Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 104 Part 1.djvu/421

 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, Cprus, 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, Portuggd, 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 development 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 Declaration 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 conform with their obligations under international law and are

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