MINSK, 13 October (BelTA) - Permanent Representative of the Republic of Belarus to the United Nations Office at Geneva Larisa Belskaya spoke at the 73rd session of the UNHCR Executive Committee, BelTA learned from the Belarusian Office in Geneva.
“Belarus highly appreciates the efforts and contribution of UNHCR to the joint international work on ensuring the rights of refugees and protecting people who find themselves in an extremely vulnerable situation. Unfortunately, the current situation in many regions of the world does not help reduce the number of people who are forced to move across international borders, fearing for their lives and in search of adequate living conditions and the future of their children. The reasons for this are wars and conflicts, natural disasters and climate change, and the deepening inequality between the global South and North,” Larisa Belskaya said.
According to Larisa Belskaya, all this not only impedes sustainable development but also forces large numbers of people to leave their countries and their homes.
“Without addressing the root causes, we will never solve the problem of refugees. This is why for more than five years Belarus has been promoting the initiative of a global dialogue on security, in which countries and, above all, the great powers could agree to build constructive international relations,” the Belarusian permanent representative said.
Larisa Belskaya stressed that the global deterioration of the food security situation, especially in developing countries, is a factor that causes a growing number of refugees. The policy of sanctions, which is increasingly used as a political instrument of interstate relations by a number of developed countries, also has a negative impact on food security issues.
The unilateral termination, for political reasons, of years-long effective cooperation between the relevant agencies of the neighboring countries also does not help solve the problems of refugees.
