Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 99 Part 1.djvu/78

 99 STAT. 56

PUBLIC LAW 99-29—APR. 25, 1985 Public Law 99-29 99th Congress Joint Resolution

——'[S.J. Res. 15]

To designate May 7, 1985, as "Helsinki Human Rights Day".

Whereas this year will be the tenth 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 Helsinki Accords 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 in whose territory national minorities exist to "respect the right of persons belonging to such minorities to equality before the law, will afford them the full opportunity for the actual enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms and will, in this manner, protect their legitimate interests in this sphere"; Whereas the Helsinki Accords also 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 co-operation among themselves as among all States"; Whereas the Helsinki Accords also express the commitment of the participating States to "constantly respect these rights and freedoms in their mutual relations and will endeavour jointly and

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