A joint resolution to designate August 1, 1990, as "Helsinki Human Rights Day".
PL 101-341 (S.J.Res.339), enacted 07/31/1990

PUBLIC LAW 101-341—JULY 31, 1990 
104 STAT. 387 
Public Law 101-341 
101st Congress 
Joint Resolution 
To designate August 1, 1990, as "Helsinki Human Rights Day". 
July 31, 1990 
[S.J. Res. 339] 
Whereas August 1, 1990, is the fifteenth 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, Cj^rus, 
Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Finland, France, the German Demo-
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-
tuggd, 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 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 guarantee the effective exercise of human 
rights and fundamental freedoms which derive from the inherent 
dignity of humanity and are essential for the free and full devel-
opment of that dignity; 
Whereas the participating States have committed themselves to 
"protect and create the conditions for the promotion of the ethnic, 
cultural, linguistic and religious identity of national minorities on 
their territory," as well as to "respect the free exercise of rights 
by persons belonging to such minorities and ensure their full 
equality with others"; 
Whereas the Helsinki accords also express the commitment of the 
participating States in the tield 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 International Covenants on Human 
Rights, by which they may be bound"; 
Whereas the participating States have committed themselves to 
"ensure that their laws, regulations, practices and policies con-
form with their obligations under international law and are 
104 STAT. 388 
PUBLIC LAW 101-341—JULY 31, 1990 
brought into harmony with the provisions of the Declaration of 
Principles and other CSCE commitments"; 
Whereas the participating States have committed themselves to 
"respect the equal rights of peoples and their right to self-deter-
mination, acting at all times in conformity with the purposes and 
principles of the Charter of the United Nations and with the 
relevant norms of international law, including those relating to 
territorial integrity of States"; 
Whereas the participating States have recognized that respect for 
human rights is an essential aspect for the protection of the 
environment and for economic prosperity; 
Whereas the participating States have committed themselves to 
respect fully the right of everyone to leave any country, including 
their own, and to return to their country; 
Whereas the participating States have made it their aim to "facili-
tate 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 "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 the dramatic changes which have occurred within the last 
year in many signatory States have brought the human rights 
promises of Helsinki closer to fruition; 
Whereas, despite significant improvements, all participating States 
have not yet fully implemented their obligations under Principle 
VII of the Helsinki accords to respect human rights and fun-
damental 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 on January 19, 1989, representatives from the signatory 
States agreed on the Concluding Document of the Vienna FoUow-
Up Meeting, a document which has added clarity and precision to 
the obligations undertaken by the States in signing the Helsinki 
accords; 
Whereas by agreeing to the Concluding Document, the signatory 
States "reaffirmed their commitment to the CSCE process and 
underlined 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 inter-
national security"; 
Whereas the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe of 
the thirty-five signatory States of the Helsinki accords has made 
major contributions to the positive developments in Eastern and 
Central Europe, including greater respect for the human rights 
and fundamental freedoms of individuals and groups; and 
Whereas the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe 
provides an excellent framework for the further development of 
genuine security and cooperation among the participating States: 
Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That— 
PUBLIC LAW 101-341—JULY 31, 1990 
104 STAT. 389 
(1) August 1, 1990, the fifteenth anniversary of the signing of 
the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in 
Europe (hereinafter referred to as the "Helsinki accords") is 
designated as "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; 
(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 
(5) the President is further requested, in view of the consider-
able progress made to date, to develop new proposals to advance 
the human rights objectives of the Helsinki process, and in so 
doing address the major problems that remain, including the 
question of self-determination of peoples. 
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 July 31, 1990. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S.J. Res. 339: 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 136 (1990): 
June 28, considered and passed Senate. 
July 26, considered and passed House.