The OSCE marks 40 years since the Helsinki Final Act: Its principles are more valid than ever. CEPS Essay No. 19, 24 July 2015

Forty years after world leaders from Vancouver to Vladivostok signed up to the ten principles of the Helsinki Final Act, in this CEPS Essay Erwan Fouéré considers the historic significance of the agreement that laid the foundations for today’s Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. The author concludes with a number of recommendations that recall the principles of the Helsinki Final Act of 1975 and argues that, if participating states are willing to uphold them, these principles have even greater relevance today for the resolution of Europe’s complex and protracted conflicts.

Shaping sustainable economies-holistic strategies and principles. Policy Brief #2012/03

A society acts sustainably if it ensures the long-term stability and productivity of ecological, sociopolitical and economic systems. In the past, issues of sustainability were typically handled separately, neglecting individual measures’ effects on other elements implied by a comprehensive conception of sustainability. The challenge ahead is to develop a holistic strategy for sustainable economic activity that takes into ac-count interdependencies between the various aspects of sustainability, and does not seek to solve problems of sustainability at other aspects’ expense.