Recently, Roma was embarrassed to communicate live: it was comfortable only in the online space. Dasha was stressed because of her new environment: would she be able to find a common language with classmates and teachers after transferring to another school? Zakhar was worried about failed romantic relationships. Young people did not go into shell, but began to look for a way to cope with their worries. At first, they found like-minded people and support in Minsk Gymnasium No. 56 at the elective class “My psychological well-being and helping my peers in a crisis situation”. And then they offered their own solution to their peers on how to cope with psychological problems.The students took part in the Republican training on UPSHIFT social design and developed a project on psychological help for their peers. The training was implemented by the Institute of Psychology of the Belarusian State Pedagogical University in cooperation with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Belarus. The teenagers have developed the SUNLITE mobile application for their peers, which develops communication skills, helps to find like-minded people and contains useful information on how to take care of one's mental health, cope with anxiety and stress. In addition, the team is confident that the active use of their product will increase the level of emotional comfort in the gymnasium.At its core, the SUNLITE app is similar to Tinder. The difference is that in SUNLITE you need to provide more information about yourself so that the search for new acquaintances is more accurate, while communication itself takes place in messengers. The design of the application is almost complete, now its "logic" is being finalised, the search and verification of the content is underway – information of articles and cases. It is planned to launch SUNLITE for testing in mid–May, and in June it will be finalised based on the results. As soon as it is ready, a “mass” launch for gymnasium students will take place.The teenagers determined the topic of the project together and quickly, and the form of its implementation became an ambitious goal and a challenge. And although the result was a joint brainchild, each participant had their own role here: Dasha searched for and processed information, Arina drew illustrations, Tanya and Zakhar thought through the structure, compiled questionnaires, prepared a presentation, Roma wrote the code. But such features of the application as “Trouble Killer" are a team effort. They presented and defended the project together, so the victory is shared."This team immediately attracted our attention," the organisers of the UPSHIFT training say, "They are open, definitely on the same wavelength, united, prepared and deeply immersed in the topic. That is why, probably, their victory is in many ways natural." We got to know the team better. Dasha, Arina, Tanya, Roma and Zakhar have been attending the school elective class “My psychological well-being and helping my peers in a crisis situation” together for a long time and are really like-minded people; they are friends.Roma, a student of the 11th grade, plans to become a programmer and is preparing to enter the Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectonics; he will be responsible for technical implementation and maintenance of SUNLITE. The topic of the project is clear and close to him, as he understands well from personal experience its relevance to life situations. “At some point, I began to feel uncomfortable in live communication. For example, it was not easy for me to even ask a passer-by where the nearest transport stop was, not to mention building relationships with my peers,” the teenager says. He considers one of the reasons for this situation to be the active digitalisation of society, as he, like most of his peers, spends a lot of time in virtual space.“And this environment is mostly impersonal, you don't see the real reactions of a person, you don't know the broader context in which communication takes place, there are more chances to get some flack in a concentrated form," Roma explains, ”Hence the shyness and fear of communicating in person, getting to know someone, and sharing your experiences and ideas out loud." And since electronic devices are a more comfortable environment for teenagers, we needed a project that would help them to use devices for good purposes, would give them useful information on the topic in an accessible form, would help them to start socialising, finding friends of interest and, perhaps, would motivate them to go offline. Roma sincerely believes that the ability to communicate allows people to avoid many problems and cope with anxiety and stress much easier. Zakhar is Roma's classmate. The future manager agrees with a friend. Moreover, he is sure that both a parent and a psychologist can help a teenager resolve his doubts, suggest the right path in a given situation; it depends on the essence of the issue and trust. “It is a mistake to think that you should approach a psychologist only with problems. You can just discuss a topic of concern. This will allow you to hear a second opinion, to see a solution that did not come to mind before. And all that has been said  will stay within the office.” In addition, with understanding one's own actions comes understanding of other people's behavior and circumstances. When asked "What do his peers care about?",Zakhar jokingly replies, “There are three Horsemen of the teenage “Apocalypse”: relationships with parents, love and inability to socialise. Oh, yes, and study, probably. There are four of them then” (smiles). He approached a school psychologist himself with his worries about a failed romantic relationship.  