Events

24 Oct 2023

Belarus attends IPU Standing Committee on Peace and International Security meeting

Sergei Rachkov. An archive photo

MINSK, 24 October (BelTA) - On 24 October, Chairman of the Standing Committee on International Affairs and National Security of the Council of the Republic Sergei Rachkov spoke at a meeting of the IPU Standing Committee on Peace and International Security during the 147th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Luanda, Angola, BelTA learned from the press service of the upper house of Belarusian Parliament.

MPs held a panel discussion on the theme "Inventory of tools for MPs to engage in dialogue, legislation, oversight and prevention in the pursuit of peace".

The Committee is working to implement the resolution “Rethinking and reframing the approach to peace processes with a view to fostering lasting peace” adopted at the 144th Assembly in Indonesia through a series of online events held jointly with partner organizations on peace and security. Such events make it possible to present expert opinions, best national and international practices and experience in a particular field, to consider topical issues from various angles and to exchange views.

This contributes to the arsenal of parliamentary tools for promoting new approaches to the peace process.

In his speech at the panel discussion, Sergei Rachkov noted that today we are witnessing a geopolitical division of the world, a large-scale, systemic crisis in the military-political, economic and humanitarian aeas. Disagreements between the world's main centers of power and inter-bloc confrontation are intensifying. The forms and methods of waging wars and military conflicts are being improved, hybrid influence and "smart power" technologies to implement color revolutions are becoming commonplace. The international security architecture is crumbling, and key international treaties and agreements on disarmament and arms control are being ignored.

In this regard, the senator called on international parliamentary organizations to come up with initiatives to foster constructive, mutually respectful and equal cooperation in order to counter the escalation of international tensions. Sergei Rachkov called on every parliamentarian to make a personal contribution to creating conditions for broad interaction between parliamentary organizations.

According to the Belarusian MP, when promoting new approaches to the peace process, the main focus of MPs' attention should be on the principles of multilateralism and cooperation. The use of unilateral coercive measures against sovereign states is a serious obstacle to the effective realization of the above principles.

“Sanctions policy, which contradicts the UN Charter, damages the process of multilateralism, including the activities of political mechanisms and institutions to prevent and regulate conflicts by peaceful means, undermines the rights of the most vulnerable segments of the population, including fair participation in political, social and economic life, and violates their mental and social wellbeing,” the MP said.

Sergei Rachkov added that the MPs’ task is to create a reliable and transparent legislative framework to regulate security issues on a holistic, intersectoral basis both inside and outside the country, constructive participation in activities aimed at consolidating and maintaining peace efforts, with an active use of the parliamentary diplomacy resource.

The 147th IPU Assembly opened in Luanda on 23 October. The inaugural ceremony was addressed by President of the Republic of Angola Joao Lourenco, President of the National Assembly of Angola Carolina Cerqueira in the presence of dozens of parliamentary speakers and hundreds of legislators from about 120 countries.

On 24 October, Sergei Rachkov also participated as a member in a meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Union's High-Level Advisory Group on Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism. The meeting participants discussed the issues related to the development of the countries of the Sahel region exposed to terrorism and violent extremism.

The development of concrete solutions to the problems of the Sahel region is among the key tasks of the IPU High-Level Advisory Group on Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism.