Statement by Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus M.Ryzhenkov at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly

Madam President, distinguished ladies and gentlemen.

The theme of this year's General Policy Debate is ‘Better Together: 80 years for peace, development and human rights’. It is an excellent theme. The key word is together. Let us remember everything and reflect together. I am sure that we will find the true root causes of the challenges and threats that the planet is facing today.
           

First: the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory.

Eight decades ago, the bloody and merciless war, which was a great tragedy for all mankind, came to an end. And only at the cost of millions of lives and broken destinies did we cope with this challenge.

The contribution to the Great Victory of the USA and Great Britain, and also the Chinese people, who threw off the yoke of Japanese militarism, is obvious.

However, it was the feat of the Soviet people that was decisive. The multinational people, who to the last drop of blood fought for their freedom and the freedom of oppressed peoples. Notice, not carried the keys of their cities to the conquerors, did not hide behind pro-Nazi regime collaborators, did not supply the Nazi regime with equipment and soldiers. At that time — 80 years ago — this was obvious. In the capitals of Europe, the liberators were greeted with flowers and joy. Monuments and memorials were erected to them, avenues and cities were named after them . Only 80 years of life passed — a well-fed and quiet life in Europe. And how things have changed.

What we see. The West has developed its own ‘truth’ about the events of those years. Memory is being erased, monuments are being demolished, history textbooks are being rewritten.

Once again we hear Nazi slogans and appeals on the streets of cities now and again. This is how generation of the 21st century is brought up, which has not seen the horrors of that war, not even heard about them from their parents. And that is why it is fuelled by fake heroism of its ancestors, who once joined Hitler's coalition of nations, dreaming of world domination.

Further. If history is being rewritten, then its results are also being rewritten. It means that the correctness of establishing post-war world order based on the universal principles of UN is also questioned. As it seems, it was forced for them for a certain period of time. Well, the collective West was forced then to share the burden of responsibility for the fate of the planet with, let's call it so, the Soviet bloc. For the time being, to put aside their thoughts of world dominance. But, wait. Waiting for revenge to turn things upside down. Look, it has already been said from this podium that the Holocaust is our common shame. Why our common? We, for example, Belarusians, fought Nazism to the last drop of blood and died. We saved Jews at the cost of our lives.

And we cannot remain silent about it today. We remember the hundreds of villages burned with their inhabitants, the millions maimed and mutilated, the hundreds of thousands of children and women taken into European slavery. Therefore, we understand that keeping the memory alive is important so that history does not repeat itself — so that there will be no more national ideologies of racial superiority, where there is no place for whole peoples, hatred and concentration camps — this terrible invention of the West.

For 80 years the Belarusian people have been living in peace. And if you look at our history — it is an incredibly long time. Never have the Belarusians lived so well, honourably and under a peaceful sky as in the last 30 years, when under the leadership of our President we have been successfully building a socially-oriented state in the interests of a simple person. At the same time, we have kept the memory of the terrible tragedy of the Second World War sacredly alive. Passing this memory on to younger generations. Why do many others around us, especially to the west of our border, not want to live like this? The answer is simple — politicians are blinded by personal ambitions. They don't see ordinary people behind them. And that is why they are so dismissive of human life, calling Ukraine to fight practically to the last Ukrainian.

Next. This year is also significant for the UN, which celebrates its 80th anniversary. The organisation was created by the victors of thatbloody war. We remember that Belarus, where every third person was killed, tortured or burned, was also in the first ranks of the founders. And throughout all these years the Belarusian delegation has been one of the most reliable supporters of strengthening the foundations of the UN, initiating
the most courageous peace-loving and history-suffering initiatives. Therefore, we have the right to speak directly about what our Organisation has come to its anniversary with. I would like to note three key milestones.

First, it is undeniable that the UN remains the centrepiece of international life. This has been possible because of its unquestionable legitimacy, universal membership and comprehensive agenda. However, we observe that the principle of universality has been seriously undermined, especially in the last
decade. By those who have persistently tried to turn the UN into an instrument for the realisation of their interests. Contrary to the aspirations of humanity.

Second, it is true that the UN keeps the planet from a new world war. Its key mechanism — the Security Council — allows the great powers to discuss issues of war and peace at table rather than on the battlefield. Unfortunately, however, this organ is less and less utilised. Its influence on world affairs is no longer the same. And, let's face it, the UN has proven unable to prevent many of the bloody regional conflicts of our time. And the further it goes, the more so.

Thirdly, under the aegis of the UN, a huge network of international structures has been created and many legal documents have been developed. This ‘infrastructure’ seems to enable to carry out effective co-operation across the whole spectrum of areas of human activity. But, if you look closely, only some of the UN structures remain really working. They really fulfil their tasks.

Why is this happening? It's obvious. The organisation must keep up with the times. This calls for reform — first of all, of the UN Security Council. I am talking about the expansion in of the category of permanent members at the expense of developing countries.

