Deputy Foreign Minister of Belarus I.Sekreta visits Geneva (Day 2)

On February 24, 2026 the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Igor Sekreta, addressed the high-level segment of the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva (Switzerland).

In the year of the 20th anniversary of the Council, the representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus assessed its activities, pointing to the growing crisis caused by the fact that states transfer their bilateral differences and geopolitical disputes into international cooperation on human rights and undermine the principles of impartiality and cooperation.

In the absence of objectivity and universality in the Council's work, serious human rights problems in the EU countries, including Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, are in a "blind spot", and the situation of the population of these states, who are paying for the irresponsible decisions of political elites, is only getting worse.

I.Sekreta pointed out the inadmissibility of the use of unilateral coercive measures in the civilized world, affecting not only the citizens of the affected states, but also the citizens of the countries that initiated illegal sanctions.

The Belarusian diplomat stated that the Human Rights Council needs not cosmetic changes, but the return of all countries to the basic principles of respect for the sovereign equality of states, the rejection of interference in internal affairs and the use of human rights as a tool of pressure.

Also at the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council, the Deputy Minister addressed a high-level discussion on the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, the most important framework documents on combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

The Belarusian diplomat noted that racism, xenophobia and discrimination are still a reality in a number of Western countries. He expressed concern about the growing popularity in the West of parties and political movements that base their activities on the propaganda of Nazi ideologies and racial superiority.

The Deputy Minister supported the claims for reparations made by the countries of Africa and Asia, whose populations suffered from the crimes of genocide during the colonial era.

I.Sekreta confirmed Belarus' intention to continue following the spirit of the Durban Declaration and upholding the principles of equality and justice.

On the same day, the Deputy Foreign Minister met with Tatiana Valovaya, Director General of the UN Office in Geneva.

During the conversation, the Deputy Minister noted the high demand for the Geneva platform as one of the key international negotiation and expert centers.

I.Sekreta thanked T.Valovaya for actively supporting the holding of the "EAEU Days" in Geneva during the Belarusian presidency of the bodies of the Eurasian Economic Union in 2025.

The Director General of the Department, for her part, noted the importance of this event to strengthen the international image of the EAEU. T.Valovaya also reacted constructively to the information about the decision of the Head of State to declare 2026 the Year of the Belarusian Woman in Belarus and the plans of the Belarusian side to participate in a photo exhibition held at the UN Office dedicated to the role of women in the life of the state and society.

The interlocutors also discussed international security issues. We agreed on the critical importance of resuming full-fledged negotiation processes within the framework of international forums on disarmament and arms control issues. They exchanged views on the prospects for advancing Belarusian initiatives aimed at strengthening multilateralism and security in Eurasia, including the development of the Eurasian Charter on Diversity and Multipolarity.

The Deputy Minister invited T.Valovaya to take part in the IV Minsk International Conference on Eurasian Security.

The Deputy Foreign Minister also met with Pierre-Yves Fuchs, Head of the Eurasia Department of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.

During the meeting, issues related to the current state and prospects for the development of Belarusian-Swiss relations were thoroughly discussed.

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