The Government representatives and the UN agencies in Belarus participated today in the meeting of the Council for Sustainable Development in Minsk to discuss the draft version of the ninth periodic report of the Republic of Belarus on the implementation at the national level of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Yury Ambrazevich, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus and Joanna Kazana-Wisniowiecki, the UN Resident Coordinator addressed the Council with welcoming remarks. Elimination of discrimination against women is one of the United Nations’ strategic priorities. Growing gender inequalities as the result of COVID-19 consequences, economic and security crises and nature disasters are aggravating the women’s rights worldwide. Speaking at the meeting, the UN Resident Coordinator in Belarus emphasized that Gender Equitable Society is one of the four pillars of the agreed UN-Belarus Cooperation Framework for 2021-2025.   Joanna Kazana-Wisniowiecki underlined that Belarus ranks 36th among 146 countries in the Global Gender Gap Index and achieved good progress on gender equality. The UN country team welcomes initiatives undertaken by Belarus to address domestic violence and human trafficking, promote gender equality and other rights of women enshrined in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, along with improvements made related to the increased availability of the gender-disaggregated data.  To achieve a fully gender-equitable society, UN calls for focusing on four strategic areas of priority.  Expanding further women’s economic opportunities, balancing home and care responsibilities,  strengthening the system to address gender-based violence and  combating gender stereotypes --  such change will accelerate the process towards equality in Belarus.  “These goals can be achieved by removing a number of systemic bottlenecks preventing the further promotion of gender equality in Belarus.The lack of specific legislation on domestic violence, the lack of legal definition of discrimination; challenges with enforcement of laws and by-laws; relatively weak capacity of existing institutions dealing with gender equality issues are some of the priority concerns”, the UN Resident Coordinator in Belarus said.  The UN Representative added also that the continuing absence of CSOs and women activists specialising in the area of women’s rights creates a serious capacity gap to address the needs of vulnerable women and families. United Nations agencies act as key partners supporting implementation of the National Action Plan to Ensure Gender Equality in the Republic of Belarus for 2021-2025. The UN system in Belarus implements a range of programmes on introduction of gender responsive budgeting and helps collect disaggregated data on  gender impact of domestic policies and programmes.  The programmes give particular attention to the needs of elderly women and men of 65+. Policy advice and capacity support is offered to institutions working with gender-based violence.     Head of UNFPA Office in Belarus Olga Atroshchanka in her speech broached the subject of gender stereotypes in the society that prevent men from being fully involved in taking care for their families and children. She also noted that the importance of crisis centres for people experiencing hardship, however in the last two years a range of services of family violence prevention and victim assistance has decreased as a result of significantly reduced number of non-governmental organizations acting in this field.  Unfortunately, the national helpline that had been providing free counselling services over the years for people suffering from any types of violence, no longer works.  The head of UNFPA Office also pointed out the articles in the Criminal Code that criminalize HIV transmission; and women are the ones who suffer most from these articles.  Application of these articles involves criminal prosecution of HIV transmission and often entails manipulations, intimidation and violence against HIV-positive women from their male partners.  According to Olga Atroshchanka, a system approach is needed to address this problem using the expertise of governmental, non-governmental and international organizations. Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP in Belarus Armen Martirosyan informed the Council members on the progress of implementation of the project aimed at supporting the National Strategy for Sustainable Development of the Republic of Belarus for the period up to 2035 and 2030 Agenda. The project, funded by the Russian Federation, with a total budget of three million US dollars is being jointly implemented by the UN Development Program, United Nations Children's Fund, UN Population Fund, World Health Organization. In partnership with the Belarusian Ministry of Economy, the project will support regional executive committees and local communities to develop local sustainable development strategies.  Educational programs for sustainable development will also be developed and implemented as well as an awareness campaign to promote sustainable development principles and ideas on both national and regional levels. The Council for Sustainable Development headed by the National Coordinator for Achievement of Sustainable Development Goals is an advisory body that unites the representatives of 38 governmental organizations, parliamentary group, non-governmental associations and SDG Youth Ambassadors as well as the UN Country Team in Belarus.  

