The Helsinki Accords and the OSCE
40 Years on, What Now?
Saeima - Parliament of the Republic of Latvia
Jēkaba iela 11, Rīga, Latvia
24 April 2015
"History will judge this Conference not by what we say here today, but by what we do tomorrow –
not by the promises we make, but by the promises we keep."
US President Gerald Ford on the historic significance of the Helsinki Final Act and its implementation
9:00
Registration
9:30
Opening
The Importance of the Helsinki Accords for Latvia and Europe:
Past Achievements and Future Prospects
Chairman: Andris Gobiņš, President of the European Movement - Latvia
Ināra Mūrniece, Speaker of Saeima - Parliament of the Republic of Latvia
Jo Leinen MEP, President of the European Movement International
10:00
Personal
Testimony
The Importance of the Helsinki Process for the Civil and Democratic Movement
during the Soviet Era
Lidija Doroņina-Lasmane, Freedom Fighter, Latvia
10:15
Keynote
Speech
Cooperation with Difficult Partners in Difficult Times
Lauri Tierala, Special Adviser (EU Affairs) to Finland's Prime Minister Alexander Stubb,
Member of the EMI Honorary Council
Video
Address
OSCE as a Platform for Dialogue and Joint Action in Good and Bad Weather
Ambassador Lamberto Zannier, OSCE Secretary General
10:45
Coffee/tea
11:15
Round
Table
Debate
The Crisis in Ukraine: A Test to the OSCE and a Reminder of the Helsinki Final Act
Chairwoman: Lolita Čigāne, President of the European Affairs, Committee of Saeima,
Parliament of the Republic of Latvia
Ambassador Dejan Šahović, Head of Task Force OSCE Chairmanship of Serbia 2015,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia
Andrejs Panteļejevs, Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Republic of Latvia
Edvīns Šnore, Chair of the Latvian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE
Bohdan Yaremenko, former diplomat, Chairman of the Board of “Maidan of Foreign Affairs”
12:50
Concluding
Remarks
Inese Lībiņa-Egnere, Deputy Speaker of Saeima, Parliament of the Republic of Latvia
13:00
Networking Lunch Reception
hosted by Saeima – Parliament of the Republic of Latvia
14:30
Continuation of the EMI Federal Assembly (until Saturday, 25 April, 1 p.m.)
The Helsinki Accords and the OSCE
40 Years on, What Now?
Saeima - Parliament of the Republic of Latvia
Rīga, Latvia
24 April 2015
Followed by the European Movement International’s Federal Assembly
24 - 25 April 2015
Organisers:
Saeima - Parliament of the Republic of Latvia
European Movement International
European Movement Latvia
Background information
With the signature of the Helsinki Final Act 40 years ago, on 1 August 1975, the Conference on
Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) was successfully launched. Later on, the process was
transformed into the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which nowadays,
together with the European Union, plays a key role in ensuring peace and security in Europe, with its
further potential yet to be explored.
Latvia holds the EU Presidency in the first half of 2015. Europe’s role in the world plays a key role in
the Presidency’s priorities - this includes cooperation with its Eastern and Southern neighbours, as well
as coordination of actions with key organisations and stakeholders, including the OSCE and UN.
On 20-21 May the Eastern Partnership Summit is planned to take place in Riga.
The official conference will be followed by the annual meeting of the European Movement
International Federal Assembly, at which occasion its 75 Members will gather to collectively evaluate
and decide upon its policies and strategies adopt motions and resolutions, and appoint its new
Secretary General.
Aims
To honour the importance of the Helsinki Accords had in the peaceful reunification; to identify
particular cooperation needs between the EU and the OSCE for the peace and future of our continent
–with a special focus on the role of civil society within the EU and its neighbouring states.