In eight decades, the membership of the Organisation has increased many times over and many states, which were not even on the world map when the UN was formed, want their opinion and voice to be taken into account. And they have the right to do so, as they are now important political and economic actors. They rightly expect the UN to work in the interests of all its members and to strengthen co-operation between them, and not to be an instrument of manipulation by individual countries. Including and for settling scores with other states.

Fourthly, we also see the problem in the fact that the UN is heavily instrumentalised. And the actions of the United States of America to reduce support for the UN is a very unpleasant wake-up call. But, you will agree, it is justified. Either the UN is not fulfilling its functions as a whole, or it is not fulfilling them in the way that American interests need it. In principle, it does not matter. The crisis is there.

The main conclusion. If the Organisation can update itself over time and be an impartial forum, it will be in demand by all: the strong, the weak, the developed, and the developing. Otherwise, the fate of the League of Nations awaits it. Belarus does not want this, as it does not see any alternative to the UN. That is why, including today, it speaks sincerely about these institutional problems. In order to understand their nature and to correct them.

And another thing. The 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act. This document, initiated, incidentally, by the leadership of the Soviet Union, consolidated the realities that had emerged after the Second World War in Europe. Moreover, the Act predetermined the ‘stable’ character of relations between the Soviet Union and the United States, which was reflected in all regions of the world and thus helped to make the Cold War ‘manageable’.

The most important legacy of the Act is also that it introduced the principle of indivisibility of security, the adherence to which did not allow the Cold War to escalate into a ‘hot’ war.

The Helsinki Accords provided an opportunity to build a united, indivisible and prosperous Europe in the period and after the end of the Cold War. However, history took a different path. The so-called ‘winners’ in the Cold War todayhave completely ‘forgotten’ this principle and adopted the logic of superiority and confrontation. By the way, this was the logic behind the process of NATO's expansion to the East.

As a result, the balance of power in Europe has been undermined and security threats to many states have emerged. The Yugoslav crisis, bloodshed in a number of post-Soviet republics, and the conflict in
Ukraine are the most vivid examples of such consequences. And the latest migration crisis in Europe, too.

Today, it is clear that the way to end the bloodshed in Ukraine lies through the return of all parties in Europe to an understanding of the importance of respecting the principle of indivisibility of security. Territories, resources and other issues play a distant secondary role here. No matter what anyone tries to say.

And it is important that one of the main global centres of power — the USA — is fully aware of the importance of this thesis. Unfortunately, there is no such understanding in the EU countries, which continue to fuel the regional conflict with Ukrainian firewood.

This situation especially calls for common efforts to increase the level of trust between countries, although there are no ready-made recipes today. But it is necessary to act. And we — in Belarus, in the centre of Europe — understand this perhaps better than anyone else. After all, it is through us that all the most tragic wars of the new time rolled through us once in half a century, wiping out everything on its way except the memory. That is why wesay that we must not delay. Look what our European neighbours are doing on the EU border with Belarus and Russia — laying mines, building walls, ditches, defensive lines and barbed wire. They are trying to create in their population a feeling of an impending threat from ‘barbarians’ from the East. And the first victims have already been killed, albeit by NATO soldiers who are drowning in swamps or being blown up by their own mines.

Yes, on the north lawn outside the UN building, a piece of the Berlin Wall is mounted in as a human rights trophy. It says so — 155 kilometres and 200 casualties during its existence.

So today a much more huge wall is being erected thousands of kilometres long on the border of the EU and Russia and Belarus. And there have been hundreds of victims along this wall since its construction began. Hundreds of innocent migrants from the countries of the South, who in search of a better life aspire to the EU, which has destroyed the usual way of life in their countries. Let us together today reserve a place on the lawn — because the time will come to put up a new piece of the wall — but already as a trophy to the right to freedom of movement.

Belarus is speaking out and proposing concrete solutions. In particular, the President of the Republic of Belarus has launched an initiative to develop the Eurasian Charter of Multipolarity and diversity in the twenty-first century. The Charter is designed to launch a new paradigm of the Eurasian architecture of equal and indivisible security.

We call on all Eurasian States to join the process and demonstrate the same responsibility that our predecessors demonstrated half a century ago. There is no alternative to such a dialogue. We need to get rid of
prejudices and come to the negotiating table.

Our appeal, of course, is also addressed to the countries of the European Union, which are traditionally sceptical of any initiatives coming from the East. But I would like to remind you that this East is far from what it was even a decade ago. It is, in essence, the Global South or even the Global Majority, which will have to reckon with. It is time to finally realise — the times of the dictates of collective West are a thing of the past.

We would therefore like to advise Europeans to think about their place in the world in the light of the ongoing transformations, which are definitely not in their favour.

The fall in economic competitiveness is leading to the undermining of the traditional European model of the welfare state, falling living standards and rising inequality.

