UNRIC Library Backgrounder - Belarus

Belarus UN News Centre - Belarus https://news.un.org/en/tags/belarus

UN Entities •

United Nations in Belarus https://un.by/en/

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United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) o ReliefWeb - Belarus: https://reliefweb.int/country/blr

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Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) – Belarus https://www.ohchr.org/EN/countries/ENACARegion/Pages/BYIndex.aspx o

Belarus: Bachelet appoints Fact-Finding Mission experts (19 May 2021): https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=27105

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Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus https://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/SP/CountriesMandates/BY/Pages/SRBelarus.aspx

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International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) o

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ICAO Council to pursue fact finding investigation into Ryanair FR4978 (27 May 2021): https://www.icao.int/Newsroom/Pages/ICAO-Council-agrees-to-pursue-fact-findinginvestigation-into-Belarus-incident.aspx

International Labour Organization (ILO) – Belarus https://www.ilo.org/moscow/countries/belarus/lang--en/index.htm o

ILO calls on Belarus President to respect workers’ rights and freedoms amid protests (9 September 2020): https://www.ilo.org/global/about-theilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_754965/lang--en/index.htm

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International Organization for Migration (IOM) – Belarus https://www.iom.int/countries/belarus

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United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) – Belarus https://www.by.undp.org

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Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) – Belarus https://www.unhcr.org/belarus.html and https://www.unhcr.org/by/

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World Health Organization (WHO) – Belarus https://www.euro.who.int/en/countries/belarus

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The World Bank in Belarus https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/belarus

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Human Rights Council •

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Human Rights Council: United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights urges government of Belarus to end ongoing human rights violations (4 December 2020): https://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26566 Human Rights Council adopts resolution on situation of human rights in Belarus (18 September 2020): https://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26262 Human Rights Council holds urgent debate on the situation of human rights in Belarus (18 September 2020): https://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/Pages/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=26260 Human rights council opens forty-fifth regular session, decides to hold an urgent debate on Belarus (14 September 2020): https://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26233

Selected UN Documents • • • • •

A/HRC/47/49 (4 May 2021): Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus, Anaïs Marin: https://undocs.org/A/HRC/47/49 A/HRC/RES/46/20: Situation of human rights in Belarus in the run-up to the 2020 presidential election and in its aftermath: Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on 24 March 2021: https://undocs.org/A/HRC/RES/46/20 A/HRC/46/4 (15 February 2021): Situation of human rights in Belarus in the context of the 2020 presidential election: Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights: https://undocs.org/A/HRC/46/4 A/HRC/RES/45/1: Situation of human rights in Belarus in the run-up to the 2020 presidential election and in its aftermath: resolution / adopted by the Human Rights Council on 18 September 2020: https://undocs.org/A/HRC/RES/45/1 S/2020/900 (14 September 2020): Letter dated 14 September 2020 from the Permanent Representative of Estonia to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council: https://undocs.org/S/2020/900 Transmits summary of the Arria-formula meeting of the Security Council on the theme "Human rights in Belarus", held on 4 Sept. 2020.

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A/74/995-S/2020/820 (21 August 2020): Letter dated 18 August 2020 from the representatives of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General: https://undocs.org/A/74/995 Transmits joint declaration dated 13 Aug. 2020 on the situation in Belarus.

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A/HRC/RES/44/19: Situation of human rights in Belarus: resolution / adopted by the Human Rights Council on 17 July 2020: https://undocs.org/A/HRC/RES/44/19 A/HRC/44/55 (8 April 2020): Situation of human rights in Belarus: report of the Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Belarus: https://undocs.org/A/HRC/44/55 Submitted by Special Rapporteur Anaïs Marin pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 41/22. Covers the period 1 Apr. 2019 to 31 Mar. 2020.

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Further documents – click here

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UN Member States on the Record: Belarus https://library.un.org/unms?combine=belarus This site provides access to information about membership and statements of Member States at the United Nations.

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Selected Statements and Speeches by UN Officials • • • • • •

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Belarus: ‘Black hole’ for media freedoms after egregious attacks, say UN experts (7 June 2021): https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=27146 OHCHR Press briefing notes on Belarus (25 May 2021): https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=27110 Deeply concerned about apparent forced landing of passenger aircraft over Belarus, journalist detained from flight, Secretary-General calls for full investigation (SG/SM/20738, 24 May 2021): https://www.un.org/press/en/2021/sgsm20738.doc.htm Belarus must end pattern of police brutality and impunity: UN experts (1 April 2021): https://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26970 Belarus: Crackdown on human rights defenders deepens – expert (19 March 2021): https://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26922 Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on the High Commissioner's report on Belarus, 46th session of the Human Rights Council, Statement by Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, 25 February 2021: https://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26799 Remarks by Ms. Anais Marin, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus at the side-event on Belarus HRC 46, 18 February 2021: https://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26765 Keynote Statement to the Arria Formula Meeting of the UN Security Council, Sp. Rapporteur on freedom of expression, 22 January 2021: https://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26685 Intersessional meeting of the Human Rights Council - The situation in Belarus: Statement by Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, 4 December 2020: https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26564 Belarus: UN experts call for probe into violence against protesters (19 November 2020): https://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26520 Belarus: UN experts decry threats against women human rights defenders (3 November 2020): https://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26470 UN human rights experts: Belarus must release opposition leader Maria Kalesnikava (25 September 2020): https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26296 Statement of Mrs Anaïs Marin, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus, at the 75th session of the General Assembly (26 September 2020): https://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26426 Statement of Mrs Anaïs Marin, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus, at the Urgent Debate on the situation of human rights in Belarus Human Rights Council 45th session (18 September 2020): https://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26261 45th session of the Human Rights Council Urgent debate on the situation of human rights in Belarus: Statement by Nada Al-Nashif, UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights (18 September 2020): https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26259 Statement of Mrs Anaïs Marin, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus, at the Urgent Debate on the situation of human rights in Belarus Human Rights Council 45th session (18 September 2020): https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26261 Calling on Belarus authorities to refrain from using force against protestors, SecretaryGeneral says only inclusive dialogue can resolve crisis (SG/SM/20244, 11 September 2020): https://www.un.org/press/en/2020/sgsm20244.doc.htm Statement of Mrs. Anais Marin, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus, at the Arria Formula meeting at UN Security Council (Unofficial translation) (4 September 2020): https://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26212

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Belarus: UN committee hails role of women in political process and protests (3 September 2020): https://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26206 Secretary-General Spotlights Peaceful Expression Rights amid Demonstrations in Belarus (SG/SM/20207, 14 August 2020): https://www.un.org/press/en/2020/sgsm20207.doc.htm Belarus must stop attacking peaceful protesters, UN human rights experts say (13 August 2020): https://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26164 Bachelet condemns violent response of Belarus to post-electoral protests (12 August 2020): https://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26162 Belarus: International community must continue scrutinising human rights situation ahead of election, says UN expert (10 July 2020): https://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26069 UN experts demand end to crackdown on protesters in Belarus ahead of elections (1 July 2020): https://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26023 Belarus must stop crackdown to silence opposing views – UN experts (5 June 2020): https://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=25932

Non-UN Sources •

Security Council Report o “Arria-formula meeting on human rights in Belarus”, 4 September 2020: https://www.whatsinblue.org/2020/09/arria-formula-meeting-on-human-rightsin-belarus.php

7 June 2021 not an official document – for information only https://unric.org/en/unric-library-backgrounder-belarus/