The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) is here to Finnish what some 35 countries started in Helsinki, Finland, in 1975. Also known as the Helsinki Commission, the CSCE is a US government agency mandated to monitor the actions of the countries that signed the Helsinki Accords (including the US, Canada, the Soviet Union, and most European countries) to ensure and encourage their compliance with the Helsinki Final Act and other commitments. It also assists in formulating US policy. The Commission consists of nine members from the US Senate, nine from the House of Representatives, and one member each from the Departments of State, Defense, and Commerce.