Event at the UN Office at Geneva to mark the International Day against Unilateral Coercive Measures.

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Event at the UN Office at Geneva to mark the International Day against Unilateral Coercive Measures.

On December 4, 2025 the Permanent Representative of Belarus to Geneva, Larysa Belskaya, took part in a Special Conference organised by the Group of Friends in Defence of the UN Charter at the United Nations Office at Geneva to mark the International Day of Countering Unilateral Coercive Measures. This Day is being observed for the first time in accordance with a resolution of the UN General Assembly adopted in June 2025.

Belarusian diplomat stressed that Belarus, like the majority of the international community, is convinced that unilateral coercive measures run counter to international law and the UN Charter and undermine inter-state cooperation based on respect for sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs.

Sanctions are generally imposed by Western states to advance the political and economic interests of their elites, who extensively use unilateral coercive measures as a weapon against sovereign states, disregarding their negative consequences for human rights, as well as for the global economy, trade, and sustainable development.

The Belarusian diplomat welcomed the work of Alena Douhan, the Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights. Thanks to the Special Rapporteur's efforts, an extensive body of evidence has been collected documenting the destructive impact of sanctions on human rights, including fundamental rights to life, health, education and many others.

Larysa Belskaya called on participants to contribute to the effective monitoring and assessment of the impact of unilateral coercive measures on human rights and to actively oppose unlawful sanction policies.

The Permanent Representative of Belarus underscored the importance of the international community's decision to establish the International Day of Countering Sanctions as a step towards the complete abandonment of their use in international relations.

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