Beshenkovichi Regional Executive Committee

Address: 13, Chuklaya Street,
Beshenkovichi, 211361

Phone:
8 (02131) 6-42-45

E-mail:
priemnay@beshenkovichi.gov.by

Main / News / Oblast /
2 March 2023

Belarus criticizes UN Human Rights Council: ‘Not part of the solution'

The allegedly clear-view of human rights imposed by a certain group of countries on the international community is a cause of conflict, does not serve the aims of cooperation, and is divisive, Belarusian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Yuri Ambrazevich said as he delivered a statement at the High-level segment of the 52nd session of the UN Human Rights Council on 1 March 2023.

Yuri Ambrazevich recalled that the UN Human Rights Council was created to ensure international cooperation aimed at improving the practice of applying the concept of human rights in nation states.

"The HRC, as a statuary body of the General Assembly, by definition, cannot violate the raison d'être of the United Nations. The UN Charter states that the purpose of the organization is to develop friendly relations among nations on the basis of respect for the principle of equal rights and sovereign equality of states. Does the current Human Rights Council serve this noble purpose? The objective answer is ‘no'. After all, the current discussion in the HRC clearly demonstrates not just a lack of cooperation, but antagonism between points of view regarding the degree of achievement of the documents that enshrined the concept of human rights in international politics," the diplomat said.

He agreed that in a discussion of equal participants there can be opposing views. Yet, in the absence of consensus, the position of one is still acknowledged as the only correct one, contrary to the will of the clear dissenting opinion of the minority.

"At a minimum, this situation casts doubt that the principle of equality is observed and calls into question the fairness of the entire process. Such a situation speaks volumes about the willingness of the self-declared victors to ignore the opinion of their rivals, about their readiness to put themselves above all others. Moreover, it indicates an intention to appropriate the right to the absolute truth and to present it as the general opinion using a dominant position both in the dispute and beyond it. The picture I have depicted is the situation in our Council,” the deputy minister stressed.

According to Yuri Ambrazevich, the insistence with which a certain group of countries imposes their view on the hierarchy of human rights in favor of the unconditional supremacy of individual civil and political rights and freedoms is comparable only to the religious fanaticism of the crusaders and can equate to the belief in the superiority of the Aryan nation. “Just as the crusaders fought the infidels, confident in their absolute rightness, using the sword and the spear to do so, so today some countries have appropriated the right of exclusiveness in defiance of others and are ready to pass judgment, to declare others transgressors, to demand their punishment, using the Council and the concept of human rights to do so. The fate of most crusaders was a tragic one, and the adepts of racial superiority suffered a tragic and criminal fate. Both the former and the latter were violently repelled by those who did not agree, and whom they sought to destroy,” the Belarusian diplomat said.

“The conclusion is self-evident: the allegedly clear view of human rights imposed by a certain group of countries on the international community is a cause of conflict, does not serve the aims of cooperation, and is divisive. The Human Rights Council has become not part of the solution, but part of the problem. This became especially clear when it began to expel from its ranks anyone who is not like-minded. How long will countries tolerate this? After all, the consequences of the Council's actions often have an impact on their development. The Council's decisions become a pretext for economic restrictions against states that are declared violators,” the deputy foreign minister pointed out.

belta.by