Fifty years after the signing of the Helsinki Final Act, its founding principles — sovereignty, human rights, and peaceful cooperation — are under unprecedented assault.

The anniversary was overshadowed by what became the deadliest attack on Ukraine’s capital to date. On 31 July, Russia launched a devastating barrage of drones and missiles on Kyiv, killing at least 31 people and injuring 159 – the highest toll from a single attack on the capital since the start of the full-scale invasion. In his live video address to the conference participants, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky underlined the implications of this attack and how Russia continues to violate the very core of the Helsinki principles.

Yet these principles remain indispensable to any vision of a just and sustainable peace.

At the Helsinki+50 High-Level Conference on 31 July 2025, hosted by the OSCE Chairpersonship of Finland, Austausch e. V. helped bring these values back to the center of the international debate – not as a nostalgic reference, but as a call to action.

As a strategic anchor partner to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Austausch contributed to shaping the conference design and ensured strong, diverse civil society participation. In cooperation with the Civic Solidarity Platform (CSP), which Austausch co-founded in 2010, we facilitated the inclusion of over 30 civic leaders and independent experts from across the OSCE region, including Ukraine, Central Asia, the South Caucasus, the Western Balkans, and EU countries.

Together, they brought a shared message to Helsinki: In the face of war, repression, and democratic backsliding, the Helsinki principles are not outdated ideals – they are urgent political tools.

“The Helsinki principles call for clarity, democratic strength, and moral conviction — so that we meet authoritarian aggression with the confidence of open, resilient societies that stand on the firm ground of international law and human dignity.” — Jacob Riemer, Second Executive Director, Austausch e. V.

A key outcome – with strong attendance and engagement – was the side event „Civil Society Vision for the Future of the Helsinki Process”, co-organised by Austausch and CSP, where the Civil Society Manifesto was launched. Based on the Helsinki+50 Reflection Project, the manifesto articulates civil society’s vision for accountability, inclusive peacebuilding, and democratic resilience in the OSCE region.

“Protecting freedom and maintaining security is not just the job of human rights lawyers, diplomats, or the military – it’s the responsibility of all people. When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, many believed we couldn’t resist. International missions evacuated – but ordinary people stayed and did extraordinary things. They rescued others, delivered aid, and proved stronger than one of the world’s largest armies. This moment shows that freedom depends on the courage of ordinary people. We must be honest: the decades of peace after the fall of the Berlin Wall are over. We’re now in a global fight for a new world order – and we must carry that responsibility with open eyes and brave hearts.” – Oleksandra Matviichuk, Head of the Center for Civil Liberties, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Helsinki, 31 July 2025

Jacob Riemer, Second Executive Director of Austausch, is moderating the side event “Civil society vision on the future of the Helsinki process: Recommendations of the Helsinki+50 Reflection Project and the Civil Society Manifesto,” organized by the Civic Solidarity Platform.

We thank the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland for their trust and close cooperation, and the German Federal Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt) for their longstanding support of our work with the CSP.

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