OSCE Secretary General Sinirlioğlu in Oslo: Appeal to Revitalize the “Spirit of Helsinki”
In light of an escalating geopolitical situation and a Europe at war, the Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu, has concluded his first official visit to Norway. The focus of his visit was participation in an international seminar at the Norwegian Parliament, the Storting, dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act. Sinirlioğlu took the opportunity to emphasize the fundamental principles of the landmark 1975 document as a guide for addressing today's crises.
During his official visit to Norway, OSCE Secretary General Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu delivered the keynote speech at an international seminar held at the Norwegian Parliament to mark the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act. / Picture: © OSCE / Stortinget/Sigbjørn P. Kiserud/ ID 593092, (CC BY-ND 4.0)
Supported by the Norwegian delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA), the event focused on how to revitalize commitment to international norms ahead of the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act. Sinirlioğlu and other high-level participants took the opportunity to emphasize the fundamental principles of the landmark 1975 document as a guide for addressing today's crises.
Restoring security and cooperation in a war-torn Europe was at the heart of the seminar. Participants agreed that, given the current security challenges in Europe, particularly the Russian Federation's ongoing aggression against Ukraine, the principles of the Helsinki Final Act—respect for state sovereignty and territorial integrity, and its emphasis on comprehensive security—are more relevant than ever.
In his keynote address at the seminar “Security and Cooperation in a Europe at War – The 50th Anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act,” Secretary General Sinirlioğlu emphasized the urgent need to return to the principles of the Final Act and to redouble efforts to defend them and challenge those who disregard them. “Given the deepening geopolitical divides, we urgently need a forum for serious multilateral diplomatic engagement,” Sinirlioğlu warned. He drew parallels with the Cold War era in 1975 when the Final Act was an unprecedented document that created a framework for dialogue and cooperation despite profound ideological divisions. “Just as in 1975, at the height of the Cold War and ‘bipolar discord,’ we need a place where we can talk. Geography will not change. We must find a way to restore what the late Pope Francis called the ‘spirit of Helsinki,’” the Secretary-General said.
The President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Pia Kauma (Finland), also emphasized the urgency: “As we mark the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act, we do so at a time when European security faces serious challenges.” Kauma added: “Russia's war against Ukraine is the greatest threat to peace and stability in the OSCE region and continues to violate the core principles of the Helsinki Final Act.”
Kauma pointed out, however, that inspiration can be drawn from the fact that the Final Act was signed during the Cold War when tensions between East and West were high. “Despite these divisions, 35 states agreed on a set of principles to guide relations between them and the security architecture of Europe,” she said.
Siv Mossleth, head of the Norwegian delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, who also made opening remarks, emphasized: “Security and cooperation are just as important in Europe today as they were in 1975 when the Helsinki Final Act was signed.” She expressed her delight at the high turnout in the Storting: “For me as a member of parliament, the values of Helsinki – democracy, human dignity, freedom, and the rule of law – are the foundations of genuine security.”
Event with broad participation by the OSCE
In addition to Secretary General Sinirlioğlu, Berit Lindeman, Secretary General of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, also spoke and chaired a panel entitled “Stories from the Field.” OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Jan Braathu and OSCE PA Deputy Secretary General Gusavo Pallares also participated in the event. Following the opening session, President Kauma met briefly with Masud Gharahkhani, President of the Storting, and Secretary General Sinirlioğlu.
Speakers at the seminar highlighted the continuing relevance of the Helsinki Final Act, noting that the document not only marked the beginning of the end of the Cold War but also contributed significantly to intergovernmental cooperation and inspired countless civil society organizations. They emphasized that the document's vision, which encompassed human rights, human contacts across borders, economic and political cooperation, and confidence-building measures, established a new blueprint for security and cooperation between East and West.
While highlighting the benefits of the adoption of the Helsinki Final Act, the speakers regretted that the “Helsinki effect” has waned in recent years. Therefore, they said, it is important to discuss how to revitalize the principles of this landmark document while celebrating the breakthrough for democracy, peace, and security and recognizing its impact.
In this context, speakers noted that the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly plays an important role in ensuring that the Helsinki norms are put into practice, that governments are held accountable, and that laws passed by national parliaments promote OSCE commitments. The PA also works to uphold democratic standards through election observation missions.
The Helsinki Final Act, signed on August 1, 1975, by 35 states, including all European countries (except Albania), the United States, and Canada, was the culmination of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE). It established a set of principles known as the “Ten Commandments of Helsinki,” which focused on sovereignty, non-interference in internal affairs, the inviolability of borders, the peaceful settlement of disputes, and respect for human rights. Although the Final Act was not legally binding, it had enormous moral and political significance and served as the basis for the subsequent development of the OSCE as a permanent organization. Its principles were crucial to the policy of détente during the Cold War and contributed significantly to the end of bloc confrontation.
During his stay in Oslo, Secretary General Sinirlioğlu met with a number of senior Norwegian officials, including Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide. Discussions focused on Norway's important role within the OSCE, the future of the European security architecture, and the organization's crucial contribution to promoting peace and security in the region. With Norwegian State Secretary of Defense Andreas Flåm, Sinirlioğlu discussed the OSCE's role in facilitating cooperation among participating States and using its instruments to de-escalate tensions.
“This visit was an opportunity to recognize Norway's long-standing commitment to the OSCE as an original signatory of the 1975 Helsinki Final Act and to discuss how the spirit of Helsinki can be revitalized to address today's complex geopolitical challenges,” the Secretary-General summarized.
Sinirlioğlu also met with the President of the Storting, Masud Gharahkhani, the Chair of the Norwegian Parliament's Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense, Ine Eriksen Søreide, and the Head of the Norwegian Delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Siv Mossleth. The visit underscores the growing importance of multilateral diplomacy in a time of increasing global uncertainty and the continuing relevance of the 50-year-old principles of the Helsinki Final Act for shaping a stable and secure future for Europe.