The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission, is an independent U.S. government agency created by

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

in 1975 to monitor and encourage compliance with the

Helsinki Final Act The Helsinki Final Act, also known as Helsinki Accords or Helsinki Declaration was the document signed at the closing meeting of the third phase of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) held in Helsinki, Finland, between ...

and other

Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is the world's largest regional security-oriented intergovernmental organization with observer status at the United Nations. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, pro ...

(OSCE) commitments. It was initiated by House representative

Millicent Fenwick Millicent Vernon Hammond Fenwick (February 25, 1910 – September 16, 1992) was an American fashion editor, politician and diplomat. A four-term Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from New Jersey, she entered politic ...

and established in 1975 pursuant to Public Law No. 94-304 and is based at the Ford House Office Building.

Function and duties of Commission

The commission is authorized and directed to monitor the acts of the signatories which reflect compliance with or violation of the articles of the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, with particular regard to the provisions relating to human rights and Cooperation in Humanitarian Fields. The commission is further authorized and directed to monitor and encourage the development of programs and activities of the United States Government and private organizations with a view toward taking advantage of the provisions of the Final Act to expand east–west economic cooperation and a greater interchange of people and ideas between East and West.

Abstract

The Commission consists of nine members from the U.S. House of Representatives, nine members from the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and po ...

, and one member each from the Departments of

State State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

Defense Defense or defence may refer to: Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups * Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks * Defense indus ...

, and

Commerce Commerce is the large-scale organized system of activities, functions, procedures and institutions directly and indirectly related to the exchange (buying and selling) of goods and services among two or more parties within local, regional, natio ...

. The positions of chairman and co-chairman are shared by the House and Senate and rotate every two years, when a new Congress convenes. A professional staff assists the Commissioners in their work. The Commission contributes to the formulation of U.S. policy toward the OSCE and the participating states and takes part in its execution, including through Member and staff participation on official U.S. delegations to OSCE meetings and in certain OSCE bodies. Members of the Commission have regular contact with parliamentarians, government officials, NGOs, and private individuals from other OSCE participating states. The Commission convenes public hearings and briefings with expert witnesses on OSCE-related issues; issues public reports concerning implementation of OSCE commitments in participating States; publishes a periodic ''Digest'' with up-to-date information on OSCE developments and Commission activities; and organizes official delegations to participating States and OSCE meetings to address and assess democratic, economic, and

human rights Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hu ...

developments firsthand.

History

In February 2018, the CSCE convened in Washington, DC to address the issue of Russian doping in international sport. Central to the discussion was an exploration of the need to protect whistle-blowers. The meeting included testimony from

Jim Walden Jim Walden (born April 10, 1938) is a former American football player He was the head coach at Washington State University from 1978 to 1986 and at Iowa State University from 1987 to 1994, compiling a career college football record of over Pl ...

, attorney for Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov, the former head of Russia's anti-doping laboratory. On 17 October 2022 while the

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. A ...

was in full swing, the Commission called for the

State Department The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other na ...

to submit a motion to the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoni ...

to end the status of

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council. This initiative was seen as a further step in the campaign of Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.N. Sergiy Kyslytsya to unseat Russia. On 14 December 2022 in a bi-partisan effort, the co-chair of the commission Steve Cohen and the ranking member of the commission Joe Wilson submitted resolution 1517 to the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...

wherein they recapitulated that Russia had committed "flagrant violations" of the

U.N. Charter The Charter of the United Nations (UN) is the foundational treaty of the UN, an intergovernmental organization. It establishes the purposes, governing structure, and overall framework of the UN system, including its six principal organs: the ...

that call into question its right to hold a

Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, an ...

seat, and would urge President Biden, inter alia, "to direct the Department of State and other relevant Federal departments and agencies to pursue all appropriate steps with Allies, partners, and other countries to limit, suspend, or terminate the participation or membership of the Russian Federation in other organs and specialized agencies of the United Nations".

Commissioners

;Commissioners, 116th Congress ;Commissioners, 115th Congress ;Commissioners, 114th Congress ;Commissioners, 113th Congress ;Commissioners, 112th Congress ;Commissioners, 111th Congress ;Commissioners, 110th Congress ;Commissioners, 109th Congress ;Commissioners, 108th Congress ;Commissioners, 107th Congress ;Commissioners, 106th Congress ;Commissioners, 105th Congress ;Commissioners, 104th Congress ;Commissioners, 103rd Congress ;Commissioners, 102nd Congress ;Commissioners, 101st Congress ;Commissioners, 100th Congress ;Commissioners, 99th Congress ;Commissioners, 98th Congress ;Commissioners, 97th Congress ;Commissioners, 96th Congress ;Commissioners, 95th Congress ;Commissioners, 94th Congress

Historical leadership

United States Code reference

Title 22, Chapter 45 : Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe :

Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe; establishment

Function and duties of Commission

Commission membership

Testimony of witnesses, production of evidence; issuance of subpoena; administration of oaths

Report relating to Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe

Commission report to Congress; periodic reports; expenditure of appropriations

Appropriations for Commission

Commission staff

Printing and binding costs

References

External links

Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe
{{Authority control United States federal boards, commissions, and committees Foreign relations of the United States Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe 1975 establishments in the United States