The crazy militarisation of the region is driving Europe, especially the new EU and NATO member states, into a deep financial abyss.

The civilisational foundations of European society are rapidly being destroyed as a result of virtually uncontrolled mass migration and the failed policy of fake multiculturalism as a response to this challenge.

And all this against the background of new and new fences that are being hastily erected in the eastern direction. Concrete fences, political, ideological, inter-human, and in fact — civilisational.

And what is beyond the fence from them? It is no longer only Belarus and Russia. There — all the way to the Pacific horizon — as our Chinese friends say — is an emerging community of common destiny, of common responsibility for the future of mankind. With weakening of customs and physical borders, strengthening of interaction on the whole range of topical problems, development of interhuman contacts and multifaceted interaction. A community where, despite numerous cultural and national differences, respect each other and do not impose ideological dogmas and rules of behaviour. Billions of people, millions of kilometres of territory, powerful fast-growing economy and the most advanced technologies — already own. And their own modern mechanisms of interaction — BRICS, SCO, ASEAN, etc.

Therefore, in fact, all this political-militaristic fiddling of the EU on the eastern border and economic sanctions are measures of rigid self-isolation, driving the EU countries even deeper into internal economic and political crisis. Let me repeat especially — self-isolation.

If European elites intend to continue in this vein, will become even worse for the peoples of Europe. However, all these problems are solvable — if instead of self-isolation Europe adopts the concept of Eurasian co-operation and security on our huge continent.

One more thing: 25 years of development at the United Nations. This year, marks another remarkable date. It is a quarter of a century since some of the greatest hopes and promises in the history of the United Nations were voiced from the rostrum of the General Assembly.

Yes, we are already 25 years away from the memorable Millennium Summit , where the Millennium Development Goals were adopted. At that time it seemed that with the beginning of the new millennium we were entering a new era — a new era of good globalisation and shared prosperity.

And where are we a quarter of a century later? On the one hand, we have become even more interconnected and interdependent. This is a credit to technological development, which is constantly changing notions of time and space.

But, on the other hand, there are multiple fault-lines that are reversing all the positives.

Ponder the following figures. In 2000 there were about 50 million internally displaced people in the world, today there are more than 120 million. More than a billion inhabitants of the planet who still live in multidimensional poverty. Conflicts in Ukraine, Palestine, Syria. Post-war syndrome in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, a number of other countries, which does not allow the peoples of these states to step firmly onto the path of recovery. Large-scale forceful actions against sovereign countries outside any legal framework. Trillions of dollars in mindless militarisation. This is what we have come to. Six and a half decades of economic blockade of Cuba, which was declared a sponsor of terrorism for absolutely no reason. The story about some kind of drug threat from Venezuela, which is completely unfounded and unacceptable, is also from the same line.

Is this the result that the UN system was striving for? We think it is not.

So why have the expectations and hopes of the beginning of the millennium not been fulfilled? In this respect, the words of the President of Belarus, spoken at that memorable Millennium Summit, were prophetic: ‘For many centuries, a small group of states has been ruling the destinies of the world, treating the other nations and peoples as a powerless mass’. What has changed?

The past quarter of a century has shown that many in the West have still not been able to abandon their centuries-old mentality. Therefore, the West has become not a leader in the process of change, but a source of threats and losses.

Certain Western elites, accustomed to living for centuries at the expense of others, continue to have, albeit modernised, a colonial inertia of thinking. No wonder that even today they continue to display the arrogance and forcefulness towards developing countries that was characteristic of colonial times.

In the past quarter of a century, therefore, what we have seen from the West is not a common effort to solve development problems, but the imposition of ‘democracy’ and the ‘weaponisation’ of economies. This policy has created numerous wars, chaos, millions of refugees, created barriers to international trade, undermined global
food security, entrenched poverty, hunger and inequality. And international organisations — most notably the UN and the World Trade Organisation — have been sidelined.

That is why as a reaction to these negative trends the idea of regionalisation is becoming popular, there is a growth and strengthening of cooperation mechanisms not related to the countries of the West, such as BRICS, SCO, ASEAN, CIS, EAEU, LAS and others. These structures, reflecting the interests of the Global Majority countries, function on the principles of mutual respect, equality, consensus rather than domination and plunder. They, in fact, form a fair multipolar economic development architecture. And it is absolutely natural that a very
timely initiative by President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China on global governance, which Belarus fully supports, has emerged.

Madam President,
The words of the great Italian thinker of the last century, Antonio Gramsci, who wrote from the fascist torture cells: ‘The old world is dying, and the new world is struggles to be born,’ are more relevant today than ever. Indeed, it is paradoxical that even today the new world is being born in agony, because the old world does not
want to leave the stage in peace.
And yes, we are not the ones destroying the old world. The West itself succeeds well in doing so. But it is we — the Global Majority — who are building the new one! I would like to emphasise — together. Together with our like-minded people!
I thank you for your attention.

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