[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 149 (Thursday, August 4, 1994)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 39675-39676]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-19167]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: August 4, 1994]
Presidential Documents
Proclamation 6711 of August 1, 1994
Helsinki Human Rights Day, 1994
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
For over 20 years, the Conference on Security and
Cooperation in Europe has been an important forum in
leading humanity's ongoing struggle to define and
defend human rights. The Helsinki Final Act of 1975
committed the United States, Canada, and 33 European
states to respect ``freedom of thought, conscience,
religion or belief, for all without distinction as to
race, sex, language, or religion.'' It stands as a
fundamental declaration of freedom--a beacon and a
warning to all those who would turn away from
democracy's welcoming light.
When the West called upon the states in the Eastern
bloc to uphold their CSCE human rights commitments
during the Cold War, CSCE members' support of these
ideals played a pivotal role. In recent years, the end
of the Cold War and the dramatic political changes
sweeping Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union
have allowed the CSCE to expand and reinforce its
mandate even further. The 1990 Charter of Paris added
to existing CSCE principles, embracing new commitments
to political pluralism, economic liberty, and the rule
of law. The 1992 Helsinki Summit emphasized that ``the
protection and promotion of human rights and
fundamental freedoms and the strengthening of
democratic institutions continue to be a vital basis''
for comprehensive security. Today, the shared
determination of CSCE members to uphold these essential
values remains the keystone of European security.
As CSCE member states strive to put the Helsinki
principles into practice, violent conflicts around the
globe remind us that many societies emerging from
totalitarian rule still have far to travel toward
international standards of humanitarian democracy.
Ethnic tensions, civil unrest, and human rights abuses
are all too prevalent in several of the recently
admitted CSCE nations. The United States stands
steadfast in our commitment to full implementation of
the human rights and humanitarian provisions of the
Helsinki Accords, and I call upon all of the signatory
states to uphold their pledge to protect human rights,
to seek peaceful resolutions of conflicts, and to fully
abide by their obligations under the Helsinki Accords.
International security depends as never before upon
respect for the rights of individuals and for the
democratic principles of government. As we recognize
the magnitude of the Helsinki Accords in the history of
nations, we reaffirm our commitment to advancing its
timeless wisdom. The vigilant protection of these basic
freedoms is the world's best hope for a Europe of
growing cooperation and lasting peace.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United
States, do hereby proclaim August 1, 1994, as Helsinki
Human Rights Day and reaffirm the American commitment
to upholding human dignity and freedom--principles that
are enshrined in the Helsinki Final Act. As we
Americans observe this day with appropriate programs,
ceremonies, and activities, let us remember our
courageous citizens who have made sacrifices to secure
the freedoms we enjoy. Let us work together to
encourage respect for human rights and democratic
values around the world.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
first day of August, in the year of our Lord nineteen
hundred and ninety-four, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and
nineteenth.
(Presidential Sig.)>
[FR Doc. 94-19167
Filed 8-2-94; 2:15 pm]
Billing code 3195-01-P
