abstract:The Helsinki Accords, Helsinki Final Act, or Helsinki Declaration was the final act of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe held in Helsinki, Finland, during July and August 1, 1975. Thirty-five States, including the USA, Canada, and most European states except Albania and Andorra, signed the declaration in an attempt to improve relations between the Communist bloc and the West.
The Soviet Union under Gorbachev has continued to violate major arms control agreements, including the ABM Treaty, and other international agreements such as the Helsinkiaccords.
President Jimmy Carter and then President Ronald Reagan appointed him ambassador and head of the U.S. delegation to the human-rights body that oversaw compliance with the HelsinkiAccords.