Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 102 Part 1.djvu/921

 PUBLIC LAW 100-377—AUG. 1, 1988

102 STAT. 883

Public Law 100-877 100th Congress Joint Resolution To designate August 1, 1988, as "Helsinki Human Rights Day".

Whereas August 1, 1988, will be the thirteenth anniversary of the signing of the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (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 Democratic Republic, the Federal Republic of Germany, Greece, the Holy See, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, 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 exercise 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

Aug. 1, 1988 [S.J. Res. 338]

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