Conference on Security and Cooperation 
in Europe (hereinafter referred to £is the "Helsinki accords") is 
designated £is "Helsinki Human Rights Day"; 
(2) the President is authorized and requested to issue a 
proclamation reasserting the American commitment to full 
implementation of the human rights and humanitarian provi-
sions of the Helsinki accords, urging all signatory nations to 
abide by their obligations under the Helsinki accords, and 
encouraging the people of the United States to join the Presi-
dent and Congress in observance of the Helsinki Human Rights 
Day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities; 
(3) the President is further requested to continue his efforts to 
achieve full implementation of the human rights and humani-
tarian provisions of the Helsinki accords by raising the issue of 
noncompliance on the part of any signatory nation which may 
be in violation (in particular, the Governments of the Soviet 
Union, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, the German Democratic 
Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Romania); 
(4) the President is further requested to convey to all signato-
ries of the Helsinki accords that respect for human rights and 
fundamental freedoms is a vital element of further progress in 
the ongoing Helsinki process; and 
PUBLIC LAW 101-69—AUG. 2, 1989 
103 STAT. 179 
(5) the President is authorized to convey to allies and friends 
of the United States that unity on the question of respect for 
human rights and fundamental freedoms is an essential means 
of promoting the full implementation of the human rights and 
humanitarian provisions of the Helsinki accords. 
SEC. 2. The Secretary of the Senate is directed to transmit copies 
of this joint resolution to the President, the Secretary of State, and 
the Ambassadors of the thirty-four Helsinki signatory nations. 
Approved August 2, 1989. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 
J. Res. 150: 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 135 (1989): 
June 9, considered and passed Senate. 
July 31, considered and passed House.