Every year, on 1 December, the world commemorates World AIDS Day. People around the world unite to show support for people living with and affected by HIV and to remember those who lost their lives to AIDS. The inequalities which perpetuate the AIDS pandemic are not inevitable; we can tackle them.The “Equalize” slogan is a call to action. It is a prompt for all of us to work for the proven practical actions needed to address inequalities and help end AIDS. To mark the Day the two-day conference "Health and well-being of people living with HIV and people vulnerable to HIV in today's challenges" organized jointly by UNAIDS and UNDP in Belarus opened in Minsk. Speaking at the opening of the conference the UN Resident Coordinator in Belarus Joanna Kazana-Wisniowiecki noted that for many years, Belarus has been one of the champions in the region in implementing evidence-based WHO recommendations, including “Treat all” policy, HIV self-testing, harm reduction programmes (including opioid-substitution therapy and needle exchange programme). “In Belarus, the Joint UN team on HIV/AIDS and all its members – UNAIDS, WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, UNODC, UNDP, UNHCR and others - have always been and will remain reliable partners for both governmental and non-governmental institutions in Belarus, in order to maximize the impact of national efforts on the HIV epidemic”, said Joanna Kazana-Wisniowiecki Just during the last year, the UN agencies have supported the implementation of the Global Fund grant in Belarus, including the procurement of ARV medicines and tests and presented the Assessment of the National Drug Policy of Belarus with concrete recommendations and the HIV legal environment assessment. «We provided capacity building and trainings for healthcare workers, representatives of civil society and communities, Ministry of Interior, and social workers. An example of evidence- and scientific-based approach to “knowing your epidemic” principle of UNAIDS, is the IOM nation-wide quantitative and qualitative research on migrant health, including risks and vulnerabilities to HIV. One of the most important achievements of Belarus in terms of HIV response was receiving in 2016 a prestigious WHO certificate confirming the validation of elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis.   Belarus has become one of the first, and still few countries, to receive this certificate”, the UN Resident Coordinator in Belarus said.
The UN Resident Coordinator underlined that in order to maintain the status confirmed by WHO, Belarus has to implement one of Global Validation Committee’s recommendations, which is to remove disease-specific articles 157 and 158 of the criminal code regarding HIV and STIs exposure and transmission.  To date, 87% of people living with HIV in Belarus are receiving antiretroviral therapy. Thanks to the availability of effective antiretroviral therapy, HIV is now a chronic disease, not a fatal one. Attracting attention to the problem, reliably informing the population about the main prevention measures and diagnostic methods, as well as creating a social environment that excludes stigma and discrimination in relation to the topic of HIV/AIDS, help to reverse the HIV epidemic. The full text of the speech is available here.

Top managers of the Belarusian business and HR, PR, ESG and CSR experts focused on the issues of corporate sustainability and social responsibility of businesses. Speakers at the Forum once again highlighted the importance and timeliness of the agenda. The United Nations Resident Coordinator in Belarus, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Minister of Finance, Chairman of the BSB Bank Management Board and Chairman of the Coordination Board of the UN Global Compact Network Belarus addressed the Forum participants with welcoming remarks. As part of the Forum, businesses shared their best practices in development of sustainable products and services and experience in ESG-transformation: over 20 Belarusian companies made case-study presentations. Current UN system partnerships with private sector include, for example, a joint initiative implemented by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Belarus and Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) company  aimed at preventing online bullying among children and teenagers and promoting free tools that provide help: a 24-hour hotline and online psychological counseling. SoftTeco company joined the initiative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) aimed at creating enabling environment for parent employees and launched a web application for Red Cross volunteers called “Volunteers in Action.” "The United Nations in Belarus always join forces with private sector to support initiatives and partnerships aimed at achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, and to support international platforms and national events for exchange of experience and best practices in the area of corporate social responsibility," Joanna Kazana-Wisniowecki, UN Resident Coordinator in Belarus said, noting that business can and should act as the driving force in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals at both global and national levels, because it provides economic sustainability and generates positive changes in social, economic and environmental areas. The UN Resident Coordinator congratulated the UN Global Compact Network Belarus participants on its 15th anniversary and highlighted its great potential for further development of cooperation and partnership with responsible businesses in Belarus.  The United Nations in Belarus was the originator of the Global Compact National Network in 2007. Globally, the UN Global Compact is currently the largest corporate social responsibility initiative in the world with over 20,000 participating companies from 179 countries.  There are 28 participants in the Global Compact Network Belarus. The activities of the UN Global Compact participants are based on the concept of sustainable development, which combines three major areas: economic, social and environmental. In their daily work, participating organizations implement projects aimed at achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and 10 principles of the UN Global Compact. Ten principles of the UN Global Compact in the area of human rights, labour relations, environmental protection and anti-corruption efforts are based on Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (1998), Rio Declaration on Environment and Development  (1992) and UN Convention against Corruption (2003). Video "UN Global Compact Network in Belarus: Business to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals"

