Head of Directorate General for Multilateral Diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Larysa Belskaya participates in the thematic review of middle-income countries during the High-level Political Forum on sustainable development under the auspices of ECOSOC
12.07.2017On July 12, 2017, at the High-level Political Forum on sustainable development under the auspices of ECOSOC held at the UN Headquarters in New York, Head of Directorate General for Multilateral Diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Larysa Belskaya participates as lead discussant in the thematic review of middle-income countries.
According to the World Bank classification, the category of middle-income countries (MICs) comprises more than a hundred states in the world. Belarus is among the top sub-category of upper-middle-income countries. In 2016, Belarus, Costa Rica and several other countries initiated establishment at the UN headquarters of a separate group of like-minded supporters of the interests of this category of countries.
The Belarusian diplomat dwelled on the place and the role of middle-income countries in global efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and made some of observations regarding the engagement of the UN system with this category of states (statement in Russian, video in English).
L. Belskaya mentioned the specific development problems of these countries and stressed the need to develop a more nuanced countries classification that would go beyond the per capita income criteria.
The representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted the need to establish a coordination mechanism that would involve all agencies of the UN system in order to facilitate the provision of international assistance to middle-income countries as well as to use their experience, potential and expertise for the benefit of global sustainable development.
