Helsinki Document:
The Challenges of Change
(Summit of Heads of State or Government)
Helsinki 1992
Helsinki Summit Declaration
Promises and Problems of Change
(…)
6. We welcome the commitment of all participating States to our shared values. Respect
for human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the rights of persons belonging
to national minorities, democracy, the rule of law, economic liberty, social justice and
environmental responsibility are our common aims. They are immutable. Adherence
to our commitments provides the basis for participation and co-operation in the CSCE
and a cornerstone for further development of our societies.
7. We reaffirm the validity of the guiding principles and common values of the Helsinki
Final Act and the Charter of Paris, embodying responsibilities of States towards each
other and of governments towards their people. These are the collective conscience
of our community. We recognize our accountability to each other for complying with
them. We underline the democratic rights of citizens to demand from their governments respect for these values and standards.
8. We emphasize that the commitments undertaken in the field of the human dimension
of the CSCE are matters of direct and legitimate concern to all participating States and
do not belong exclusively to the internal affairs of the State concerned. The protection
and promotion of the human rights and fundamental freedoms and the strengthening
of democratic institutions continue to be a vital basis for our comprehensive security.
(…)
12. This is a time of promise but also a time of instability and insecurity. Economic
decline, social tension, aggressive nationalism, intolerance, xenophobia and ethnic conflicts threaten stability in the CSCE area. Gross violations of CSCE commitments in the
OSCE Human Dimension Commitments 129
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