Resolution of the National CSF Conference "Roadmap of the Eastern Partnership for Belarus”

                                                     National Civil Society Forum

                Resolution of the Conference "Roadmap of the Eastern Partnership for Belarus”

                                                          Minsk, 5-6 July, 2010

Resolution text in PDF

 We, representatives of Belarus’ civil society, participants in the Conference of the National Civil Society Forum "Roadmap of the Eastern Partnership for Belarus"

• regard the Eastern Partnership (EaP) initiative at this stage as the main mechanism for six post-Soviet countries’ integration into Pan-European processes;

• recognise a special importance of the Eastern Partnership for Belarus, which is not a member of the Council of Europe and is poorly integrated into most European processes (from strategic cooperation on defence and security issues to the freedom of movement and contacts between people);

• consider Belarusian State and government’s actions and measures within this initiative as insufficient;

• reiterate our interest in the active participation of civil society in the Eastern Partnership initiative within the framework of the Civil Society Forum, which is the main catalyst and instrument of promoting europeanisation and democratisation of Belarus.

The Conference participants acknowledged the successful and efficient work of the Belarusian delegation at the First EaP Civil Society Forum in Brussels in 2009 and discussed the aims and objectives of the delegation at the Second Forum in Berlin in 2010.

As an immediate objective of the development of the Civil Society Forum we are seeking to create mechanisms for including civil society in the process of laying out the Eastern Partnership “road map”. This mechanism should be set up as programme monitoring, i.e. as organisation and public presentation of the general picture of the programme’s advancement based on unified criteria.

Proceeding from the results of deliberations in the four working groups that correspond to the four EaP platforms Conference participants support the following conclusions and suggestions:

with reference to platform "Democracy, human rights, good governance and stability":

1. A system of legitimate and effective local self-government should be introduced in Belarus based on the principles and norms of the European Charter of Local Self-Government.  As a primary step and in order to eliminate Belarus’ lagging behind the other Eastern Partnership member states it is proposed that: 

      1) Belarus initiates drafting of a country report on the state of local self-government; 
      2) Belarus signs and ratifies the European Charter of Local Self-Government.

2. Cooperation between state and civil society is necessary in order to enhance good governance practices. Lifting the ban on the activities of unregistered organisations is the first step in the systemic reform of the legislation. It is essential to create and support the mechanisms for participation of civil society institutions in decision-making at the national and local levels, including the provision of equal conditions for all civil society organisations, as well as creation of appropriate conditions for civil initiatives development, growth of civil society, voluntary movement and charity work.

3. It is necessary to initiate reform of the judicial system, particularly seeking to provide for effective guarantees of the independence of judges and lawyers.

4. Removal of the State monopoly on the mass media is one of the main conditions for ensuring Belarusian citizens’ constitutional right of access to information and its dissemination. It is necessary to establish mass media system in the Republic of Belarus in line with European norms and standards. With this objective in view it is proposed:

    1) to ensure equal economic opportunities for the mass media of various types of ownership;
    2) to ensure equal access to information for the citizens of the Republic of Belarus;
    3) to bring Belarusian legislation provisions on the mass media into compliance with international norms and standards;
    4) to reorganise the state-run TV and radio broadcasting system in Belarus into public television and radio.

5. To facilitate the introduction of a ban on all types and forms of discrimination particularly  based on sex, race, age, religion, social position or status, disability, political convictions by reinforcing in the law its comprehensive definition and introducing directly applicable prohibitive norms, as well as by providing effective procedural mechanisms for their implementation.

6. To call to notice the necessity to ensure legislative and practical opportunities for individual and joint profession and proliferation of religions and beliefs, including the introduction of education and training standards based on the principles of tolerance and non-discrimination.

7. To facilitate removal of the existing barriers for citizens’ mobility (such as visa barriers and other restrictions).

8. To initiate discussion of the issues of achieving gender equality, particularly by developing an effective national gender policy.

9. To facilitate the shaping of the industrial relations system in the Republic of Belarus in full compliance with ILO Convention No. 158 concerning the “Termination of Employment at the Initiative of the Employer” while preventing signing unjustified annual labour agreements (contracts).

with reference to platform "Economic integration and convergence with EU policies":

1. To promote the development of small and medium-size enterprises by supporting joint programmes and projects of  business structures  and civil society organisations focusing on social spheres and sustainable regional development.

