Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus V.Makei participates in the 74th session of the UN General Assembly (fourth day)

27-09-2019

On September 26th on the sidelines of the general debate of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Vladimir Makei, held the Fifth Ministerial Meeting of the Group of Friends United against Human Trafficking, coordinated by Belarus.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus V.Makei held the Fifth Ministerial Meeting of the Group of Friends United against Human Trafficking

Background Information: Group of Friends United against Human Trafficking is an informal and voluntary association of the UN Member States, which was created upon the initiative of Belarus in 2010 to help revitalise and strengthen international efforts to combat human trafficking. Currently, the Group includes 23 states representing all regions of the world.

The meeting was attended by the OSCE Secretary General, Thomas Greminger, Ministers of Foreign Affairs and representatives of the leadership of the Foreign Ministries of the Member States of the Group of Friends, as well as a number of international organisations that are part of the Inter-Agency Coordination Group against Trafficking in Persons (ICAT): United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, UN -Women, United Nations Development Programme, International Organization for Migration, International Labour Organization. Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin participated in the meeting as an honoured guest.

During the event, participants noted the leading role of Belarus in the fight against trafficking in persons on the international arena, expressed appreciation for the consolidation of ICAT. Speakers informed about the implementation of the Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons, adopted upon the initiative of Belarus in 2010. New challenges and threats were identified that fueled human trafficking, among them illegal migration, drug trafficking, technological development, and use of social networks. The main focus was made on the need to protect victims of trafficking in persons and prevent their re-victimisation and criminalisation. Preventive work aimed at eliminating the basic premises of this social evil should remain in the spotlight. Participants of meeting reaffirmed the importance of strengthening the partnership of all those interested in combating trafficking in persons.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus called on the members of the Group to support the resolution “Improving Coordination of Efforts to Combat Trafficking in Persons”, which Belarus plans to submit for consideration by the UN General Assembly this year.

Following the Ministerial Meeting, a declaration was adopted, which will be distributed as an official document of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly.

Together with the UN Under-Secretary-General for Counter-Terrorism, Vladimir Voronkov, a briefing was held at the headquarters of the Organisation on the outcomes of the International High-Level Conference of the Republic of Belarus and the United Nations “Combating Terrorism Through Innovative Approaches and the Use of New and Emerging Technologies”, that was held on September 3-4 in Minsk.

Briefing on the outcomes of the International High-Level Conference of the Republic of Belarus and the United Nations

Minister noted the relevance of the wider use of new technologies in the fight against terrorism, as well as the need for greater understanding for states of how these technologies could be used for criminal purposes. Belarus proposed to solve these problems through the creation of an Advisory Council at the UN, consisting of representatives of states and technology companies, that will develop recommendations for states, including on preventing technological re-equipment of terrorists, as well as on measures to effectively counter the abuse of new and emerging technologies.

During the briefing, V.Makei drew attention to the need for the international community to take additional efforts aimed at strengthening international dialogue, trust and security. In this regard, Foreign Minister once again drew attention to the initiative of the President of Belarus A.Lukashenko on the creation of the “Belt of Digital Good Neighborhood” announced during the mentioned Minsk Conference.

Briefing on the outcomes of the International High-Level Conference of the Republic of Belarus and the United Nations

Participants of the briefing, including the Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the Executive Directorate of the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee, Michele Coninsx, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Peter Szijjarto, EU and US representatives highly appreciated the efforts of Belarus aimed at strengthening international cooperation in countering terrorism, including through the use of high technology.

V.Makei informed about Belarus’s intention to join the Group of Friends of Victims of Terrorism.

Background Information: Group of Friends of Victims of Terrorism was created in June 2019. Its purpose is to help to protect the rights of victims of terrorism and to promote and raise awareness of their diverse needs, especially with regard to women and children.

The head of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry made a statement at the meeting of Foreign Ministers of countries participating in the Non-Aligned Movement, dedicated to protecting the principles of sovereignty and equality of states.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus V.Makei attends the meeting of Foreign Ministers of countries participating in the Non-Aligned Movement

Background Information: Non-Aligned Movement is an international political union joining 120 member-states, created on the principles of non-participation in military alliances and promotes joint efforts against unilateral approaches towards developing states on the global stage. The Republic of Belarus has been a member of the Movement since 1998.

The Minister called for compliance with the norms and principles of international law in relations between countries and declared the inadmissibility of the practice of unilateral coercive measures, the use or threat of use of force, interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states.

The head of the Belarusian Delegation emphasized that countries should not turn the United Nations, which serves as a global forum for negotiations and peaceful resolution of conflicts, into a platform for political confrontation and pressure.

V.Makei also took part in the UNGA High-Level Plenary Meeting to commemorate and promote the International Day for Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.

Background Information:  The General Assembly declared the International Day for the Complete Elimination of Nuclear Weapons in its resolution of 5 December 2013. Every year the UNGA holds a high-level meeting devoted to this day during which states reaffirm their commitment to the goals of building a nuclear weapons-free world.

During the meeting, Foreign Minister expressed his full support for international efforts in the field of non-proliferation and noted the special historical role of the Republic of Belarus in the field of elimination of nuclear weapons and in promoting the values of the struggle for peace.

The Minister drew attention to the fact that Belarus, which was a full member of the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles, did not withdraw from it. Hence does not intend to produce or deploy such missiles if there is no threat to the security of the country. V.Makei emphasized the importance of the initiative of the President of Belarus on the development of declaration of responsible countries on the non-deployment of intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles in Europe.

During the meeting with the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia, Ivica Dačić, the parties expressed satisfaction with the level of development of bilateral relations. The sides discussed the organization of the upcoming visit of the President of Belarus to Serbia, its’ filling with specific economic content. The parties confirmed the readiness for holding the meetings of the Joint Belarusian-Serbian Commission on Scientific and Technical Cooperation and the Belarusian-Serbian Working Group on Cooperation in the Field of Agriculture and Food on the eve of the visit.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus V.Makei meets the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia I.Dačić

V.Makei met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Grenada, Peter Charles David. The sides welcomed the first high-level bilateral political contact in a long time. The head of the Delegation of Grenada informed on his country's interest in developing bilateral relations with Belarus. In his turn, V.Makei proposed to consider the issue of accreditation concurrently in Belarus of the Ambassador of Grenada to Russia. The parties also discussed the possibility of simplifying the visa regime between the two countries, which will allow developing contacts in the fields of business, tourism, education, science and culture. P.Ch.David stated his country's readiness to promote cooperation between Belarus and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), which includes 15 countries of Central and South America.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus V.Makei meets the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Grenada P.C. David

Issues on bilateral and multilateral agendas were discussed during the working meetings with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, Elmar Mammadyarov Maharram oglu, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, Péter Szijjártó.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus V.Makei meets the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan E.Mammadyarov

On the sidelines of the general debate, V. Makei had a brief conversation with the UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus V.Makei meets the UN Secretary-General A.Guterres

Minister of Foreign Affairs also took part in financing for development event organised by Ghana and Canada to mobilize resources and partnerships needed to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

русская версия   беларуская версія

print version