Only Oman, Libya, and Cuba supported Belarus in UN

The UN Human Rights Council considered Belarus’s report on May 12.

Belarus was represented by Mikhail Khvastou, the Permanent Representative of Belarus to the UN office and other international organizations at Geneva.

Representatives of democratic and authoritarian countries showed different reactions to the Belarusian report. Cuba, Libya, Iran, Oman and other states with low democracy ratings and significant human rights violations praised Belarus’s achievements and avoided criticizing the country, Euroradio reports.

For example, a representative of Cuba said the Belarusian report was beautiful and noticed “especial achievements in, for instance, universal education”. A Venezuelan representative didn’t give concrete recommendations to the Belarusian government, but called to continue its “successful social policy”.

Representatives of Canada, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria and other western democracies criticized the lack of progress in the areas of political and public rights and called on the country to secure real freedom of associations and media, free activity of NGOs, guarantee independence of the judicial branch, impose moratorium on the capital punishment, sign the Convention on Enforced Disappearances.

The Council is expected to adopt the final report on Belarus on May 14.