And this conversation with a specialist was the beginning of their confidential communication and the young man's more conscious interest in the subject of psychology. He began to attend the elective class and actively participate in team project work. And, of course, he made new friends here, including Arina, Dasha and Tanya schoolgirls of the 10th grade.Experts of the Republican Center for Psychological Assistance of the Belarusian State Pedagogical University together with UNICEF in Belarus launched the talk2ok.byonline platform, with the help of which teenagers and young people can receive qualified psychological assistance for free and confidentially in the form of online consultations in the format of audio and video chats, which is comfortable for modern teenagers. Peer consultants work on the platform as well. Dasha is an adept of exact sciences and a systematic approach, so collecting the necessary and useful information and case studies for the project became her task. The relevance of SUNLITE was not in doubt, because this academic year the girl was experiencing serious stress when she transferred from an ordinary school to a gymnasium. Everything is new and unfamiliar: teachers, classmates, the level of requirements, and also her own high standards of academic performance. Of course, her parents supported her at home, but at school, among her peers, anxiety and tension were increasing. As a result, grades deteriorated even in her favorite subjects, and the mood was depressed. Having realised that she could not cope on her own, and the support of her parents was not enough, Dasha approached a school psychologist, trusted and believed them. The guys from the elective class and useful information that she received at the training helped a lot. Everything gradually got better; she made friends, improved her grades, a new school day ceased to be a struggle. “It is important not to romanticise or ignore your anxiety or negative state, not to be afraid to seek help, including qualified one. This is a manifestation of caring for your mental health,” Dasha claims.Arina recently turned 16. The girl is passionate about drawing and considers this activity one of the best ways to express her feelings, worries, and dreams. This is how she worked out her stress, which was due to the fact that her classmates did not accept her immediately; it was uncomfortable and lonely at school until she came to the elective class on psychological well-being. The request was specific – to stop blaming herself for not fitting into the mainstream, and learn to praise herself for big and small victories. “A lonely, unhappy person with complexes does not live life to the fullest, they do not have energy, they project their condition onto others, therefore, relationships and health, including mental health, are always at risk,” Arina believes.”And since many adult problems are untreated childhood traumas and resentments, it is necessary to deal with them right in the moment." In her opinion, the source of resentment, anxiety, and fears may be misunderstanding with parents or peers, the attitude of a teacher, uncertainty about the future due to the difficulty of choosing a profession, inability to communicate, share or ask for help in time. “So our team's project should help teenagers overcome barriers related to communication, as well as suggest how to properly assess their condition, remind them of the importance of psychological well–being; and the tool for this is always at hand, in a mobile phone application,” Arina sums up a kind of conclusion. Tanya, you can say, is an enthusiast of psychology, as she has been interested in it for a long time and wants to connect her life with this science, so she began to attend the elective class one of the first. Outside of the gymnasium, she devotes a lot of her time to sports (she is engaged in women's football) and her family, where there are four children together with Tanya. I ask if she agrees with the opinion that most of those who want to connect their lives with psychology, first of all, want to understand themselves and their problems.Tanya nods in agreement. Then I ask a direct question, “Are you one of them?” “Yes," the girl answers honestly, "For example, I have always been empathetic, and I literally perceived someone else's pain as my own, i.e. I am physically healthy and the next moment a teammate falls unsuccessfully and breaks her leg. And I immediately react, I feel this pain, I feel bad. One more thing: professional football for 7 years affects both your personality – it becomes hardened, and your appearance – there is no time for the usual bows and makeup. You start to differ from your peers and, unfortunately, often if you are not like everyone else, then you are either in conflict with others, or you just find yourself overboard, alone.” Tanya was lucky with both her family and her teammates, so the situation in the classroom did not become traumatic, although it was unpleasant. To help herself cope with the pressure, the girl began to read books on psychology, and then signed up for the elective class. Tanya considers the first step to self-help for a teenager who is anxious, confused, scared, stressed to be an honest admission to oneself that there is a problem, and the second step is the willingness to share it with parents or a psychologist.  She has taken these steps and continues to work with herself, while the head of the elective class guides and helps her. The support also comes from her teammates, with whom they created the project for UPSHIFT together.For reference.UPSHIFT is a methodology that teaches teenagers to identify, study and understand problems in local communities, and then create effective project solutions in the form of products, digital solutions or services. It also helps to develop social innovation and entrepreneurial thinking skills, including communication skills, problem solving, critical thinking, financial literacy, and budgeting. Such a program has been implemented in Belarus since 2019, and this year it was devoted to the topic of psychological well-being.    

