Helsinki Committee for Human Rights
The International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights ( IHF) is a group of 45 non-governmental organizations, which has made it its mission to protect human rights in the countries of the OSCE. It was founded in 1982, its headquarters is in Vienna. After 25 years of successful activity against human rights violations, the IHF had to declare bankruptcy because of misappropriation of assets by the club treasurer Rainer Tannenberger in November 2007.
A particular object of IHF is to monitor compliance with the Helsinki Final Act and its follow-up agreement in Europe, North America and Central Asia. The Federation represents doing their members towards the international policy and liaises with groups of human rights activists in countries that have not signed the Helsinki Final Act. The information collected is not only the participating organizations but also governments, embassies and the press and public be provided.
Forerunner of the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights was the International Helsinki Club, which was founded in Switzerland in 1978, with similar objectives to the IHF. From him in 1986 the Swiss national member organization of the IHF developed under the name Swiss Helsinki Association.
A leading role in the IHF took Karel Schwarzenberg, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic later. How did it happen, he reported in 2009 in a lecture:
" Helsinki Federation for Human Rights come from? That was basically a Moscow establishment. A few very brave Russian citizens - one of them has subsequently paid in the camp with their lives - have decided after the Helsinki Final Act to monitor their compliance in the Soviet Union exactly. And of course they were then locked up very quickly, but the idea was once on the world and then groups have emerged in Norway, Holland, in various other countries and have decided at a conference in Italy it would be good if they in a federation worked together. That's why it was also called " Helsinki Federation," and they have decided that, given the circumstances at the time the best place for this to settle, Vienna would be. A because Austria was neutral and B because it was close to the main problem areas. They are then moved to Vienna and one of the people with whom they have advised, at that time was Bruno Kreisky. Whether, however, the Austrians would be something wrong with? He said it would not object as long as it is about the fight for human rights and not political, this is absolutely OK for them. And then they said: " We're scattered all over Europe and would need some" figurehead Whether he knew someone ", someone who represents us here in Vienna. "? Since he will have thought a moment and then said: " I have a suggestion for you, but that just comes from me? But I know of one - as I've understood it - he hinted that this would know the difference between Bucharest and Budapest and has proposed me at the time. So I joined. Of course I said, I am happy to help, but not only as a " figurehead ", but if I can make in this context, really something. So I got into it in all the work. To tell the truth, that everything would be without my Austrian background not have been possible, because in the many years I have had more by luck and circumstance than by their own merit, a certain position in Austria, had anyone known in Vienna and was laudably known the then Czechoslovak intelligence and sister organization. "