Press releases

MINSK, 22 September (BelTA) – Minsk will host a major international conference on the protection of children's rights in October, Chairman of the Council of the Republic Mikhail Myasnikovich said as he met with UNICEF Representative in Belarus Rashed Mustafa Sarwar, BelTA has learned.

The conference is envisaged in Belarus’ first national human rights action plan which was adopted in the country in 2016. Mikhail Myasnikovich invited the representative of UNICEF to make suggestions regarding the organization and content of the forum. Rashed Mustafa Sarwar said that Belarus’ national human rights action plan is ‘a powerful and advanced document”. It received many positive reviews in the international arena and is being executed properly, the UNICEF representative added.

The sides discussed a number of issues regarding the implementation of the UNICEF country program for 2016-2020 which was approved with the budget of $8.5 million.

The parties also touched on the prospects for harmonization of the work of UNICEF in Belarus with the measures that have been taken in the country in order to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Particular attention was paid to the projects designed to support the most vulnerable categories of children and to combat drug abuse. Rashed Mustafa Sarwar also suggested that Belarus should consider instituting the post of a children’s ombudsman.

Mikhail Myasnikovich recalled that Belarus has been a member of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) since 1953. A representative office of the organization was opened in Minsk in 1997. The country has been repeatedly elected to the UNICEF governing body – the Executive Board. In 2017, Deputy Permanent Representative of Belarus to the United Nations Irina Velichko was elected to the post of a vice chairperson of the Executive Board. “We already have a fairly good experience. There are expectations in the society that there will be new projects and ideas,” Mikhail Myasnikovich noted.