Helsinki

In 1973 the "Conference for Security and Cooperation in Europe" (CSCE) opens with the participation of 35 countries of East and West, including the US and Canada. The negotiations continue for two years.

On August 1, 1975 the "Final Act" of Helsinki is signed. The participating states obligate themselves to abstain from the use of force. The existing boundaries in Europe are not to be challenged. The treaty includes a recommendation for cooperation in the areas of economics, science, and protection of the environment. Human rights issues (such as the freedom of information) are mentioned (in the so-called basket III).

The Final Act of Helsinki is a decisive step toward the European peace settlement that Willy Brandt has called for since the Second World War.