Applying Helsinki norms for a Better Future

We mark 50 years since the Helsinki Final Act was signed by the Soviet Union, the US, Canada and European states in 1975, which led to establishing the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Join us in this seminar in cooperation with the Norwegian MFA and NORCAP.

The Helsinki Final Act was signed at the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) on 1 August 1975. It contained principles of respect for state sovereignty and territorial integrity, echoing the UN Charter. However, it went further, including respect for human rights, human contact across borders, economic and political cooperation, and measures to increase trust and reduce the threat of military confrontation between East and West in a divided world. It was a blueprint for security and cooperation. It was the beginning of the end of the Cold War. 

The Helsinki Final Act was not just words on paper. It led to intergovernmental cooperation and the establishment of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 1994. Many civil society organisations and initiatives, such as the Helsinki Committees and Citizens’ Assemblies, started to promote and monitor respect for the Helsinki norms. 

In this event, leading academics, human rights defenders, journalists, and politicians will discuss how to revitalise the Helsinki effect. In a series of panels, we scrutinise the role of civil society and the key role of democracy promotion and standards for free and fair elections. We look at the role of the OSCE and the Helsinki Committees in the Western Balkans during and after the conflicts of the 1990s: what can we learn from this today? 

How can Helsinki norms help address current European security problems? What should a comprehensive approach to security include today? 

Program

13:30 Doors open 

14:00 Welcome, Berit Lindeman, SG NHC 

14:05 Keynote speech: Olga Aivazovska, Chairwoman, Civil Network OPORA, Ukraine 

14:20 The Helsinki Effect: Still Alive? Prof. Daniel C. Thomas, Leiden University 

14:35 Panel 1: The Helsinki Effect and Civil Society 

  • Aage Borchgrevink, moderator, Senior Advisor, NHC    
  • Prof. Daniel C. Thomas, Leiden University  
  • Evgeny Zhovtis, Founder, Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law 
  • Katsiaryna Kuzniatsova, Expert, Belarus Helsinki Committee  

15:15 Coffee break

15:30 Panel 2: Observing and promoting democratic elections 

  • Lene Wetteland, moderator, head of documentation, NHC 
  • Adam Busuleanu, Senior Program Officer, European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE) 
  • Kathrine Raadim, Director of the Climate Action, Peace and Democracy Section, NORCAP 
  • Roman Udot, Independent Election Expert  

 16:00 Panel 3: Lessons on peace from the Western Balkans 

  • Mina Skouen, moderator, Senior Advisor, NHC   
  • Sonja Biserko, President, The Helsinki Committee in Serbia 
  • Ivan Novosel, Director of Programs, Human Rights House Zagreb 
  • Ambassador Jan Braathu, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media 

16:30 Panel 4: The OSCE and the European Security Context 

  • Gunnar Ekeløve Slydal, moderator, Deputy Secretary General, NHC 
  • Olga Aivazovska, Chairwoman, Civil Network OPORA, Ukraine 
  • Ewa Kulik-Bielińska, Member of the Board, Stefan Batory Foundation 
  • Ellen Svendsen, Norway’s ambassador to the OSCE 

17:00 Coffee, tea, wraps 

17:15 The Helsinki Effect: Film by Arthur Franck, Finland, Germany & Norway, 2025. Intro by co-producer Thorvald Nilsen

18:45 The end  

Kontakt oss

Employee

Dag A. Fedøy

KommunikasjonssjefE-post: [email protected]Telefon: +47 920 54 309
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Employee

Lasse Thomassen

SeniorrådgiverE-post: [email protected]Telefon: +47 947 945 61
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