In 2023, the Joint Project implemented by UN agencies in Belarus under coordination of the UN Resident Coordinator in the Republic of Belarus in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus and other government bodies and organizations under the general management of the National Coordinator for Achieving the SDGs and with financial support from the Russian Federation has started. The Joint Project provided four meetings of the Council for Sustainable Development, which were dedicated to the topics of education for sustainable development, integration of people with disabilities into the active life of society, progress in achieving the SDGs in the Republic of Belarus and the work of the UN system in the Republic of Belarus, with expert and technical assistance. In addition, the Project ensured the participation of representatives of government bodies of the Republic of Belarus in important international events, including the Summit on the Sustainable Development Goals and the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in New York. Among the important results of the Joint Project within the field of the work with youth is assistance to the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus in holding the competition “Youth Ambassadors of the SDGs – the Future of the Planet is in Our Hands” and choosing the Youth Ambassadors of the SDGs and their Doublers of the fourth convocation. 150 young people from different regions of Belarus took part in the final of the competition. The active involvement of the younger generation in the issues of sustainable development ensures the continuity of the country’s efforts on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and is an important area of activity within the Joint Project. One of the significant topics the Project pays attention to is active longevity. This theme was at the core of the II Republican Meeting of Silver Age Volunteers, which was held with the support of the Project and brought together more than 200 participants. It is noteworthy that over the past five years the number of silver age volunteers in Belarus has doubled. The influence of demographic factors on the socio-economic development of the country as well as the measures to prevent them were the focus of a series of seminars taking place with the participation of representatives of the Russian demographic school. More than 100 representatives of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Belstat, the Academy of Sciences and the country's leading universities have increased their potential in ensuring demographic sustainability.An important aspect for achieving the SDGs is ensuring a healthy lifestyle. In this area, as part of the Project implementation in 2023, a training module on the prevention of non-communicable diseases was developed, and a series of educational videos was created to promote a healthy lifestyle. The first eight videos on healthy nutrition, physical activity, breaking bad habits and similar topics have already been published and are available for viewing via the link.In 2024, the Joint Project will continue its work in three main directions by supporting the functioning of the national institutional mechanism for managing the process of achieving the SDGs, regional development and improvement of the system for monitoring and assessing the progress towards achieving the SDGs. Thus, the Project will continue to provide support in holding meetings of the Council for Sustainable Development, which is a key element of the national institutional mechanism for managing the process of achieving the SDGs ensuring consideration of important issues of the country’s development related to the 2030 Agenda at a high level. In addition, a number of thematic events to promote the SDGs, including popularizing the ideas of sustainable development among children and youth, are planned. For instance, with the support of the Joint Project, it is planned to hold the Second Regional Forum on Sustainable Development, the International Youth SDG Forum, the republican competitions “Children about the SDGs”, “Young Friends of the SDGs”, etc. The work on dissemination of the knowledge about the SDGs will become strategic and systematic with the development of a national communication strategy to promote the SDGs in the Republic of Belarus.In the field of regional sustainable development, the work of the Joint Project will be aimed at assisting regional executive committees in developing regional strategies for sustainable development and holding the Competition of pilot initiatives on the SDGs. The Project will support the most promising local initiatives in the field of green transition to inclusive and sustainable growth, youth policy, digital transformation and social innovation, gender equality, etc.Another important component of the Joint Project is assisting statistical services in developing statistical data platforms on the SDGs and improving methods for calculating indices and indicators, such as the multidimensional poverty index. With the support of the Joint Project, it is planned to create an information center for knowledge about children and increase the capacity of Belstat employees on monitoring and assessing the progress towards achieving the SDGs.The work on the prevention of non-communicable diseases will also continue. Heads of healthcare institutions will undergo training within the framework of the developed training module. Besides, a demonstration seminar will be organized, and the most relevant topics on the prevention of non-communicable diseases and promotion of a healthy lifestyle will be covered in educational videos for the population.Additional information about the activities of the Joint Project as well as the latest news on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in Belarus can be found on the website sdgs.by.   

