On 1 August 1975, after painstaking negotiations, the largest European summit since the Congress of Vienna (1814-1815) convened in Helsinki. Under the watchful eyes of more than a thousand journalists, thirty-five leaders, hailing from all European states, the Soviet Union, the United States, and Canada signed a momentous agreement: the Helsinki Final Act. The product of three years of arduous multilateral negotiations, this landmark document was celebrated by some as nothing less than a substitute peace treaty concluding the Second World War and hailed by others as a charter of ‘peaceful co-existence’ for the divided continent. In contrast, critics derided the Final Act precisely for these reasons, charging signatories with appeasement and the legitimisation of an immoral status quo.
50 years later, the Final Act is widely seen as a masterpiece of modern diplomacy and a textbook example of successful negotiations between enemies with contemporary relevance. It is no surprise, therefore, that politicians and pundits are presently calling for replicating the Helsinki process in conflict-prone regions around the world. For example, Saudi Arabia has recently floated the idea of a Helsinki process in its neighbourhood and Abdullah Gül, the former president of Turkey, has called for a ‘Final Act for the Middle East’. Especially at a time when multilateralism is under attack and international conflicts are on the rise, these proposals deserve to be taken seriously.
This seminar will examine how the Final Act was negotiated, why the talks succeeded, and what its lessons are for today’s international conflicts.
Dr Kai Hebel (Leiden University) will present his book on the negotiations, Prof Martin Brown (Richmond University) will serve as discussant, and Dr Christine Cheng will Chair.