Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 1 October (BelTA) - Belarus would like the UN agencies to elaborate strategies for cooperation with middle-income countries, Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei said at the general debate of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly on 1 October, BelTA has learned.

“For Belarus it is obvious that the multifaceted challenges faced by the middle-income states, including Belarus, require the UN agencies to come up with multidimensional criteria for elaborating result-oriented cooperation strategies,” Vladimir Makei stressed.

The minister is convinced that achieving the goals of the global agenda for sustainable development with its overarching promise not to leave anyone behind requires a particular focus and international support for middle-income countries. Indeed, it is this group of states that is home to five out of the world’s seven billion people and has the highest reserves for economic growth and global sustainability, he said.

“On the other hand, it is within this group that three quarters of the world's poor reside. It is they who are the most vulnerable to fluctuations in the global economy, the impact of regional conflicts, natural and man-made disasters, climatic upheavals, epidemics that threaten the socio-economic stability and exacerbate inequalities, including at the regional and global levels,” the minister noted.

According to Vladimir Makei, in this context it is unjust that the development progress continues to be gauged on the basis of per capita income. This criterion does not reflect economic, social and ecological characteristics of middle-income countries.

“Belarus hopes that a high-level meeting for in-depth discussion of these issues, which the UN General Assembly plans to convene in the near future, will give impetus to specific measures in the area,” the minister said.