Events

The election took place during the annual session of the Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations and on the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization which opened at the UN headquarters in New York on 21 February. Ruslan Varankov, Counselor of the Permanent Mission of Belarus to the UN, was elected Chair of the Special Committee for 2017. This is the first time that a Belarusian diplomat was elected to this position.

The election of Belarus’ representative to the position of the head of the special committee confirms Belarus' credibility as an active and consistent supporter of the development of international dialogue, improvement of work of the United Nations and strengthening of the Organization’s role in international relations.

The General Assembly established an Ad Hoc Committee on the Charter of the United Nations in 1974 to consider any specific proposals that Governments might make with a view to enhancing the ability of the United Nations to achieve its purposes and other suggestions for the more effective functioning of the United Nations. At the current session, the Committee will consider supporting international peace and security in all aspects in order to strengthen the role of the United Nations, assistance to third states affected by the application of sanctions under Chapter VII of the Charter, peaceful settlement of disputes and other issues.