Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 30 September (BelTA) - Belarus together with Kazakhstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, the Philippines, Ecuador and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) organized a high-level event entitled Child protection: sharing responsibility and strengthening protective environment for children at the 69^th session of the UN General Assembly in New York on 29 September, BelTA learnt from the Belarusian Foreign Ministry.

The event attracted the attention of numerous delegations of the UN member states and representatives of the civil society.

Foreign Minister of Belarus Vladimir Makei noted in his speech that “the development and implementation of the post-2015 sustainable development agenda will be successful if it takes properly into account the interests of the family as a social institution, which plays an important role in the upbringing and protection of children."

The minister informed the participants about the general approaches and main achievements of Belarus in the field of child education, health, parenting and social support for the families with children. He stressed that the country's authorities have attached great importance to promotion of the traditional family because of its primary role to protect children and create a favorable environment for their successful development. This directly affects the future of the country.

The minister also emphasized the important role of UNICEF in the protection of children and cooperation with the countries in this area. The Foreign Minister drew attention to the Regional Conference on the Protection of Children, which Belarus in partnership with UNICEF plans to hold in Minsk in November 2014.

Representatives of the foreign ministries of Ecuador, Laos and Kazakhstan, the Ministry of Justice of the Philippines, UNICEF, as well as numerous representatives of the civil society, thanked Belarus for the side-event on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. They expressed confidence that the discussion would make a significant contribution to the promotion of family values and protection of children as well as strengthen a broad international partnership in the area.

Apart from that, Vladimir Makei held a number of bilateral meetings. During the meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey Mevlut Cavusoglu the parties confirmed their readiness to continue political dialog, implement concrete projects in various fields.

Bilateral relations were discussed with Foreign Minister of Nicaragua Samuel Santos Lopez. The parties considered mutual steps to implement the agreements reached during Vladimir Makei’s visit to Nicaragua in June 2014.

Vladimir Makei and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Syria Walid al Muallem discussed bilateral relations and cooperation in international organizations. The parties exchanged views on the situation in Syria and the region, expressed their intention to counter the spread of terrorism both in the Middle Еast and beyond.

Vladimir Makei also met with deputy foreign ministers of Ecuador, Kazakhstan and Laos to talk over the state and prospects for the relations between Belarus and these countries.