Civil society organisations call for the immediate operationalisation of UN Human Rights Council’s new mandate on Belarus

  • by EECA
  • 24 March 2021

We urge the international community to support this critical next step. We, the 63 undersigned Belarusian and international human rights organisations, welcome the resolution passed by the UN Human Rights Council mandating the High Commissioner to create a new robust monitoring and reporting mandate focused on accountability for human rights violations in Belarus that have taken place since 1 May 2020. In so doing, the Council demonstrated its determination to hold Belarusian authorities to account. This mandate needs immediate action. We urge the international community to support this critical next step.

The establishment of the High Commissioner’s new mandate is a response to the serious and escalating human rights violations taking place in Belarus and surrounding the August 2020 presidential elections. The mandate should provide a complementary and expert international mechanism to regional accountability processes already under way.

Furthermore, it should assist in the identification of those responsible for the most serious violations for future prosecution. With the mounting human rights crisis in Belarus, the Council’s action today is timely. It will require ongoing assistance and systematic follow-up by Human Rights Council members and the Office of the High Commissioner.

In order for this new accountability mandate to meaningfully and substantively address the human rights crisis in Belarus, it is critical that the Office of the High Commissioner receives the assistance it will need to:

1. Ensure that this new mandate is sufficiently funded.

2. Appoint credible international experts with sufficient experience and expertise, including in international criminal law to fully and completely examine all alleged human rights violations committed in Belarus since 1 May 2020.

3. Operationalise the mandate with the requisite investigators, forensic experts, gender
specialists, and legal analysts.

4. Provide a sufficient operational window for the mandate.

5. Report immediately and publicly to the Council on non-cooperation by the Belarusian
authorities in the accountability mandate’s work.

6. Commit to sharing advanced copies of its interim oral report and comprehensive written report with Belarusian, regional, and international civil society in the same manner and at the same time it is shared with member States and Belarusian authorities.

This is an important moment for the United Nations. The Belarusian people demand accountability for past and on-going human rights violations. Member States and the Office of the High Commissioner must ensure that this new mandate meets these demands.

Co-signatories:

  1. Agir ensemble pour les droits humains
  2. ARTICLE 19 United Kingdom
  3. Assoiation UMDPL, member of Educational Human Rights House
  4. Chernihiv
  5. Ukraine
  6. B.a.B.e. Budi aktivna.Budi emancipiran., member of Human Rights
  7. House Zagreb
  8. Croatia
  9. Barys Zvozskau Belarusian Human Rights House Belarus
  10. Belarusian Helsinki Committee, member of Barys Zvozskau Belarusian
  11. Human Rights House
  12. Belarus
  13. Bir Duino Kyrgyzstan /FIDH Kyrgyzstan
  14. CCE "Almenda", member of Human Rights House Crimea Ukraine
  15. Center for Civil Liberties Ukraine
  16. Centre for Peace Studies, member of Human Rights House Zagreb Croatia
  17. Centre for the Development of Democracy and Human Rights Russian Federation
  18. CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation South Africa
  19. Civil Society and Freedom of Speech Initiative Center for the Caucasus Russian Federation
  20. CROSOL - Croatian Platform for International Citizen Solidarity,
  21. member of Human Rights House Zagreb
  22. Croatia
  23. DefendDefenders (East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders
  24. Project)
  25. Uganda
  26. DRA (Deutsch-Russischer Austausch) Germany
  27. DRA (Deutsch-Russischer Austausch) Germany
  28. ECPM (Together Against the Death Penalty) France
  29. Educational Human Rights House - Chernihiv Ukraine
  30. Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Center, member of Human
  31. Rights House Azerbaijan
  32. Azerbaijan
  33. FIDH France
  34. Foundation of Regional Initiatives Ukraine
  35. Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor Armenia
  36. Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights Poland
  37. Human Rights Center of Azerbaijan Azerbaijan
  38. Human Rights House Foundation International
  39. Human Rights House Yerevan, member of Human Rights House
  40. Yerevan
  41. Armenia
  42. Human Rights House Zagreb Croatia
  43. Human Rights Monitoring Institute Lithuania
  44. Human Rights Watch International
  45. humanrights.ch Switzerland
  46. International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) United Kingdom
  47. International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) Switzerland
  48. Kharkiv Regional Foundation "Public Alternative" Ukraine
  49. La Strada International Netherlands
  50. Legal Initiative, member of Barys Zvozskau Belarusian Human Rights
  51. House
  52. Belarus
  53. Legal policy research centre Kazakhstan
  54. Libereco - Partnership for Human Rights Germany
  55. Media Institute, member of Human Rights House Tbilisi Georgia
  56. Mental Health and Human Rights Info Norway
  57. Netherlands Helsinki Committee Netherlands
  58. NGO MART , member of Educational Human Rights House Chernihiv Ukraine
  59. Norwegian Helsinki Committee Norway
  60. Paris Bar / Barreau de Paris France
  61. Pink human rights defender NGO, member of Human Rights House
  62. Yerevan
  63. Armenia
  64. Promo LEX Moldova
  65. Public Association "Dignity" Kazakhstan
  66. Public Verdict Foundation Russian Federation
  67. Rights Georgia, member of Human Rights House Tbilisi - Georgia
  68. RSF, Reporters Without Borders International
  69. Russian Research Centre for Human Rights Russian Federation - Russia
  70. SAR Europe - Ireland
  71. Southern Africa Human Rights Defenders Network Southern - Africa
  72. The Georgian Centre for Psychosocial and Medical Rehabilitation of
  73. Torture Victims - GCRT, member of Human Rights House Tbilisi - Georgia
  74. the International Centre for civil initiatives "Our House" - Belarus
  75. The Law Society of England and Wales - United Kingdom
  76. The Swedish OSCE-network signs - Sweden
  77. UNITED for Intercultural Action - Hungary
  78. Vietnam Committee on Human Rights (VCHR) - France
  79. Vostok SOS, member of Educational Human Rights House Chernihiv - Ukraine
  80. Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom International
  81. World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) - Switzerland
  82. ZMINA, member of Human Rights House Crimea - Ukraine