The Lasting Impact of the Helsinki Process

Only with the adoption of the Helsinki Final Act, in Helsinki, Finland in August 1975, did it eventually become standard international practice, not just in Europe but around the world, to hold governments accountable for the manner in which they treated their populations. On issues covered by the Helsinki Final Act, and not just human rights and humanitarian concerns, traditional diplomacy has now given way to a more public diplomacy that includes both diplomats and public leaders.

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