Vilnius Declaration
The Vilnius Declaration was a declaration adopted by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) during the 18th annual session of its parliamentary assembly, that took place in Vilnius from 29 June to 3 July 2009.
The declaration contained 28 resolutions that addressed a number of issues, including "...strengthening of the OSCE, election observation, the food security in the OSCE area, the world financial crisis and the social consequences of that crisis, Iran, Afghanistan, human rights and civil liberties, arms control and disarmament in Europe, labour migration in Central Asia, energy security, climate change, water management, freedom of expression on the Internet, and a moratorium on the death penalty."[1] Its condemnation of totalitarianism and support for the European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Stalinism and Nazism provoked protests by Russia and international media attention.[2]
Condemnation of totalitarianism
Its resolution on "Europe Reunited: Promoting Human Rights and Civil Liberties in the OSCE Region in the 21st Century" is notable for its condemnation of totalitarianism. The resolution states that "in the twentieth century European countries experienced two major totalitarian regimes, Nazi and Stalinist, which brought about genocide, violations of human rights and freedoms, war crimes and crimes against humanity," urges all OSCE members to take a "united stand against all totalitarian rule from whatever ideological background," condemns "the glorification of the totalitarian regimes, including the holding of public demonstrations glorifying the Nazi or Stalinist past," and expresses support for the European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Stalinism and Nazism, which was proclaimed by the European Parliament in 2008.[3]
The resolution was criticized by Russia, as Joseph Stalin "continues to be a hero to many Russians".[2] The Russian delegation tried but failed to have the resolution withdrawn. Of 213 present delegates from 50 countries, 201 supported the resolution, 8 voted against and 4 abstained.[4][2]
References
- ^ "Press release issued by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly". Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. 3 July 2009. Retrieved 2012-01-29.
- ^ a b c Resolution on Stalin riles Russia. BBC. 3 July 2009
- ^ "Vilnius Declaration of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and resolutions adopted at the eighteenth annual session" (PDF). Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCEPA). 29 June – 3 July 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-01-11. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
- ^ The Kremlin rises to Stalin’s defense again. Kyiv Post
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resolutions and
declarations
- Council of Europe resolution 1481 (2006)
- European Public Hearing on Crimes Committed by Totalitarian Regimes (2008)
- Prague Declaration on European Conscience and Communism (2008)
- European Parliament declaration of 23 August 2008
- European Public Hearing on European Conscience and Crimes of Totalitarian Communism: 20 Years After (2009)
- European Parliament resolution of 2 April 2009
- Vilnius Declaration of the OSCE (2009)
- Declaration on Crimes of Communism (2010)
- Stockholm Programme of the EU (2010–2015)
- Warsaw Declaration of the EU (2011)
- European Parliament resolution on the importance of European remembrance for the future of Europe (2019)
- Black Ribbon Day
- Office for the Documentation and the Investigation of the Crimes of Communism
- Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes
- Institute of National Remembrance
- Institute for Information on the Crimes of Communism
- House of Terror Museum
- Federal Commissioner for the Stasi Records
- Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial
- Reconciliation of European Histories Group
- Estonian International Commission for Investigation of Crimes Against Humanity
- Genocide and Resistance Research Centre of Lithuania
- International Commission for the Evaluation of the Crimes of the Nazi and Soviet Occupation Regimes in Lithuania
- Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes in Romania
- Hannah Arendt Institute for Totalitarianism Studies
- The Black Book of Communism (1997)
- Between Hitler and Stalin (2004)
- The Soviet Story (2008)
- Bloodlands (2010)