Helsinki Committee for Human Rights
Encyclopedia
The Helsinki Committees for Human Rights exist in many Europe
an countries (the OSCE
region) as volunteer, non-profit organization
s devoted to human rights
and presumably named after the Helsinki Accords
. They used to be organized into the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights
based in Vienna
, but now bankrupt due to financial fraud within its organisation.
The Helsinki Committees began as Helsinki Watch
groups. The first one was founded in the Soviet Union
in 1976, the second in 1977 in Czechoslovakia
, the third in 1979 in Poland
, etc.
In 1982, representatives of several of these committees held an International Citizens Helsinki Watch Conference and founded the IHF.
In 1992, a British Helsinki Human Rights Group
was established in the UK, but this group has always been completely independent of the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights. The UK's official representative in the IHF is the British Helsinki Subcommittee of the Parliamentary Human Rights Group, established in 1976.
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an countries (the OSCE
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe is the world's largest security-oriented intergovernmental organization. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, human rights, freedom of the press and fair elections...
region) as volunteer, non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
s devoted to human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
and presumably named after the Helsinki Accords
Helsinki Accords
thumb|300px|[[Erich Honecker]] and [[Helmut Schmidt]] in Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe held in Helsinki 1975....
. They used to be organized into the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights
International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights
The International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights was a self-governing group of non-governmental, not-for-profit organizations that act to protect human rights throughout Europe, North America and Central Asia...
based in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, but now bankrupt due to financial fraud within its organisation.
The Helsinki Committees began as Helsinki Watch
Helsinki Watch
Helsinki Watch was a private American NGO devoted to monitoring Helsinki implementation throughout the Soviet bloc. It was created in 1978 to monitor compliance to the Helsinki Final Act...
groups. The first one was founded in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
in 1976, the second in 1977 in Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, the third in 1979 in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, etc.
In 1982, representatives of several of these committees held an International Citizens Helsinki Watch Conference and founded the IHF.
In 1992, a British Helsinki Human Rights Group
British Helsinki Human Rights Group
The British Helsinki Human Rights Group is an Oxford-based non-governmental organization which monitors human rights in the 56 participating States of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe . Despite its name, the organisation is not affiliated to the Helsinki Committee for Human...
was established in the UK, but this group has always been completely independent of the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights. The UK's official representative in the IHF is the British Helsinki Subcommittee of the Parliamentary Human Rights Group, established in 1976.
Country organizations
- Belarus: Belarus Helsinki Committee
- Bulgaria: Bulgarian Helsinki Committee
- Croatia: Croatian Helsinki CommitteeCroatian Helsinki CommitteeCroatian Helsinki Committee for Human Rights is the leading organisation for protection and promotion of human rights in Croatia...
- Hungary: Hungarian Helsinki CommitteeHungarian Helsinki CommitteeThe Hungarian Helsinki Committee is a non-governmental human rights organization founded in 1989 and based in Budapest, Hungary. The HHC is a member of the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights and the European Council on Refugees and Exiles.The HHC defines itself as monitoring the...
- Rep. of Macedonia: Helsinki Committee for Human Rights of the Republic of MacedoniaHelsinki Committee For Human Rights Of The Republic Of MacedoniaThe Helsinki Committee for Human Rights of the Republic of Macedonia, also known as the Macedonian Helsinki Committee , is a non-governmental organization that promotes human rights and monitors human rights violations in the Republic of Macedonia in accordance with the Helsinki Accords.The MHC was...
- Serbia: Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in SerbiaHelsinki Committee for Human Rights in SerbiaHelsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia is a volunteer, non-profit organization concerned with human rights issues in Serbia. It was formed in September 1994 as one of many national Helsinki Committees for Human Rights formerly organized into the now-defunct International Helsinki...