On 19 August 2003, as a result of a bomb attack against the UN headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq, 22 aid workers were killed, including Sergio Vieira de Mello, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General to Iraq.  After twenty years, the scope and complexity of the work have increased significantly. The UN is seeking to help almost 250 million people, which is 10 times more than in 2003. Since its inception in Belarus and to the present day, the United Nations and its  agencies have been providing humanitarian assistance to the country. From 1998 to 2004, three UN Under-Secretaries-General for Humanitarian Affairs paid working visits to Belarus. In 2002, a year before his death, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Sergio Vieira de Mello visited Belarusian areas affected by the Chernobyl accident as part of the humanitarian mission. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN in Belarus developed its COVID-19 Socio-Economic Response Plan and together with WHO launched a comprehensive response to the unprecedented health, humanitarian and development challenges. UNHCR provides support through humanitarian assistance, social services and legal advice, monitoring the situation and addressing other basic needs of forcibly displaced and stateless persons. Together with partners, UNHCR supported initiatives projects to build the necessary infrastructure, such as a crisis centre in Grodno and Gomel. Being a part of the UN humanitarian team, UNFPA introduced in the country global practice ‘Orange Safe Spaces’ as a key strategy for the protection and empowerment of vulnerable people, especially affected by humanitarian crises. These Orange Safe Spaces offer women and girls, as well as older people and people with disabilities immediate support, information on existing services, provide counseling and serve as an entry point for gender-based violence and referral on health and other issues. UNFPA continues to strengthen its internal mechanisms and support system-wide efforts and access by analysis of different needs based on gender, age, disability, etc., while maintaining impartiality in the ways assistance is provided. Humanitarian aid efforts continue to be central to UNICEF. UNICEF’s humanitarian migrant and refugee response in Belarus is built on the principles of neutrality, impartiality, and independence, and in line with core commitments for children in emergencies. The organization continues to strengthen partnerships that allow better responding to the needs of vulnerable children. IOM in Belarus provides humanitarian assistance to migrants, including food and non-foods, healthcare and legal advice, and offers voluntary and safe return to the countries of origin. On World Humanitarian Day, the UN in Belarus reaffirms its commitment to humanitarian values and principles helping people for whom it works, whoever they are, wherever it happens and #NoMatterWhat.  We invite you to explore how UN humanitarian professionals and UN partners in Belarus reflect about their assistance to people in need. "I was born in Syria. I came to Belarus to acquire a medical education. The first months, of course, were very difficult for me, many things were impossible to understand. Soon I received additional protection and a labour permit in Belarus, so I studied during the day and worked part-time at night. I started working with IOM during the migration crisis, working with migrants at the logistics centre in Bruzgi, asking about their needs, bringing humanitarian aid. Now I work with refugees from Ukraine and migrants from other countries in Brest, where we have an office.I understand the needs of forced migrants very well, I know from my own experience about the difficulties with the language, integration and besides, living on a stringent budget.  For this reason, it is so important for me to help them". The COVID-19 pandemic posed humanitarian challenges for WHO, an agency focusing on technical assistance to the national healthcare system. With the spread of the Coronavirus disease in Belarus, WHO, using financial support from the European Union, delivered about 5 million units of PPE, as well as expensive equipment including medical ventilators. "Personal protective equipment for healthcare workers in a public health emergency is a true humanitarian aid, because these are critical supplies that can save the lives of those who save the lives of others". In the exacerbation period of the migration crisis at the border between Belarus and Poland, WHO delivered over a ton of humanitarian supplies to render medical assistance to refugees and migrants at the Belarus-Poland border. "Considering the complexity and urgency of the situation, the delivery was processed in a very short time. The humanitarian goods included standard emergency kits, non-communicable disease kits and COVID-19 rapid tests". "As a humanitarian professional, I am committed to protect the best interests of vulnerable children regardless of their nationality, religion, race or social status. Today my heart is with children and families affected by the decade long Syrian humanitarian crisis. My current support to the North-West Syria response programme presents new experiences, and I take pride in offering my expertise. #NoMatterWhat, I am driven by the core humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence. A child is a child in any country, in any circumstances".  "In emergencies, children go through immense distress. I work with partners to restore refugee and migrant children’s mental health and offer psycho-social support to families (MHPSS). MHPSS services not only help children but strengthen communities and connections between diverse groups of people who respond to the humanitarian crises. Whether these connections are between two Ukrainian caregivers who attend a peer-support group or between a Yemeni war veteran living in Belarus and an unaccompanied Yemeni boy far away from his family – these connections are deeply protective and preserving. These connections help regain children’s dignity, resilience, and hope. And that is the most rewarding aspect of humanitarian work I do. #NoMatterWhat, I am resilient, hopeful and determined to help children in need".  "Our work is emotionally difficult. Every day you meet people, who have been through ordeals to get to Libya. At the same time, the feeling that you are doing something really useful and can let people find safety, help cope with constant stress and find the strength to go on". "Being a UNFPA staff, I would say that it is not only about profession but about dedication I found myself in many years ago. My passion is to serve to make women and girls regardless of nationality, age and disability, enjoy a safe and dignified life despite being in risky situations. Any humanitarian crises expose huge fault lines and shadows pandemic of gender-based violence, with the most vulnerable groups in our societies suffering disproportionately. Humanitarian aid must be holistic and alongside dignity kits, assistance services and other essential commodities, we know how dramatically important it is to educate and build up people who are working at the frontlines. Continuing UNFPA critical work on prevention of GBV and abuse, we provide learning opportunities for volunteers, social workers and others who communicate and interact with refugees with focus on women, older people and people with disabilities. During these trainings, my priorities are to strengthen leadership, accountability, knowledge and practical skills across the humanitarian network and equip humanitarian workers with the necessary baseline knowledge and skills to adequately and effectively prevent and respond to GBV and provide gender-sensitive services and referral for GBV survivors". "Going through emergencies, women and girls always are the most vulnerable and, very often, most responsible for taking decisions, safeguarding kids or older relatives. Many women leave their homes being pregnant and very often having more children to take care and protect during fleeing to safety. When they arrive, they need all kinds of support and assistance, including medical services. UNFPA supports a referral system to provide necessary medical consultations and services for those refugees who need it – for pregnant women and all women and girls, and older people, and people with disabilities. Working for many years as a humanitarian aid worker, I see how people need a safe space and how we can help them to get settled to have some rest and strength. To be more focused and relevant, UNFPA works according to individual needs’ assessment, particularly, for medical and social care,temporary shelter, food and hygienic goods. Besides, mental and psychosocial well-being is also a priority for UNFPA and it is not only about refugees. Humanitarian workers are often affected as the everyday work can be challenging and they feel burnout and stress. That is why we are providing psychosocial counselling both to refugees and aid workers giving them knowledge, support techniques and tools to manage their stress".

Valery Belsky, the National SDG Coordinator, and Erol Arduç, the UN Resident Coordinator a.i in Belarus welcomed the meeting participants from ministries, the Parliament, regional executive committees, educational institutions, nongovernmental organizations, and UN agencies. The UN Resident Coordinator a.i stressed that the meeting of the Council for Sustainable Development bears a particular importance as the world is preparing for the upcoming SDG Summit scheduled for September 2023 in New York and the world needs the SDG Summit to send a clear message from world leaders through a strong political declaration. The UN Resident Coordinator a.i underlined that in 2022, the United Nations in Belarus continued to be committed to advancing the SDGs and the strategic priorities that were agreed with national partners. “We continued to focus on four key crosscutting strategic priorities: green transition for inclusive and sustainable growth, future generations orientation, digital transformation and social innovation, and gender equitable society”, said the UN Resident Coordinator a.i. Throughout the year, the UN in Belarus promoted a green transition and climate action, allowing Belarus to make new commitments to reduce CO2 emissions from 28 to 35 percent by 2030. The UN system organizations also collaborated to empower young people in areas such as education, health, social protection and employment opportunities. Active steps were taken towards a safe and inclusive digital transformation, as well as building a gender-equitable society. The United Nations, in collaboration with national partners, actively worked towards safeguarding the progress made towards the achievement of the SDGs amidst turbulent time: recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic, mixed migration crisis, and the conflict in Ukraine. In his address, Erol Arduç underlined that despite another year of increased volatility and decline in funding, the United Nations in Belarus remains committed to deliver results for the sustainable development of the country, in line with national priorities, in accordance with the mandates, strengths, and expertise of each of the UN entities. At the same time, given the challenging environment, it is becoming increasingly necessary to maintain and accelerate the progress already made towards achieving the SDGs and that is why the UN Secretary-General encourages Member States to put forward commitments on national and global levels. “On a national level, Member States are encouraged to outline a forward-looking National Commitment to SDG Transformation – every government is urged to come to the SDG Summit with clear policies, investment plans and partnerships to strengthen action in their countries to 2030”, said the UN Resident Coordinator a.i in Belarus, expressing the hope that Belarus will put forward its national commitments to achieve the SDGs at the SDG Summit and noting the readiness of the UN in Belarus to support its national partners in this work.  