New York Jewish Week - 01.19.2007

The Jewish Week

New Human Rights Chair

By James D. Besser - Washington Correspondent

With Russia continuing its plunge back toward authoritarian rule and far-right forces across Europe showing signs of uniting, the U.S. Helsinki Commission, the congressional group that monitors important human rights accords in Europe, could play an increasingly prominent role.

That panel now has a new chairman with strong connections to Jewish human rights groups: Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.).

Recently House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) named Hastings, a seven-term House veteran, to lead the congressional group. Hastings is also a member of the Congressional Black Caucus; recently Pelosi thwarted his bid to chair the House Intelligence Committee.

Jewish leaders welcomed the appointment and said it comes at a particularly important juncture for the Helsinki Commission.

“It’s very good news,” said Mark Levin, executive director of NCSJ, a group that focuses on Jews in the former Soviet Union. “I’ve worked with Congressman Hastings for many years; his commitment and dedication to human rights is legendary.”

Levin said the lawmaker has “gone out of his way to engage in issues of concern to the Jewish community and has been at the forefront of the fight against global anti-Semitism.”

And he said the Helsinki process is just as relevant today as it was when it was created 31 years ago by an act of Congress, signed by former President Gerald Ford.

“It has provided the American Jewish and European Jewish communities with a powerful instrument to focus on the rise in anti-Semitism that has taken place over the last eight years,” he said. “With the rise in ultra-nationalism and xenophobia across Europe, it’s more important than ever.”

---

U.S. House of Representatives - 01.11.2007

U.S. Rep. Alcee L. Hastings Appointed Chairman of the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe

Washington, DC -- Today, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi appointed Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-Florida) as Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe. 

Upon accepting his new appointment to what is commonly referred to as the Helsinki Commission, Chairman Hastings stated, "I am humbled by the trust Speaker Pelosi has in me and my ability to work cooperatively with my Democratic and Republican colleagues in the House and Senate, with the Administration, and with the leaders of the 55 other countries which are signers of the Helsinki Final Act."

Congressman Hastings will become the first African-American to chair the Commission and will continue his trailblazing work in the areas of human rights, economic development, and parliamentary diplomacy. 

Congressman Hastings is uniquely qualified to assume the Commission chairmanship. He became the first American elected President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in 2004 and held that position through July of 2006. He currently is the Assembly's President Emeritus. During this period, Chairman Hastings traveled to more than half of the OSCE's participating states and met with heads of state and government, parliament speakers, foreign ministers, representatives of human rights organizations and other NGOs. The Congressman also has tremendous experience in the field of election observation.

Chairman Hastings noted, "I am so proud to follow in the foot steps of Congressman Dante Fascell, the first chairman of the Helsinki Commission, and Congressman Bill Lehman, the former chairman of the foreign operations appropriations committee. Both Bill and Dante were mentors to me and legends in South Florida and around the world. I know both of them would be proud of today's announcement and that I have lived up to their expectations"

"As a Member of the powerful House Rules Committee, the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and now chairman of the Helsinki Commission, I am unusually situated to influence public policy on behalf of my constituents both domestically and internationally and with a focus on the most salient issues confronting the American people today."

"Few Members of Congress face such a challenging agenda and fewer still are given such an opportunity to meet these challenges. I embrace this enormous opportunity and commit myself to working night and day to meet these challenges."

"Not many people in Congress and many less outside Congress know what the Helsinki Commission is. Trust me, this will change dramatically over the next two years."

"Finally, let me just say that it is both an honor and privilege to serve in the House representing the People of Florida's 23rd Congressional District for the past 14 years, and I look forward to having this privilege for many more years to come. I especially look forward to representing my district, my state, and this nation as Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe."

The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, is an independent U.S. Government agency created in 1976 to monitor and encourage compliance with the Helsinki Final Act and other OSCE commitments.

The Commission consists of nine members from the United States Senate, nine members from the U.S. House of Representatives, and one member each from the Departments of State, Defense, and Commerce. The positions of Chair and Co-Chair are shared by the House and Senate and rotate every two years, when a new Congress convenes. A professional staff assists the Commissioners in their work.

The Commission contributes to the formulation of U.S. policy on the OSCE and takes part in its execution, including through Member and staff participation on U.S. Delegations to OSCE meetings and in certain OSCE bodies. Members of the Commission have regular contact with parliamentarians, government officials, NGOs, and private individuals from other OSCE participating States.

The Commission convenes public hearings and briefings with expert witnesses on OSCE-related issues; issues public reports concerning implementation of OSCE commitments in participating States; publishes a monthly Digest with up-to-date information on OSCE developments and Commission activities; and organizes official delegations to participating States and OSCE meetings to address and assess democratic, economic, and human rights developments firsthand.