Security and Cooperation Conference in Europe (1975)

We explain what the conference on safety and cooperation in Europe was and what the Helsinki Act was about. In addition, what countries were present.

The Security and Cooperation Conference in Europe brought together more than 35 countries between 1973 and 1975.
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What was the conference on safety and cooperation?

The conference on security and cooperation in Europe (CSCE, also known as the Helsinki Conference) was a set of meetings held between 1973 and 1975 by representatives of European countries with the aim of improving diplomatic relations within the continent .

The division of the continent between the western block and the eastern block in the context of the Cold War had generated the rupture of relations between the different countries of the continent. In that context and within the framework of the distension of the tensions of the Cold War, It was sought to create a paneurpea organization in search of the security and commitment of the signatory nations .

The main function of the CSCE was to create a multilateral debate forum in which member states can come into contact through periodic meetings.

On the other hand, at the end of the Cold War, the different states sustained the need to maintain the existence of the CSCE. In 1994, the conference became the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and It became an organism dependent on the United Nations Organization (UN) . Since then, it deals with dealing with issues related to collective security, such as organized crime, weapons trafficking networks, drugs and people, and the uncontrolled exploitation of natural resources, among other things.

The origin of the CSCE

Within the framework of the “era of distension” in the Cold War, the USSR proposed in 1969 the meeting of a paneurpea conference for normalize relations between the different countries of Europe . In addition, the participation of the United States and Canada was agreed.

The conference brought together representatives from 35 countries (members of the Warsaw Pact, NATO members and neutral countries) in the city of Helsinki (Finland) between November 1973 and July 1975.

The participating countries were: West Germany, Eastern Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Cyprus, Denmark, Spain, United States, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monac Portugal, the United Kingdom, Romania, San Marino, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, Soviet Union, Santa See and Yugoslavia.

What was agreed in the CSCE?

The countries that participated in the CSCE signed Helsinki's minutes in 1975.

After two years of negotiations, a final act was agreed, which was formally adopted on August 1, 1975. The act was signed by all the countries that were presented at the conference and, in 1991, Albania joined the firm.

Through this act, the signatory countries recognized the borders arising from World War II and Economic cooperation between both blocks was reinforced . In addition, the USSR and European communist countries promised to respect the human rights and freedoms of Western countries.

The main points of Helsinki's act were:

  • the recognition of sovereign equality and respect for the rights inherent in the sovereignty of each country;
  • the abstention of resorting to the threat or the use of force;
  • the inviolability of the established borders;
  • to territorial integrity of the signatory states;
  • the arrangement of conflicts through peaceful means;
  • the principle of non -intervention in the internal affairs of the States;
  • respect for human rights and the fundamental freedoms of people;
  • the recognition of equality and the right to self -determination of peoples;
  • the need for cooperation between states;
  • compliance with the obligations established by international law.

The recognition of the borders was a great conquest of the USSR, since it implied the international acceptance of all its territorial acquisitions of 1945. In return, the Soviet government promised improvements in the field of human rights and social freedoms.

In turn, periodic meetings among the signatory countries were agreed with the objective of resolving conflicts that would affect European collective security.

The CSCE today

The conference for security and cooperation in Europe had various subsequent meetings, including that of 1983 in Madrid. Finally, on November 21, 1990, the Paris Summit was held in which The “era of confrontation and division” was ended, that is, to the cold war .

However, the countries that made up the CSCE agreed to maintain an international organism aimed at promoting collective security. Thus, in 1994 they determined the creation of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) as a regional agency of the United Nations Organization (UN).

Currently, the OSCE deals with fighting transnational threats, such as arms trafficking, drugs or people, organized international crime, or uncontrolled exploitation of natural resources.

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    References

    • Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. (2023). “Helsinki Accords”. Britannica Encyclopedia https://www.britannica.com/
    • Palmowski, J. (2000). “Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE)”. To Dictionary of Twentieth-Century World History. Oxford University Press.
    • Van Dijk, R., Gray, WG, Savranskaya, S., Suri, J., & Zhai, Q. (eds.). (2013). “Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE).” Encyclopedia of the Cold War. Routledge.

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