Opinions & Interviews
Belarus urges UNESCO to preserve WWII legacy
Yuri Ambrasevich. MFA photo
MINSK, 1 November (BelTA) – The preservation and dissemination of historical truth about World War II, along with the inviolability of burial sites and monuments to liberators and victims, must remain a constant focus of UNESCO, Head of the Belarusian delegation Yuri Ambrasevich said at the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference in Samarkand, BelTA learned from the Belarusian Foreign Affairs Ministry.
“It is unacceptable to remain silent about the decisive contribution of the Soviet Union to the victory over fascism, the enormous losses of the USSR’s population, and the heroism of Red Army soldiers, as well as to ignore the genocide of the Belarusian people,” the Belarusian diplomat emphasized. “In the context of conflicts accompanying the formation of a new world order, UNESCO’s attention to the lessons of the most terrible war of the past is a crucial condition for fulfilling the organization’s mandate.”
He noted that regionalism is gaining strength, multipolarity is becoming a reality, and the power of civilizational diversity is an undeniable fact that cannot be ignored. The contribution of so-called developed states to the global economy and culture is rapidly being balanced by the contribution of the Global South.
“Alongside positive aspects, these trends unfortunately also carry negative potential: competition for natural resources, markets, and labor resources is increasing. What can UNESCO do to ensure that the emerging world is one without wars, a world of equality among nations and renewed international law? One possible answer, from the Belarusian perspective, is the initiative put forward by the president of Belarus at the 2005 UN Summit: recognizing the diversity of paths to progressive development as a value of human civilization. Strengthening the ethical foundations of international relations in this way would open the path to solving many problems,” Yuri Ambrasevich said.
print version
make home page
add to bookmarks
