Belarus’ Participation in International Organisations
Raising the role of international organizations, primarily, the United Nations, is a matter of the utmost importance to Belarus. Recognising the inevitability of globalization processes, Belarus is committed to reinforcing the UN’s leading role in building a fair world order.
The Republic of Belarus has been elected to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for 2007–2009.
Belarus is at the forefront of fighting one of the most urgent problems of the modern world – human trafficking. Belarus’ proposal to launch a UN-sponsored global movement “Partnership against slavery and human trafficking in the XXI century” met interest of the UN member states and several UN organizations. An international centre for training personnel in charge of migration affairs and the counteraction of slave trade was opened in the Belarusian capital, Minsk, in 2007.
Belarus vigorously cooperates with UN operational bodies, which assist with getting essential technical aid to Belarus with a view to streamlining development processes. In Belarus there are 11 representative offices of programmes, agencies and organizations of the UN system, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UNESCO, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). The UNDP’s third country programme for cooperation with Belarus in 2006–2010 outlines several projects, including ones concerning education, healthcare and alleviation of consequences of the Chernobyl disaster, all in all, worth around $33 million. A similar UNICEF-sponsored country programme for Belarus provides for spending over $5 million on projects aimed at tackling social problems of children in 2006–2010.
Along with the United Nations Belarus is represented at such international institutions as the World Health Organization, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the World Customs Organization, the International Monetary Fund, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and many others. Belarus is a bona fide member of all six fundamental international treaties regulating human rights and eight fundamental conventions of the International Labour Organization.
Belarus is a co-founder of a large regional organization – the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), which unites 12 countries of the former Soviet Union. The CIS is headquartered in Minsk. Since March 1994 the CIS has been an observer to the UN. This decade topical issues pertaining to collaboration of the CIS states include enhancement of economic contacts, migration control, cooperation of emergency services, counteraction of trafficking in drugs and psychotropic substances, terrorism and organized crime, cooperation in humanitarian affairs, education, culture and other areas.
The priority trends in the EurAsEC activity are arrangement of a proper functioning of the member-states foreign trade zones, development and implementation of united trade policy in relation to third countries, customs procedures simplification, creation of united customs territory with united competitive environment, creation of transport union in order to intensify mutual trade and boost transit freight traffic, creation of united energy market and others.
On October 10, 2006 the Presidents of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan signed a treaty to found the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC), thus advancing the previously signed treaties on forming a customs union and a common economic space, establishing an organization for economic integration tighter than that of the CIS. Moldova and Ukraine have been observers to EurAsEC since May 2002, Armenia – since 2003. Uzbekistan entered the Eurasian Economic Community in 2006.
In 2006 Belarus was one of the initiators of the CIS reform, which is expected to invigorate the Commonwealth. On October 5, 2007 the Dushanbe Summit adopted a Concept of the Future Development of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Participation in regional security processes, first of all, in the Collective Security Treaty Organization, is an important component of Belarus’ foreign policy. CSTO includes Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. CSTO is committed to reinforcing stability in the Eurasian region, counteracting terrorism and extremism on the continent, arranging joint peacemaking operations in the area.
February of 2004 saw the country participate in decision making process within CSTO concerning creation special operation forces creation. For the present moment the work is carried out to form the CSTO’s contingent of peacekeeping forces.
Belarus is interested in establishing the CSTO’s dialogue with all international security organizations working in Europe.
Cooperation with NATO within the framework of existing mechanisms of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) and the Partnership for Peace programme is aimed at consistent development of a constructive political dialogue for the sake of reinforcing the European and international security.
The Belarus–NATO individual partnership programme outlines training of Belarusian peacekeeping forces, cooperation in relieving emergencies and catastrophes, medical and language training for specialists as priority areas of cooperation.
Belarus has been a member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) since 1992. In November 1999 a Belarusian delegation led by President Alexander Lukashenko took part in the OSCE summit in Istanbul, where the European Security Charter was signed.
Belarus takes an active part in working out the most important documents and resolutions of the OSCE, contributing to the development of the European dialogue on security issues. Following Belarus’ initiative the session of the OSCE Foreign Ministers Council held in Madrid on November 29–30, 2007 passed a resolution on protecting strategic energy installations from terrorism.
Belarus is party to the Conventional Forces in Europe treaty (CFE) and the Open Skies Consultative Committee. Belarus was one of the first countries to ratify the Adapted CFE Treaty.
Belarus supports the OSCE’s priority role laid down in the European Security Charter in tackling security issues on the basis of respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of all member-states. Belarus actively supports the development of the OSCE Charter and insists on correcting the election monitoring activities of the OSCE ODIHR.
Belarus has been part of the Central European Initiative (CEI) since 1996. The country speaks for intensifying efforts of CEI members with a view to promoting bilateral and multilateral economic cooperation, overcoming dividing barriers and encouraging integration processes in Central and Eastern Europe.
Belarus has been an observer to the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation since 2005. Belarus is the only European member of the Non-Aligned Movement. Together with partners in the NAM Belarus stands against the use of dual standards in international politics, speaks for building a fair international economic order, for effective integration of developing countries and transition economies into the global economy, advocates the uniqueness and versatility of social, economic and political development ways of the mankind.
Since 1993 the Republic of Belarus has been a candidate for membership in the Council of Europe (CE).
Belarus is open to a productive dialogue with this European political organization for the sake of promoting mutually beneficial relations and expedient restoration of the special guest status in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe for the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus.
Belarusian diplomats and parliamentarians are ready to continue cooperation with the Council of Europe in all issues of mutual interest.
At present Belarus’ cooperation with the Council of Europe is evolving rapidly within the framework of several European conventions the Republic of Belarus has acceded to. In March 2008 the Republic of Belarus became a party to the CE Criminal Law Convention on Corruption. Belarus is also interested in acceding to several other legal instruments of the Council of Europe, which are related to criminal law.
In April 2008 Minsk hosted a joint conference of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Belarus and the Vienna Commission of the Council of Europe. The conference was dedicated to “Utilisation of international legal instruments for fulfilling rights, freedoms and legal interests of citizens in national legislation and the realization of the constitutional right of citizens to court protection in the Republic of Belarus: problems and prospects”.
In 2006 Belarus acceded to the 1989 Anti-Doping Convention and the 1999 Civil Law Convention on Corruption. Intrastate procedures required for the 1998 Criminal Law Convention on Corruption to come into force in Belarus are being completed. In February 2007 Belarus was granted observer status at the European Commission for Pharmaceuticals.
