Events

2 Nov 2020

Belarus takes part in UPR session of UN Human Rights Council

MINSK, 2 November (BelTA) – On 2 November Belarus delegation led by Permanent Representative of Belarus to the UN Office in Geneva Yuri Ambrazevich took part in the 36th session of the Universal Periodic Review Working Group (UPR) of the United Nations Human Rights Council that was held by means of videoconference. During the session Belarus passed the next (third) UPR cycle, BelTA learned from the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus.

Ambassador Yuri Ambrazevich presented the national report on social, economic and political transformations that took place in the country since Belarus had passed the second UPR cycle in 2015. Yuri Ambrazevich drew attention to the comprehensive National Human Rights Action Plan approved by the Government of Belarus in October 2016. The head of the Belarusian delegation expressed full support for the UPR and emphasized that Belarus views it as an important instrument of international cooperation in the field of human rights.

“Due to the epidemiological situation, the 36th session of the UPR is held in a hybrid format, which implies limited personal participation of representatives of the Belarusian mission in Geneva and remote participation of the national delegation from Minsk. The delegation of Belarus included First Deputy Head of the Supreme Court Valery Kalinkovich, Deputy Prosecutor-General Dmitry Gora, department heads of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Healthcare Ministry, the Information Ministry, the Education Ministry, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, the Labor and Social Security Ministry, the Justice Ministry, the Investigative Committee, the National Center for Legislation and Legal Research, and the Central Election Commission,” the press service informed.

Taking part in the discussion of the report on Belarus were 98 UN member states. They assessed progress in implementing the recommendations of the previous UPR cycle and offered Belarus new recommendations in the field of human rights.

The Universal Periodic Review Working Group is a universal mechanism designed to review the human rights situation in all countries of the world, with no exception, as well as progress in implementing international commitments of the entire spectrum of human rights: economic, political, social, civil and cultural rights. Countries are reviewed every 4.5 years. Belarus passed the first UPR cycle in May 2010, the second in May 2015.

During the 36th session of the Universal Periodic Review Working Group at the UN Human Rights Council the following countries are to pass the third UPR cycle: Andorra, Bulgaria, Croatia, Honduras, Jamaica, Liberia, Libya, Malawi, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Panama, the United States.