Presentation of the joint Belarusian-Russian report on human rights violations in Western countries at the OSCE

On June 30, 2025, the presentation of the second joint report of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Belarus and Russia on the observance of human rights in individual countries took place at the OSCE headquarters in Vienna.

The report was presented by the Head of the Department for Multilateral Diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Irina Velichko, and the Director of the Department for Humanitarian Cooperation and Human Rights of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Grigory Lukyantsev. The presentation was also attended by the Permanent Representative of Belarus to the OSCE, Andrei Dapkyunas, and Permanent Representative of Russia, Alexander Lukashevich.

I. Velichko stated "a national dossier on human rights should be maintained in each country without exception" emphasizing the universality of international obligations in this area. "The report shows that in the so-called "developed democracies" systemic problems with human rights are large-scale and persistent" the diplomat said. The document cites the following examples: systemic discrimination in society, restrictions on freedom of movement and attacks on personal integrity, violent dispersals of peaceful protests for socio-economic rights, oppression of refugees and migrants, the revival of racial superiority and neo-Nazism, and the blocking of alternative media.

The report pays special attention to the migration policies of a number of EU states. It presents data on thousands of cases of illegal expulsion of migrants from Latvia and Lithuania, which have resulted in human casualties. The report also mentions instances of glorification of Nazi collaborators, in particular, the march of Waffen-SS legionnaires in Riga in March, 2025, accompanied by the demolition of monuments to Soviet liberator soldiers in Poland and Lithuania. 

According to Velichko, "The West must realize that it does not have a monopoly on the interpretation of human rights norms. The true value of these rights requires a universal, impartial and depoliticized approach based on international mechanisms, such as the UPR and UN treaty bodies.

The Permanent Representative of Belarus to the OSCE, Andrei Dapkiunas, emphasized that the purpose of publishing the report is to restore balance in the international human rights agenda. “The report is a contribution to restoring balance in the international human rights agenda. Universality, impartiality and equality are the basis for the effective work of the human rights system. Belarus and Russia are open to constructive dialogue, but the discussion of human rights should be mutual and objective, and not dominate the OSCE agenda,” he noted. 

The report covers 43 countries and is based on data from international organizations, UN special reporters, ombudsmen, non-governmental organizations and the media. The document includes photographs illustrating the recorded violations.

The presentation was followed by a discussion with the participation of international and Austrian experts and public figures. The speakers answered journalists' questions. 

The presentation of the report at the OSCE was preceded by its official presentation on June 28 in Geneva as part of the 59th session of the UN Human Rights Council. The thematic discussion, organized by the Belarusian and Russian missions, was held under the title "Universality and Indivisibility of Human Rights for All: State Practice". 

This is the second joint report of the foreign ministries of Belarus and Russia presented at international venues. 

The first was presented in July, 2024 at the UN and OSCE. The full text of the report could be found on the official websites of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Belarus and Russia.
 

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