Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 100 Part 1.djvu/837

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PUBLIC LAW 99-000—MMMM. DD, 1986

PUBLIC LAW 99-374—AUG. 6, 1986 United Nations, to promote universal and effective respect for them"; Whereas the Helsinki Accords also express the commitment of the participating States to "confirm the right of the individual to know and act upon his rights and duties in this field"; Whereas the Helsinki Accords also express the commitment of the participating States in the field of human rights and fundamental freedoms to "act in conformity with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights" and to "fulfill their obligations as set forth in the international declarations and agreements in this field, including inter alia the International Covenants on Human Rights, by which they may be bound"; Whereas the Helsinki Accords also express the commitment of the participating States to "facilitate freer movement and contacts, individually and collectively, whether privately or officially, among persons, institutions and organizations of the participating States, and to contribute to the solution of the humanitarian problems that arise in that connection"; Whereas the Helsinki Accords also express the commitment of the participating States to "favorably consider applications for travel with the purpose of allowing persons to enter or leave their territory temporarily, and on a regular basis if desired, in order to visit members of their families"; Whereas the Helsinki Accords also express the commitment of the participating States to "deal in a positive and humanitarian spirit with the applications of persons who wish to be reunited with members of their family" and "to deal with applications in this field as expeditiously as possible"; Whereas the Helsinki Accords also express the commitment of the participating States to "examine favorably and on the basis of humanitarian considerations requests for exit or entry permits from persons who have decided to marry a citizen from another participating State"; Whereas the Helsinki Accords also express the commitment of the participating States to "facilitate wider travel by their citizens for personal or professional reasons"; Whereas the Governments of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, the German Democratic Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Romania, in agreeing to the Helsinki Accords, have acknowledged an adherence to the principles of human rights and fundamental freedoms as embodied in the Helsinki Accords; Whereas the aforementioned Governments have violated their commitments to the Helsinki Accords by denying individuals their inherent rights to freedom of religion, thought, conscience, and belief; Whereas the aforementioned Governments have violated their commitments to the Helsinki Accords by restricting the freer movement of people, ideas, and information; Whereas the concluding document of the Madrid Review Conference of September 9, 1983, called for the Ottawa Human Rights Experts Meeting, the Budapest Cultural Forum, and the Bern Human Contacts Experts Meeting to discuss questions concerning respect for human rights and cooperation in humanitarian fields as embodied in the Helsinki Accords;

71-194 0 - 89 - 28: CL 3 Parti

100 STAT. 801

59 Stat. 1031.