PART II 5 INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS STANDARDS human dimension commitments. In Helsinki, the participating States agreed 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”. This wording closely parallels the language of the UDHR and the ICCPR. The Helsinki commitments have been repeatedly reaffirmed and expanded substantially in subsequent OSCE documents, notably the Concluding Document of the Vienna Third Follow-up Meeting (1989).40 The commitments include freedom to choose and practice a religion or belief and to change one’s current religion or belief for another. The formulation “religion or belief ” makes clear an individual’s right to subscribe to, and profess, his or her beliefs even if these may not be officially recognized by a government as a “religion”. It also means that an individual can freely choose to have no religion. Under OSCE commitments, governments are required to:  Foster a climate of tolerance;  Grant recognition upon request to communities of believers;  Respect the right of religious communities to establish places of worship, organize themselves according to their own structures, select and appoint their personnel, and receive voluntary financial and other contributions;  Engage in consultations with religious faiths;  Respect the right of individuals to give and receive religious education, as well as the right of parents to ensure religious education for their children;  Allow the training of religious personnel in appropriate institutions;  Allow religious groups to acquire, possess, produce, and disseminate publications. The United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief sets out further standards on religious freedom. OSCE commitments also deal with conscientious objection to military service, an issue often related to freedom of conscience, religion, or belief. The Copenhagen Document (1990) commits participating States to consider introducing non-punitive forms of alternative service of a non-combat or civilian nature and to make information available to the public on this issue.41 40 Paragraphs 16-17. 41 Paragraph 18.4-18.5. 54