Priorities of Belarus at the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly

During the 74^th session of the United Nations General Assembly the delegation of Belarus will promote its priorities in accordance with relevant national initiatives pertaining to peace, multilateralism, security and disarmament, sustainable development, human rights, partnership and the UN betterment.

peace, multilateralism, SECURITY and DISARMaMENT

Belarus will continue promoting the peaceful legacy of the United Nations through keeping alive the main tenets of its creation, as well as in the context of the end of World War II.

Belarus will firmly support the initiatives to celebrate the 75^th Anniversary of the United Nations in 2020. Belarus also will pay special tribute to those who created the United Nations and contributed to its efficiency by celebrating the International Delegate’s Day on April 25 in accordance with the UNGA resolution 73/286.

Belarus will contribute to the multilateral dialogue and to forging an equitable international order acceptable to all.

Belarus will continue to be committed to the peaceful solution of all armed conflicts and will advocate with all interested partners the need to prohibit the development and manufacture of new types of weapons of mass destruction. In this regard Belarus will also promote the need to increase mediation capacity, preventive activities and to strengthen cyber security. Belarus will continue serving as a platform for regional dialogue on these matters.

Belarus will not stand aside from global efforts aimed at countering terrorism, as well as combating terrorism with new and emerging technologies. In its work Belarus will build on the results of the Joint Belarus-United Nations International High-Level Conference «Countering Terrorism through Innovative Approaches and Use of New and Emerging Technologies» to be held on September 3-4, 2019 in Minsk.

sustainable development

Belarus is fully committed to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and will share its experience in achieving SDGs. Belarus also will advocate measures aimed at effective implementation of the Agenda as well as its long-term financing through international support. We see the need to improve coordination and meaningful partnership for sustainable development and we will continue to promote the creation of a partner network of national SDGs coordinators that can help turn this bold vision into reality.

Belarus will pay special attention to emerging technologies and digital economy. Belarus will promote an idea to establish international cooperation in the field of digitalization and technological forecasting, including decreasing of the “digital divide”, for the needs of sustainable development.

Belarus will continue to attach particular significance to the need to strengthen the UN development system’s approach to middle-income countries (MICs). Belarus will advocate a comprehensive UN system-wide long-term strategy aimed at facilitating sustainable development cooperation and coordinated support towards MICs. In this regard we will actively work with the interested partners on a relevant resolution under agenda item “Globalization and interdependence: development cooperation with middle-income countries” to push the idea of drawing up the strategy for MICs.

Belarus will closely cooperate with the United Nations Sustainable Development Group to ensure that the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development repositioning shall not endanger the principles intergovernmentally agreed in UNGA resolution 72/279 on repositioning and shall not lead to additional burden on Member States.

Belarus will stand for the full compliance of the Operational Development System with national needs and priorities of recipient countries to support their sustainable development.

We intend to advocate the development of regional economic integration and enhanced patterns of UN cooperation with regional organizations. Belarus will do so in the context of the presidency in the Eurasian Economic Union for 2020 and chairmanship of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe for 2019-2021.

Together with UNDP and interested partners Belarus will promote international cooperation on Chernobyl aimed at achieving sustainable development goals in the Chernobyl-affected regions, including through partnerships, innovation and investment. To this end we will submit relevant resolution “Persistent legacy of the Chernobyl disaster” for the consideration at the forthcoming session. 

HUMAN RIGHTS and partnership

Belarus will continue working with all interested partners to promote constructive and consensus-based initiatives in the United Nations. 

Belarus will continue further collaboration with United Nations system entities and UN Member States on the topic of human rights.

Belarus will uphold and promote fundamental rights and freedoms on the basis of constructive and mutually respectful dialogue, taking into account the diversity of human rights development paths and acknowledging the sovereign and inalienable right of a state to freely determine its own political, economic, cultural and social systems.

Belarus will continue rejecting politicization of human rights issues, exploitation of human rights for political purposes, in particular selective and discriminatory targeting of individual countries through a country-specific human rights resolutions and mandates. Belarus stands ready to discuss the human rights agenda with all partners on the principles of fairness and impartiality. 

Belarus will work to effectively mainstream issues of gender equality, social inclusion, protection of youth, ageing, disabled persons and the family, ensuring that no one is left behind and to this end will subordinate its work to the implementation of the National Plan on human Rights.

As Coordinator of the Group of Friends United against Human Trafficking Belarus will pay particular attention to the problem of trafficking in persons in the context of the implementation of the UN Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons. To encourage better international coordination in fighting human trafficking Belarus will present its traditional biennial resolution entitled “Improving the coordination of efforts against trafficking in persons”. Belarus will continue to foster better cooperation among Member States, the Inter-Agency Coordination Group against Trafficking in Persons (ICAT) and all relevant stakeholders in this field.

As one of the co-coordinators of the Group of Friends of the Family Belarus will continue to advocate proper addressing by the UN system of the needs of the family, its role as a contributor to sustainable development and will urge greater efforts to protect the family as a natural and fundamental group unit of society.

Belarus will continue working to strengthen the potential of like-minded groups in bridging global divides and streamlining the United Nations agenda, with a special focus on the work of the following Groups of Friends:

- Group of Friends United against Human Trafficking;

- Group of Friends of the Family;

- Like-Minded Countries Supporters of Middle Income Countries;

- Group of Friends of Water;

- Group of Friends of Sustainable Industrial Development. 

On the margins of the substantive part of the 74^th UNGA session Belarus will take the lead in organizing the following events:

- Ministerial meeting of the Group of Friends United against Human Trafficking and ICAT Heads;

- Briefing on follow up to the Joint UN-Belarus conference to counter terrorism;

- ICAT briefing to Member States on its activities;

- “Power of One” Awards event (Diwali event).

Belarus will sponsor the following UN General Assembly resolutions and will work with all Member States for their adoption by consensus. Belarus invites all interested countries to co-sponsor them:

- “Persistent legacy of the Chernobyl disaster” (Plenary);

- “Improving the coordination of efforts to combat trafficking in persons”. (Third Committee). 

UN BETTERMENT

Belarus will work with the United Nations to make its decisions oriented at people through enhancing creativity and trust.

Belarus will continue to be actively engaged in the process of strengthening the UN General Assembly. In this regard Belarus will work on streamlining the UNGA agenda to make it effective and workable.

Belarus will seek to optimise the number of high-level events convened under the auspices of the UN General Assembly, with a view to keep focus on the most pressing global issues. Belarus will continue its efforts aimed at increasing the delivery by the UN Secretariat of its functions relating to every-day activities of Member States in the United Nations.

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