Helsinki Commission Welcomes Rep. Steve Cohen as Co-Chair for the 117th Congress
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rep. Steve Cohen (TN-09) has been named by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to co-chair the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (also known as the Helsinki Commission) during the 117th Congress.
Co-Chairman Cohen is a leader in Congress in promoting civil rights and civil liberties for all Americans, and human rights and democracy around the world. He believes that these shared values enhance security and cooperation among members of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and are a vital part of the relationship among the 57 OSCE participating States.
Co-Chairman Cohen has selected his former Congressional aide, William T. Connor IV, to serve as Senior House Staff Representative at the commission.
See full press release.
|
|
Helsinki Commission Commemorates 45 Years
|
|
|
This June, the Helsinki Commission commemorated 45 years since U.S. President Gerald Ford signed the Helsinki Commission into existence through Public Law 94-304 to encourage compliance with the Helsinki Final Act of 1975—the founding document that lays out the ten principles guiding the inter-state relations among today’s OSCE participating States. The agreement created new opportunities to engage with European partners on human rights, cooperative security, economic opportunities, and territorial disputes, and the commission played an integral role in ensuring that human rights became a key component of U.S. foreign policy.
“The Helsinki Commission has played a vital role in elevating the moral dimension of U.S. foreign policy and prioritizing the protection of fundamental freedoms in our dealings with other nations,” said Chairman Cardin. “From fighting for fair treatment of Jews in the Soviet Union, to developing landmark legislation to address human trafficking, to demanding sanctions on human rights violators and kleptocrats, and so much more, the commission consistently has broken new ground.”
See full press release.
|
|
Helsinki Commission Congressional Delegation Visits Austria, Estonia, Bulgaria, Norway
|
|
|
|
In early July, Chairman Cardin and Sen. Wicker led a U.S. delegation to the 2021 OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA) Annual Session in Vienna, Austria. The assembly was the first major gathering with an in-person component since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
During the Annual Session, the American legislators engaged in debates on political affairs and security, economic and environmental matters, and democracy and human rights. The U.S. legislators played key roles in the adoption of three resolutions reflecting the major issues confronting the OSCE today: rising hate and its use to bolster authoritarianism and conflict, a call for democratic change in Belarus, and continued opposition to Russian aggression in Ukraine.
The delegation also traveled to Estonia, Bulgaria, and Norway to hold consultations with government officials and civil society on European and Eurasian security.
See full press release.
See Chairman Cardin and Senator Wicker engage in a colloquy on the delegation.
See Ranking Member Joe Wilson's (SC-02) floor speech on the delegation.
|
|
From Our Leadership
|
|
|
Chairman Cardin and Co-Chairman Cohen reacted to the July 16 raids by Belarusian authorities on Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) offices in Minsk and condemned the Lukashenko regime's persecution of independent journalists.
Chairman Sen. Cardin commended President Biden's designation of corruption as a national security priority, which helped set the stage for an all-of-government approach to combating the issue. Recent legislative efforts by the Helsinki Commission to combat foreign corruption and kleptocracy include:
|
|
Helsinki Commission in the News
|
|
|
Reuters covers the Helsinki Commission hearing evaluating enforcement of the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act.
|
|
|
|
Helsinki Commission Advisor Paul Massaro co-authors an article on malign financial activity conducted by foreign oligarchs in the U.S. Midwest.
|
|
|
|
|