As part of the meeting of the Council for Sustainable Development, following the opening remarks of the Resident Coordinator a.i., a briefing session and interactive discussion involving heads of the UN agencies and experts on the results of the work of the UN in Belarus in 2022 was conducted. Alexandra Solovieva, UNDP Resident Representative in Belarus, focused on UN’s work in helping Belarus with the transition to green economy for inclusive and sustainable growth. In her address she noted that the sheer scale of resources, including financial, required to move toward a green economy may represent a particular challenge. This prompts us to search for new approaches and solutions, to join our efforts to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs, following the key principle of the 2030 Agenda "Leave no one behind". The presentation of the concrete results of the UN’s work on introduction of environmental solutions in entrepreneurship, agriculture, gender equality and support to vulnerable groups showcased the critical role of green economy for local economic growth, job creation, and social and gender equality. A green economy has to be attained by efforts at all levels of society, including private sector and financial institutions, as well as by new knowledge, partnerships, innovations, and financing. When presenting on future generations: adolescence and youth, Rustam Haydarov, UNICEF Representative in Belarus, highlighted the UN’s support to the national partners on measuring child-oriented government spending; education, including transformative skills and inclusive education; as well as healthcare, and psychological wellbeing. Cyber safety, creating and maintaining a safe and enabling environment, combating human trafficking, and support to refugees and migrants were discussed as well. “Continued investment in children, adolescents and young people by the Government of Belarus is key for the achievement of SDGs. Children and youth already take active part in shaping equitable future through sharing their ideas, participation, volunteerism, and building their skills to embrace emerging opportunities and stay resilient to challenges,” said UNICEF Representative Rustam Haydarov. As the result of the joint work of  UN agencies, it is expected that by the year 2025, adolescents, youth, families with children and vulnerable groups will lead safer and healthy lifestyle and have better access to inclusive and quality healthcare services, provided in a gender-sensitive manner; inclusive education, education, focused on the needs of the labor market; strengthened  system of social protection, more widespread use of restorative approaches to justice and opportunities to build resilience of families to shocks. In his review of the UN’s work in digital transformation and social innovations Armen Martirosyan, the UNDP’s Deputy Resident Representative in Belarus, mentioned that UN activities to advance digitalization aim to ensure that digitalization is accessible to all, increasing people's opportunities and well-being, while mitigating cybersecurity and data privacy risks. The review spotlighted the agencies’ contributions to the development of digital solutions for vulnerable groups to facilitate access to services, address the issue of asylum and statelessness, ensure equal access to and safety of Internet technologies. UN worked with national and local partners to advance digital and green technologies for smart small towns development, design digital solutions for hazardous waste management. The focus was also done on the results in fostering education and training of women and girls in information and digital technologies, including women entrepreneurs and girls in STEM. Olga Atroshchanka, Head of UNFPA Office in Belarus, presented the results of UN activities in Belarus aimed at the achievement of gender equitable society.  The work of the UN in Belarus in this area was focused on addressing gender stereotypes and gender-based violence, improving the system for obtaining and use of official data on population dynamics, age and gender sensitive budgeting that takes into account implementation of the SDGs and  prioritizes vulnerable groups, gender mainstreaming, including strengthening the role of women entrepreneurs and support for gender equality and the capacity of the national statistical system for the collection, analysis and dissemination demographic data. By 2025, thanks to improved mechanisms data collection, implementation of policies to ensure gender equality and the introduction of child and gender budgeting, conditions will be created in order to men and women of all ages, including aged 65 years and older, as well as girls and boys, could more effectively exercise their rights and improve their standard of living, including through expanding employment opportunities and improving protection against gender and domestic violence. «I am pleased to note that today, all UN agencies in Belarus apply a gender perspective when designing new programs, and integrate it into the monitoring and evaluation systems. And many country authorities and organizations do the same. Applying age sensitive gender perspective at the planning level means that we understand gender inequalities – different groups of women and men in different ages have different needs, different access to resources and services, and different opportunities and challenges. Thus, we enable women’s and men’s needs and aspirations to be visible and to be addressed considering them during the implementation of a policy, programme or project, and achieving better results for a better future for all», said Olga Atroshchanka Violetta Volkova, Officer-in-Charge, IOM Belarus, highlighted the UN measures taken in response to the migration crisis at the Belarus-EU borders. She mentioned that IOM Belarus assessed needs of migrants who were accommodated at the transport logistics center "Bruzgi", and following the centre closure conducted an assessment of profiles, movement patterns, intentions and needs of migrants in vulnerable situations. Food and non-food items were supplied to the migrants until the closure of the centre. Afterwards, IOM continued to provide targeted protection-centered humanitarian assistance through its field offices represented in all regions of the country. In 2022, with the support of IOM, a record number of 725 migrants voluntarily returned to their countries of origin based on an informed consent and provided the conditions for return in home countries were safe and conducive. “We are committed to further protect and fulfil the rights of all migrants, regardless of their migration status, at all stages of their journey.” The UN Belarus Annual Report for 2022 is available at the Publications section of the UN  Belarus web site.