On the Participation in the Interactive Dialogue with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

04-03-2013

On March 4, 2013 Mr.Evgeny Lazarev, Deputy Head of the Department for multilateral diplomacy — Head of global policies and humanitarian cooperation Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, made a statement to the 22th session of the Human Rights Council being held in Geneva, Switzerland, during an interactive dialogue with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Mr.Evgeny Lazarev noted, that thanks to the financial support of the Russian Federation OHCHR launches an international technical assistance project on combating trafficking in human beings in Belarus.

MFA representative also drew attention to the continued lack of geographical balance in the work of the High Commissioner and her Office. Most of the attention is paid to the countries of the South, while cases of human rights violations in the so called «realized democracies» are left without attention. Mr.Evgeny Lazarev also emphasized, that in the report on human rights violations in 2012 Belarus traced over 200 gross violations in the EU, Norway, Switzerland, USA and Canada, while the High Commissioner and her abundant staff had mentioned none.  
 
The Belarusian delegation stated, that the High Commissioner Office’s overwhelming dependence on funding from the EU and US virtually paralyses its activities and forces  to advance these countries’ agenda, whose major elements being blackmailing and intimidation. Belarus has proposed to the High Commisioner to formally initiate the consultations on the issue of increasing the Office’s financing from the UN budget.
 
Mr.Evgeny Lazarev also drew attention to the continued High Commissioner's silence on the sanctions that the EU and US apply in violation of international law and human rights to several countries, including Belarus. He called upon the High Commissioner to eventually pronounce herself on this situation.

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