MINSK, 16 November (BelTA) – How Belarus voted on country-specific resolutions on human rights violations in the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly on 15 November became the subject of multiple speculations in mass media. The speculations have nothing in common with the real state of affairs. Dmitry Mironchik, Head of the Information Office, Press Secretary of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, made the relevant statements on 16 November to explain the practice of adopting country resolutions on human rights in the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly, BelTA has learned.
The Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman said: “By the way, there were four documents like that but they decided to slam Belarus only for the one concerning Ukraine. This is why I would like to note that Belarus' stance on Ukraine has not changed at all. We strongly believe that how human rights are discussed in the United Nations Organization has no bearing on the matter of Ukraine's territorial integrity.”
Dmitry Mironchik explained that Belarus had had an opportunity to experience the destructiveness and injustice of country resolutions firsthand and now strongly believes that country resolutions can attain nothing.
“Developed in the Cold War period, the practice is now being enforced upon the United Nations Organization by individual countries, which are bent on promoting only their own interests. It is particularly obvious in a situation when the international community has already developed a new procedure — the universal periodic review of the UN Human Rights Council,” the comment reads. “The mechanism is far from ideal but at least it relies on a constructive and professional dialogue of equals. And it has borne fruit: Belarus has twice passed the universal periodic review and together with the UN the country has worked out a national plan on human rights that takes into account recommendations of human rights agencies of the United Nations Organization.”
The Press Secretary of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs pointed out that Belarus always votes against country resolutions regardless of where they are considered — in Geneva or New York. The actions in no way represent a token of support for the countries such resolutions focus on. Instead such actions indicate the persistent rejection of the hypocritical approach to human rights, which is being enforced upon the United Nations Organization by individual countries that claim they know best.
“We have already pointed out that country resolutions are unacceptable to vote for in New York. A number of countries have expressed their support for us, including India, Indonesia, China, Russia, and other ones that represent more than half of the planet's population. We believe it is a worthy result. We will continue upholding this point of view in the future as we vote against the general idea of country resolutions and against individual country resolutions,” said the Press Secretary of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Dmitry Mironchik remarked that the point of view had been explained by Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei to his counterparts from other countries, who had asked for an explanation, including Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Pavel Klimkin. A phone conversation with Pavel Klimkin took place the day before the votes were cast.
