Deputy Minister V.Rybakov holds meetings at the UN Headquarters
26.01.2017On January 25, 2017, at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Headquarters in New York Deputy Foreign Minister of Belarus Valentin Rybakov met with the Administrator of the UNDP Helen Clark.
The sides discussed in detail progress and perspectives in international cooperation on Chernobyl in the context of the adoption by the UN General Assembly in December 2016 the new resolution on Chernobyl. The Belarusian representative shared with Helen Clark the understanding by Belarus of the next stage of the multilateral interrelations on Chernobyl under the auspices of the UN. Valentin Rybakov noted that the unique experience of overcoming the consequences of the nuclear disaster gained by countries and international organisations must be preserved in the interests of the entire world community.
The sides underlined the importance of advancing international cooperation on Chernobyl issues with the participation of the UN leadership, interested countries and organisations. As a landmark event in this regard the first observance of the International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day will be in 2017. V. Rybakov informed of plans of Belarus in connection with the upcoming date. The interlocutors agreed on joint actions on commemorations in April 2017.
On the same day, at the UN headquarters in New York Deputy Foreign Minister held the meeting with the President of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the Permanent Representative of Zimbabwe to the UN Frederick Musiiwa Makamure Shava.
V. Rybakov expressed support of the Belarus to initiatives of the President of the ECOSOC regarding the creation of mechanisms to facilitate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Belarusian diplomat drew attention of his interlocutor to the specific problems of middle-income countries without solving which it is impossible to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. V. Rybakov noted that a Like-Minded Group of Supporters of Middle-Income Countries successfully held the first ministerial meeting under the chairmanship of the Foreign Ministers of Belarus and Costa Rica in September 2016, and informed of the Group’s plans for the near future .The Deputy Head of the MFA of Belarus noted in particular the importance for the Belarusian side of the ECOSOC segment of operational activities and its planned panel discussion on middle-income countries.
The Head of ECOSOC confirmed the leading role of Belarus in advancing the middle-income countries agenda within the UN and in this regard mentioned the invitation that had sent to the Deputy Minister to participate as a panelist in a session of this year’s segment on middle-income countries in the beginning of March.
The sides also discussed the ongoing preparations for the political forum on sustainable development, which will be convened under the auspices of the ECOSOC in July 2017, and shared the experiences of their countries on the preparations of national reviews on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals are to be presented at the political forum. In particular, V. Rybakov informed the President of the ECOSOC of the establishment of the office of the National Coordinator on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in Belarus and of the intention to involve the widest possible range of stakeholders in this process.