The UN in Belarus supported the process of national consultations in preparation for the Summit.  Under the leadership of the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator and UNICEF in Belarus, focus group discussions and national round table were held in August in preparation for the Transforming Education Summit.  As a result of engagement with the children, students, teachers, parents and government officials, the following priorities for transforming education in Belarus were agreed: To ensure an Inclusive, Equitable, Safe and Healthy Schools: ensuring an adequate security of educational institutions, upgrading the existing PE and sports facilities, combating juvenile crime, implementing comprehensively the principle of inclusion in education that ensures equal access to education for all regardless of their individual potential and needs, enhancing capacity in the field of vocational education for people with special needs, creating a barrier-free environment, ensuring effective socialization of young people in difficult straits. Under the thematic area of action Learning and Skills for Life, Work and Sustainable Development: building students' competencies and skills needed for inventive and business activities, creating innovative products, developing brand new educational standards in line with economic and social development trends, developing innovative infrastructure of university science, improving efficiency of research activities in higher education institutions, providing career guidance counseling based on the introduction of new professions most relevant in the context of sustainable development and green economy, developing youth business activities including via support of youth start-ups and volunteer activities and intensifying efforts to identify and support gifted children and youth. To foster Digital Training and Transformation the following efforts are needed: integrating comprehensively information and communication technologies in the educational process and activities of all types of educational institutions, developing subject-specific interactive laboratories, using actively the elements of gamification for the educational process intensification, improving teachers and educators’ digital competencies; developing innovative educational digital products, upgrading computer equipment in educational institutions, establishing innovative learning classes and robotic centres in general secondary education institutions. Transforming education requires also reform of Teachers, Teaching and Teaching Profession, and namely: mainstreaming digital, psycho-pedagogical and socio-emotional skills of teachers, improving teachers’ professional training and advanced studies, building universities’ workforce capacity, rejuvenating and improving professional development of the faculty members, increasing wages for the teaching staff. On the Education Funding issue, the following priorities were identified: promoting economic independence of educational institutions, enhancing independence of educational institutions both in planning and managing budget funds, developing innovative financing and expanding fiscal space. The above outcomes of national consultations were discussed at a roundtable on Transforming Education which took place on 15 August 2022 in Minsk.  The meeting brought together Belarusian Minister of Education Andrei Ivanets, UN Resident Coordinator in Belarus Joanna Kazana-Wisniowiecki, Representative of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Belarus Tanja Radocaj, other UN agencies, representatives of the Ministry of Education, Maxim Tank Belarusian State Pedagogical University (BSPU), BSPU Coordination Centre of Education for Sustainable Development, Institute of Inclusive Education and NGOs and other educational institutions, as well as students and teachers. The roundtable participants discussed the report on “The National education system: achievements, challenges, future development.” They also reviewed the proposals and comments on the following thematic clusters: Inclusive, Equitable, Safe and Healthy Schools; Learning and Skills for Life, Work and Sustainable Development; Digital Training and Transformation; Teachers, Teaching and Teaching Profession; and Education Funding. In his speech Minister of Education Andrei Ivanets said, citing the National Strategy for Sustainable Socio-Economic Development for the period until 2030 (NSDS-2030), that the Belarusian educational system is characterized by such traits as accessibility, high standards and inclusion. "Today we see that wherever our young people live, be it a village, a small district, or a regional district centre, they should be provided with equal access to quality education. As of today, our country ranks 17th out of 163 countries by access to basic knowledge indicator in the Social Progress Global Index. The Minister of Education also emphasized the importance of inclusive education as an aspect of the Belarusian educational system. "Today, 43 thousand children with special needs will receive education in our institutions, primarily on terms of integration. This is to say that today we are nurturing a culture of inclusive society. We say that our society, teachers and youth in general are ready to accept children with special needs in their communities," said Andrei Ivanets. Speaking during the national consultations, the UN Resident Coordinator in Belarus Joanna Kazana-Wisniowiecki stressed that by convening the Summit, the UN and its member states are collectively recognizing that education is key as foundation for peace, tolerance, human rights and sustainable development. "The UN in Belarus is glad to contribute to the process of national consultations which have been advanced in over 100 countries. We hope that building on the high level of education in Belarus and on the strong focus on education in the national priorities, this national consultation will help strengthen the shared vision, commitment and alignment of action across constituencies to transform education," said the UN Resident Coordinator in Belarus. Joanna Kazana-Wisniowiecki also added that public engagement and mobilization efforts around the Summit have sought to democratize dialogue around education and to grow a global movement for education transformation. "As UN, we will continue to do our part to make sure that, in addition to education sector officials, the voice of parents, children and teachers as well as independent education experts is heard on the national and global level," she said. Speaking at the roundtable meeting, UNICEF Representative in Belarus Tanja Radocaj stressed that educational systems worldwide are in crisis because they are behind the times and change very slowly, while the reality changes much faster. "Children, who go to school today, don't know the world without the Internet, artificial intelligence and social networks," UNICEF Representative in Belarus noted. As Tanja Radocaj said, children, who have been born this year, will live in the 22nd century. "Although biologically children remain children, their perception of the world is significantly different, and they learn better and not like their parents and grandparents. Belarusian children have told us that they want and can contribute to improvement of educational process and outcomes, they can tell us what skills they need and what makes learning interesting for them. They also see gaps in teachers' education and skills," the UNICEF Representative in Belarus said. Preparations of the Republic of Belarus for the Transforming Education Summit consisted of several stages. In particular, in summer 2022 Belarus held a scientific and practical conference "Education for the Future", two online conferences with participation of parents and public discussion of education development involving adolescents and young people.  The roundtable meeting at the Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics was the final event of the national consultations in the lead up to the UN Summit that gathered together many stakeholders, including representatives of ministries, scientists, educators, the private sector, and teenagers. The UN Country Team representatives became the official partners of the National Consultations. Organization of the National Consultation process was supported by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Belarus.