Statement by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus I.Sekreta in the framework of the fourth cycle of Universal Periodic Review (November 3, 2025, Geneva)

Dear Chairman, 
Dear participants, 

On behalf of the delegation of the Republic of Belarus, I am pleased to welcome you as part of Belarus' fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review. 

To conduct an open and professional dialogue, we have formed a representative delegation, which includes the Commissioner for Religious and Ethnic Affairs, representatives of the Prosecutor General's Office, the National Statistical Committee, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Information, the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection and the Ministry of Justice. Today, the members of our delegation are committed to constructive cooperation, are ready to provide comprehensive answers and look forward to an effective dialogue. 

Belarus is a welfare state, where the focus is on people, their interests and needs.

Belarus faithfully fulfills its obligations under international treaties to which it is a party. Adheres to the schedule of periodic reporting to the treaty bodies and has no arrears. Since the third cycle of the UPR, Belarus has successfully defended periodic reports in the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. We are awaiting questions from the Human Rights Committee to submit a report on a simplified procedure.

We also completed the third voluntary review of Belarus' achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, which took place on the sidelines of the July 2025 Political Forum on Sustainable Development held in New York. 

A well-developed system of specialized State and public institutions for the protection and promotion of various categories of human rights continues to operate effectively in Belarus. Continuing to strengthen our institutional system for the protection of human rights, in 2022 we created a new permanent collegial body, the Republican Interdepartmental Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, headed by the Deputy Prime Minister. 

During the review period, a constitutional reform was carried out in Belarus, which marked a large-scale political modernization of the country. The constitutional reform was preceded by an open and inclusive civil discussion, in which all interested actors took part. 

Following the results of the republican referendum of 2022, the supreme representative body of the people's power, the All–Belarusian People's Assembly, was included in the system of branches of state power. Through this mechanism, citizens can directly participate in the development of strategic decisions, having received a real instrument of influence on public policy. The second session of the All-Belarusian National Assembly is scheduled to be held in December this year. 

As a result of the amendments to the Constitution, citizens have direct access to constitutional justice. The Constitution also introduces additional guarantees for the most vulnerable categories of citizens who need them due to age, illness and other objective circumstances, such as the elderly and the disabled, children, orphans, and youth.

There have been positive legislative changes in the field of strengthening cooperation with civil society and establishing a national dialogue. 

The social protection system deservedly remains the hallmark of our country. Thanks to the consistent efforts of the state, a stable level of social protection of the population is ensured. 

An affordable and efficient healthcare system is the most important priority of state policy. In Belarus, every citizen, I emphasize, every citizen, regardless of their level of well-being, their social status, has the opportunity to receive any type of medical care free of charge, including the most high-tech. This is a feature that not every country, even in Europe, can boast of. Significant progress has been made in the field of maternal and child health, cardiac surgery, neurosurgery, oncology, and transplantology. Belarus is ahead of many European countries in terms of providing the population with medical workers. Medical services are also in demand among foreign citizens. This is facilitated by the preservation, despite all difficulties, of a visa-free entry regime for citizens of more than 80 countries around the world. 

High-quality and affordable education in our country is a source of growth in the intellectual, cultural, spiritual and moral potential of the nation. The right to free education is guaranteed. 

An integral part of Belarus' fulfillment of its international obligations is the promotion of equal rights and opportunities for men and women. The active participation of women in the political and public life of the country is a steady trend. The share of women in the Belarusian Parliament is over 40%. Women's entrepreneurship is actively developing with the support of the state. 

The State family policy of Belarus is a large-scale set of measures to support and ensure decent living conditions for families, including families with children. The State provides significant financial assistance to families. Measures have been taken to promote involved fatherhood.

Developing the potential of the younger generation is another priority of the state youth policy. In the updated Constitution, along with protecting the interests of all segments of the population, special attention is paid to youth. The State promotes the spiritual, intellectual and physical development of young people and creates the necessary conditions for their free and effective participation in public life. 

Older people are playing an increasingly important role in society. The pension system is functioning stably, and real pension growth is being recorded. The National Strategy "Active Longevity – 2030" is being implemented. The necessary conditions have been created for the social inclusion of senior citizens and their full participation in society. The adoption of new legislation has given an impetus to the support of people with disabilities. The law adopted in our country in 2022 defined guarantees for the exercise of the rights of persons with disabilities, ensuring equality and non-discrimination on the basis of disability. An innovation in the implementation of the right to work by people with disabilities is the introduction of a quota mechanism for jobs. 

A consistent policy is being pursued to increase the income level of the population and ensure social guarantees for the most vulnerable categories of citizens. Over the past five years, the real disposable income of the population has grown by almost 115%. 

There is a steady decline in the unemployment rate. The unemployment rate according to the methodology of the International Labor Organization in 2024 was 3.1 percent, which is one of the lowest since the observation. 

The legislation on combating domestic violence has been adjusted. The procedure for issuing a protective order has been simplified. A new preventive measure has been introduced – a correctional program. The Register of Information on Domestic Violence has been put into operation. 

The effectiveness and validity of the strategy chosen by our country is confirmed by the data of international ratings. Here are just a few of them.

The level of progress of Belarus in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals remains high – it is more than 80 percent. Belarus ranks 32nd out of 167 countries. 

We have consistently maintained our position as a country with a very high level of development, ranking 65th among 193 countries in the Global Human Development Index. 

According to the gender inequality index, Belarus ranked 27th out of 172 countries. And according to the World Economic Forum, gender equality in Belarus has been achieved by 73.6% - this indicator is better than in 94 other countries of the world. 

Belarus has one of the lowest maternal, infant and child mortality rates in the world and is among the top 25 countries for motherhood. 

These figures could have been even higher if it had not been for the unilateral coercive measures that a number of Western countries have arbitrarily imposed on Belarus. The policy of sanctions pressure promoted by these countries violates the economic and social rights of not only Belarusian citizens, but also citizens of many other countries. Because, for example, the ban on the use of the airspace of Belarus makes civil aviation unsafe and the "green deal" of the European Union questionable. Most, and somewhere all, of the land border crossings are closed by the West, for example Lithuania. As a result of the abuse of its geographical position by Belarus' western neighbors, there are humanitarian and economic losses. 

Belarus has managed to reorient its economy and build a system that provides our citizens with a decent standard of living. At the same time, we call on the EU to return to dialogue and lift all illegal restrictions, because such actions have no place in the modern civilized world. 

Belarus intends to continue to maintain high standards in the field of human rights aimed at social security, economic stability and political unity of Belarusian citizens.

Dear Mr. Chairman, 
Dear participants, 

Our country approaches the process in which we are participating today with full responsibility, considering the UPR as a unique mechanism that allows sharing experiences, best practices and building a constructive dialogue in the field of human rights on an equal basis. 

The recommendations received as part of the review are considered by our country as an important and necessary guideline for further improvement of the national system for the protection and promotion of human rights. 

Based on the results of the review, we intend to adopt recommendations that will serve as useful guidance for Belarus on further improving national efforts to ensure the development of Belarusian society. Thanks for your attention.

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