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Meeting on Cooperation and Security in Europe: date, role

The OSCE today is the largest international organization. Its sphere of competence includes the problems of resolving conflicts without the use of weapons, ensuring the integrity and inviolability of the borders of member countries, ensuring the basic rights and freedoms of ordinary people. The history of the birth of this advisory body goes back to the post-war period, when the serious question arose about the prevention of destructive and bloody wars between countries.

The importance attached to the Conference on Cooperation and Security in Europe is explained by the fact that in world history there were no precedents for holding such meetings. The final act, signed in Helsinki, laid the foundation for the security of the continent for many years to come.

Background of the OSCE

The meeting on security and cooperation in Europe in 1975 was the result of events taking place in the world since the beginning of the 20th century. The 1-st World War ravaged the European continent with a destructive tornado, causing much grief. The main desire of all people was to prevent such conflicts, in which there are no winners. For the first time, the Soviet Union initiated the creation of an advisory body on collective security in the 1930s.

However, disagreements between different systems prevented the leading powers of Europe from working out common rules together with the USSR. As a result, the lack of unity and a common approach to security issues on the continent in many ways led to a repeated terrible war that claimed even more lives than the 1st World War.

But the example of the anti-fascist coalition showed that even countries with different political systems can effectively cooperate for the common goal. Unfortunately, the cold war interrupted this good intention. The formation of NATO in 1949, then the bloc of the Warsaw Pact countries divided the world into two warring camps. Today it seems like a terrible dream, but the world really lived in anticipation of a nuclear war, in the US people built thousands of individual bomb shelters with a long supply of water and food in case of conflict.

In these conditions, when one careless step by any of the warring parties could be misunderstood and lead to terrible consequences, it was especially necessary to develop uniform rules and rules of the game, binding for all.

Preparation

Great contribution to the Conference on Cooperation and Security in Europe was made precisely by the countries of the eastern part of the continent. In January 1965 in Warsaw, the USSR and other countries came up with the initiative to develop uniform norms and rules for collective security and mutual cooperation of all countries of the European continent. This proposal was developed at subsequent meetings of the PAC in 66 and 69, when the Declaration on Peace and Cooperation and a special appeal to all European states were adopted.

At the meeting of the ministers of the countries of the Interior in 69 and 70 years in Prague and Budapest, the agenda was already formulated, which will be introduced to the Conference on Cooperation and Security in Europe. At the same time, a process of establishing a dialogue with Western countries was taking place.

An agreement was signed with the Federal Republic of Germany, which confirmed the existing borders at that time. And in 1971, an agreement was already concluded between the four leading powers on the status of West Berlin. This greatly weakened the tension on the continent and legally consolidated the results of the post-war world order.

A major contribution to the Conference on Cooperation and Security in Europe was made by neutral countries, which least wished to be squeezed between the two warring forces. Finland proposed to organize this event, as well as holding preliminary meetings on its territory.

In 1972, in the small town of Otaniemi near Helsinki, official consultations of all parties began. These events lasted more than six months. As a result, it was decided to hold a Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, the date of which became a reality. The summit was to be held in three stages, and its agenda included:

  1. Security in Europe.
  2. Scientific, technical, ecological and economic interaction.
  3. Human rights, humanitarian issues.
  4. Following actions.

First step

The Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, the year of which will go down in history, began on July 3, 1973 in Helsinki and lasted until the 7th. 35 states took part in it.

A. Gromyko presented the draft of the General Declaration on Collective Security. Their proposals on economic and cultural cooperation were made by the GDR, Hungary, Poland. The issues of human rights were paid much attention to the FRG, Italy, England, Canada.

As a result of the five-day talks, it was decided to follow the recommendations of the so-called Blue Book and formulate a final act in the second stage of the negotiations.

Second phase

Neutral Switzerland also contributed to the Conference on Cooperation and Security Europe. The second stage of the talks was held in Geneva and lasted for a long time, beginning on September 18, 1973. The main round ended two years later, on July 21, 1975. Commissions were established on the first three issues of the agenda, as well as a working group to discuss the fourth item.

In addition, the work was conducted in 12 subcommissions, in which all interested parties participated. During this time, 2500 meetings of the commission were held, at which 4,700 proposals of the final agreement were considered. In addition to official meetings, there were many informal meetings between diplomats.

This work was not easy, because the dialogue was conducted by countries with different political systems, openly conflicting with each other. Attempts were made to introduce projects that could open the possibility for direct intervention in the internal affairs of states, which in itself was contrary to the spirit of the plan.

Be that as it may, this titanic work was not in vain, all documents were agreed upon and submitted for signing the Final Act.

The last stage and the signing of the final document

The Final Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe was held in Helsinki from July 30 to August 1, 1975. This was the most representative meeting in the history of the continent of the heads of state. All the leaders of 35 countries-participants of the agreement took part in it.

It was at this meeting that an agreement was signed on the principles that laid the foundation for collective security and cooperation on the continent for many years to come.

The main part of the document is the Declaration of Principles.

According to it, all countries should respect territorial integrity, respect the inviolability of borders, settle conflicts peacefully and respect the basic rights and freedoms of their citizens. Thus ended the Helsinki Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, the year of which became a new landmark in the relations of states.

Security and Cooperation

The first main section of the final document proclaimed the principle of peaceful settlement of conflicts. All disputes between states should be resolved not by force. For the sake of avoiding misunderstanding, countries should openly notify all of the major military exercises, the movements of large armed groups, and invite observers in these cases.

The second section deals with the problems of cooperation. It discusses the exchange of experience and information in the field of science and technology, the development of uniform norms and standards.

In the name of people

The largest section deals with issues that concern most people - the humanitarian sphere. In connection with the diametrically opposite view of the state-person relations between the eastern and western camps, this section caused the greatest controversy in the consultations.

It stipulates the principles of respect for human rights, the possibility of crossing borders, guarantees for the reunification of families, cultural and sports cooperation between citizens of different countries.

Guarantees of the implementation of the principles

The final, but not the last, part of the document is the "Next steps" section. It establishes the possibility of meetings and consultations of the participating countries in order to comply with the main principles of the Meeting. This part was to turn the final document into a real force, not a waste of time.

The end of the 20th century was the period of the collapse of the socialist camp. The borders collapsed, and the integrity of states became an empty sound. All this was accompanied by unprecedented suffering of ordinary people, wars in the territories of the former Yugoslavia, the USSR.

The reaction to these events was the reorganization of the political and declarative body into a real organization in 1995 - the OSCE.

Today, in the light of recent events, in the face of the threat of the resumption of conserved military conflicts in the very center of the continent, the role of the 1975 Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe is more urgent than ever. This event clearly showed that even sworn enemies can agree among themselves for peace and stability.

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