Events

15 Nov 2023

Belarus attends Baku Forum on Sustainable Development

Valery Belsky. An archive photo

MINSK, 15 November (BelTA) - Deputy Chairman of the Council of the Republic Valery Belsky delivered remarks at the opening ceremony of the 2nd Baku Forum on Sustainable Development in Azerbaijan, BelTA learned from the press service of the upper house of the Belarusian Parliament.

"Belarus’ social and economic strategy is closely correlated with the goals and objectives of sustainable development. We have made progress with regard to about 80% of our commitments," Valery Belsky said. “The goals of the 2030 Agenda have been incorporated into the national planning system. With the participation of the UN, we have put together an effective structure for coordinating work. We have a council for sustainable development comprising representatives of government bodies and public organizations. There is a specialized group in the country's parliament, the institute of youth ambassadors, who are subsequently elected to the Youth Parliament. Our country has begun to develop the next National Strategy for Sustainable Development for the period up to 2040. This year we are setting up a system for monitoring work at the regional level. This project is currently on the home stretch." Belarus is forming a national association for sustainable development. The SDG-related matters are studied in educational institutions, actively popularized, and taken care of in socially responsible business programs. The attention of Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko to the issue guarantees unflagging support of this work. "Our country welcomes the efforts of states and international organizations under the common motto ‘No one should be left behind’.

In the context of the growing conflict potential in the world, the problem of creating conditions for sustainable development remains one of the few topics on which the international community is able to engage in dialogue, reach mutual understanding mobilize universal efforts. Given the overarching nature of the Sustainable Development Goals, such a dialogue can serve as a prologue to the discussion of any complex topics of regional and global significance. This was clearly demonstrated by the Sustainable Development Summit held under the auspices of the UN General Assembly. In this context, I believe that the Baku Forum is Azerbaijan's contribution not only towards the SDGs, but also to the détente of international tensions, organically complementing the country's efforts in other areas, in particular, to strengthen the authority and active potential of the Non-Aligned Movement," he stressed.

Using the example of Belarus, Valery Belsky drew attention to the problems that weaken the resource potential for achieving the SDGs and entail global negative consequences. "For more than a quarter of a century, Belarus and its citizens have been subjected to illegal sanctions. The initiators and followers of this practice accuse us of violating some abstract norms, the essence of which is not entirely clear. On the other hand, unilateral coercive measures grossly violate the provisions of legally binding instruments.For example, neighboring Lithuania decided to ban the transportation of Belarusian potash fertilizers from 1 February 2022 in violation of the Convention on the High Seas. Access to the port infrastructure, developed with the participation of Belarusian investments, was closed,” the deputy speaker said. “This decision, combined with the previously adopted ones by the United States and the European Union, blocked access to the global market of potash fertilizers, where Belarus’ share was more than 20%. The ban caused a domino effect. A twofold increase in prices became unaffordable for the poorest countries and eventually aggravated the stressful situation in the food market. Belarusian mining and service enterprises were deprived of a significant part of their revenues. This usually means salaries, investment and payments to the budget, 42% of which is socially oriented.”

“I cited just one episode out of more than a thousand sanctions measures against Belarus and Belarusian residents,” Valery Belsky added. “We have no access to financial and commodity markets (export restrictions are estimated at $16 billion). We are limited to make settlements in global currencies, with key financial institutions disconnected from the SWIFT system. We have air transportation blocked and ground transportation limited. It is obvious that the 2030 Agenda has not become a determining and unconditional strategy of responsible behavior not only for states but also for business elites who, relying on the rhetoric of sustainable development, use formal reasons to drive competitors out of the market and refuse to cooperate. The situation is on the verge of surrealism. On the one hand, at the call of the UN secretary general, a sustainable development summit is being convened to mobilize resources for urgent assistance to countries in need, promote the growth of green finance, while heads of state and government, parliaments are looking for opportunities to increase donor funds. On the other hand, they are also taking unilateral coercive measures to prevent the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.”

The problem of sanctions is not limited to causing economic damage to specific countries. “By allowing legal and moral foundations to be ignored, the initiators opened Pandora's box, which led to the erosion of many branches of international law, the segregation of states and peoples, the de-humanization of ethnic groups that do not fit into the Western picture of the world. Unilateral coercive measures and the development of the humanitarian crisis in the Middle East, the resumption of the arms race are events that have a common nature,” the deputy speaker said. “We call for the restoration of the rule of law, dialogue on the foundations of the world order on the principles of multipolarity and freedom of choice of development paths. At the high-level international conference “Eurasian Security: Reality and Prospects in a Transforming World” held in Minsk at the end of October, Belarus proposed the world community to develop a Charter of Diversity for the 21st century. Our country is always ready to share its experience and use the best global practices of sustainable development. I am confident that the Baku Forum will help us replenish the luggage of ideas.”