Belarus candidature for the UN Security Council
Priorities of the Republic of Belarus
as a non-permanent member to the UN Security Council
for 2024-2025
The Republic of Belarus is a sovereign middle-income country located in the center of Europe. Belarus is included in the group of countries with a very high level of human development index.
Belarus is a landlocked country. Historically country has always been an important crossroads of trade routes and contacts between the Western and the Eastern civilizations.
Being at the center of the regional and interregional trade, Belarus systematically suffered from numerous military conflicts. For the contribution to the victory over fascism during World War II, Belarus was honored to become one of the 50 founding members of the United Nations. The ability to find a common ground, seek a compromise, value and maintain peace is in the genetic code of the Belarusian people.
The most important fundamental principles of the foreign policy of the Republic of Belarus are:
-no territorial claims to neighboring states;
-multi-vector policy;
-commitment to building a harmonious multipolar world based on international law to ensure peace, security, stability and sustainable development for all states without exception.
As an active participant of the multilateral cooperation, Belarus considers the UN as a central universal international organization with the necessary potential to effectively resolve pressing global and regional problems.
Belarusian initiatives at the UN are aimed at developing cooperation, strengthening trust and security. Belarus is a recognized leader in the following areas:
- promoting international cooperation in combating human trafficking;
- providing food and energy security;
- supporting interests of middle-income countries.
Belarus has made a significant contribution to the process of nuclear disarmament and decreasing the threat of military conflict on the European continent by reducing conventional weapons, military equipment and personnel of its Armed Forces.
In 1998 at the 53rd session of the UN General Assembly the Republic of Belarus initiated the adoption of resolution on the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Central and Eastern Europe.
Belarus has become the first ever state which voluntarily renounced the possession of nuclear weapons and continues to adhere to the rules of nonproliferation today, calling on all countries to renounce nuclear weapons.
Participation of the Republic of Belarus in peacekeeping activities
Belarus supports the UN peacekeeping activities and joined the updated system of accounting for allocated national forces and funds for participation in UN missions.
Belarus supports the development of cooperation in the field of peacekeeping not only in the UN, but also within the framework of the CSTO. Promotion of cooperation of the UN with regional peacekeeping organizations is one of the cornerstones of Belarus peace agenda for the world.
Fundamental principles of the policy of the Republic of Belarus as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council
As a founding member of the United Nations, Belarus was on the Security Council in 1974-1975 while still a part of the Soviet Union.
It is of utmost importance for Belarus to gain invaluable experience in building an international security architecture within the framework of interaction with the UN Security Council member states, including the five permanent members of the Council.
As a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2024-2025
Belarus shall:
- strictly observe key provisions of Article 24 of the Charter of the United Nations, which defines the competence and functions of the UN Security Council;
- further strengthen the authority of the UN in maintaining peace and security in accordance with international law;
- refrain from introducing initiatives with confrontational potential;
- interact constructively with other UN Security Council member states;
- promote constructive proposals and consensus-based initiatives.
Basic guidelines of the policy of the Republic of Belarus as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council
International peace and security:
- promote dialogue between global world players on international and regional security issues and on strengthening confidence-building measures;
- support the peaceful settlement of armed conflicts and crisis situations;
- participate in the processes of improving UN peacekeeping activities in the formulation of mandates for peacekeeping operations, which should be clear, realistic and not entail excessive financial costs for participating states.
Disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control issues:
- support consensus initiatives aimed at taking new measures in the areas of disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control;
- support the international architecture of nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament through strengthening the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons;
- improve the effectiveness of global regimes for the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction — the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, the Chemical Weapons Convention, UN Security Council Resolution 1540 (2004);
- promote the creation of conditions for the formation of awareness among the world's population of the need to demilitarize international relations.
Countering terrorist threats and international information security:
- participate actively in the implementation of the UN counter-terrorism strategy and strengthening international cooperation in preventing and combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations;
- promote the creation of international and regional mechanisms to strengthen security in the field of information and communication technologies (ICT), building national capacities and developing protection systems in order to minimize the risks of illicit use of ICT.
Improving the effectiveness of the UN Security Council:
- promote the maintenance of the central role of the UN Security Council in the preservation of peace and security;
- improve the efficiency, transparency and effectiveness of decisions taken by the Council;
- avoid duplicative functions of the Council with other main UN bodies;
- prevent politicization of the agenda of the Council.
Reforming the UN Security Council
- support ongoing dialogue on the reform of the UN Security Council based on the principles of transparency, inclusiveness and multilateralism;
- support compliance with consensus in decision-making on this reform;
- promote balanced approach with equal geographical representation.
