Vice-Minister G. Grigaitė-Daugirdė: Russia’s war of aggression – a test of the principles of the Helsinki DeclarationMultilateral RelationsNews of the Ministry

On 18 September, the eighth Leonidas Donskis Memorial Conference was held at the ISM University of Management and Economics in Vilnius. The event traditionally brings together representatives of academia, politics, diplomacy, and civil society to discuss the topics of international law and human rights. This year's conference is dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act.

This year's conference is dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act.

When opening the event, the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Gabija Grigaitė-Daugirdė urged not to lose faith in the principles of the Helsinki Declaration.

"Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine is also a test of the principles of the Helsinki Declaration. The sovereignty, territorial integrity, and human rights of independent states remain the starting point, not a secondary consequence. Every day, Ukrainians demonstrate resilience, courage, and dedication to universal values. At the same time, we see that we lack of determination to fight for the Helsinki principles so that they could protect us in the future", said the Vice-Minister.

Grigaitė-Daugirdė added that the Helsinki Final Act was never merely a symbolic document but became the basis for "Helsinki Groups" in the countries occupied by the Soviet Union, aiming to protect human rights and laying the foundation for efforts to restore sovereignty and territorial integrity. Today, as authoritarian regimes try to rewrite the past, redraw state borders, and undermine human rights, the Vice-Minister said it was necessary to further strengthen multilateralism and a world order based on international law.

The Vice-Minister highlighted the links between the multilateral system and Lithuania's security and well-being not only in the opening speech, but also in the conference discussion "Is there light at the end of the tunnel and how can we reach it?", during which she delivered a keynote speech.

"Democracies need to strengthen cooperation and boost their resilience. Our collective security and well-being depend on a strong multilateral system that protects universal human rights and defends democratic governance as a fundamental value-not just one of many options," said Grigaitė-Daugirdė.

According to the Vice-Minister, we must engage in peace-building processes, but on this path, we must not forget the basic principles - ensuring that peace is not achieved at the expense of justice. Accountability for the crime of aggression, human rights violations, and atrocities of war must remain at the centre of our attention.

The Helsinki Accords, also known as the Helsinki Final Act or the Helsinki Declaration, were signed on 1 August 1975 in Helsinki, Finland, concluding the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe. The event was attended by 35 nations, including the US and Canada. The main objectives of the Helsinki Accords were to ease Cold War tensions between the Eastern and Western blocs, fostering security, economic, cultural, and human rights cooperation, and to consolidate the fundamental principles of international relations.

The Donskis Memorial Conference is organised by the Andrei Sakharov Research Centre for Democratic Development and the Federation Global Initiative on Psychiatry (FGIP). The partners are the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania, Vytautas Magnus University, and ISM University of Management and Economics. The conference is supported by the European Commission Representation in Lithuania, the regional presence for the Baltic States of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation Representation, Embassies of Canada and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Photo credit: Jonas Petronis