A/HRC/RES/17/24
United Nations
General Assembly
Distr.: General
14 July 2011
Original: English
Human Rights Council
Seventeenth session
Agenda item 4
Human rights situations that require the Council’s attention
Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council∗
17/24 Situation of human rights in Belarus
The Human Rights Council,
Guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, the
provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenants on
Human Rights and other applicable human rights instruments,
Bearing in mind paragraph 3 of General Assembly resolution 60/251 of 15 March
2006,
Reaffirming that all States have an obligation to promote and protect human rights
and fundamental freedoms and to fulfil their international obligations,
Mindful that Belarus is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights and the Optional Protocols thereto, the International Covenant on Economic, Social
and Cultural Rights, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial
Discrimination, the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading
Treatment or Punishment, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women and the Optional Protocol thereto, and the Convention on
the Rights of the Child and the Optional Protocols thereto,
Taking note of the participation of the Government of Belarus in the universal
periodic review in May 2010 as a State under review, acknowledging in this regard its
support for a large number of recommendations, and stressing the need for their full
implementation in cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner
for Human Rights,
Concerned about the presidential elections held on 19 December 2010 in Belarus,
which were marked by a lack of independence and impartiality of the election
administration, an uneven playing field and a restrictive media environment, as well as a
continuous lack of transparency at key stages of the electoral process,
∗
The resolutions and decisions adopted by the Human Rights Council will be contained in the report of
the Council on its seventeenth session (A/HRC/17/2), chap. I.
GE.11- 14793