2. To promote educational projects and programs for small and medium businesses to instruct them on fair governance principles, business ethics, the principles of transparency and subsidiary. To promote greater involvement of European companies working in Belarus in these projects and programmes through participation in business alliances.

with reference to platform "Environment, climate change and energy security":

1. To consider creation of effective mechanisms for public participation in significant environmental decision-making.

2. Acknowledging problems of receiving information about programs and projects submitted by state agencies within the framework of the third platform, we suggest introducing transparent public review procedures for the relevant programmes, the results of which should be taken into account in the final decision-making.

3. To consider the necessity to use the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) mechanism for developing programmes and projects within the Eastern Partnership framework.

4. In view of the plans to construct several nuclear power plants in the region, we suggest initiation of monitoring procedures over their construction and operation.

5. It will be worthwhile for non-governmental experts and expert groups to consider drafting national reviews and evaluations of energy security status and trends within the framework of the third thematic EP platform, and prepare recommendations on the harmonisation of the corresponding policies of partner countries and the EU in order to strengthen regional energy and nuclear safety regimes.

with reference to platform "Contacts between people":

1. To enlarge access to participation of the Eastern Partnership countries in European programmes in the following spheres: contacts between people, education, intercultural dialogue, information society, scientific research (particularly students’ and research exchange programmes, youth, educational and other programmes - Tempus, Jean Monnet, Erasmus, Youth in Action Programme, Grundtwig, etc.).

2. To promote wider awareness of opportunities to participate in EU programs in the Eastern Partnership countries.

3. To provide information support for promoting Eastern Partnership countries, their science, culture, arts, as well as their prominent representatives in the European Union by means of translations, presentations, festivals, conferences, information campaigns, etc.

4. To facilitate removal of the existing barriers for citizens’ mobility (such as visa barriers and other restrictions).

5. To promote inclusion of the Eastern Partnership priorities and support of the EaP processes (especially the platform “Contacts between people") in the priorities of other EU programs, such as NSA-LA, EIDHR, etc. It is necessary to support the quantity and intensity of contacts between citizens within the framework of the EU programmes, particularly by providing access to the exchange programs for the citizens in rural areas and for socially excluded groups.

6. To promote institutional framework for dealing with the issues of education, culture, youth, etc, based on the principles of dialogue between various stakeholders and, in particular, through additional discussion platforms on thematic priorities in the format of a structured dialogue as a special mode of communication among stakeholders, as well as by providing opportunities to monitor the efficacy of EaP programmes implementation.

7. To consider development of regional ties in the Eastern Partnership region and synchronization of work on all thematic EaP priorities.

8. To facilitate the development and strengthening of representation, as well as protection and promotion of civil society interests in Belarus within the EaP framework.

9. To facilitate the introduction of unified standards for implementing programmes in the area of information protection, document management and adoption of the necessary regulatory policies and laws.

10. To initiate the process of Belarus’ joining the European Declaration on e-government.

11. To promote improvements in the quality of decision-making in the area of Internet governance based on an increased participation of civil society representatives.

The conference participants also deem it necessary to:

1. Call to notice the insufficient provision of information on EaP projects, as well as the importance of ensuring the implementation of the principles of transparency and publicity regarding the contents of governmental programmes and projects within the EaP framework.

2. To propose to the Public Consultative Council under the aegis of the Administration of the President of Belarus to include the issue of EaP and civil society participation therein as a special item on the agenda of one of the forthcoming Council meetings.

3. Considering an incompleteness of a number of expert proposals within the thematic working groups, elaboration of "roadmaps" within thematic EaP platforms will be continued so as to submit consolidated “road maps" recommendations of the Belarusian delegation to the second EaP Civil Society Forum.

4. Initiating the establishment of Civil Society Fund within the EaP framework (based on the experience of the "EUROMED" programme).

5. Continuing and expand the scope of consultation practices with the Belarusian expert community when EU programmes and their priorities are being defined.

The Conference participants have examined the list of civil society organisations that had applied for taking part in the Civil Society Forum-2010 and recommend for participation the representatives of the following organisations:

1         Assembly of Belarusian Pro-Democratic NGOs of Belarus
2         Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ)
3         Belarusian Institute for Strategic Studies
4         Belarusian National NGO “United Way”
5         Centre for European Transformation
6         Committee for the Defence of the Repressed "Salidarnasc"
7         Public organisation "Ecohome"
8         Frantsishak Skaryna Belarusian Language Society
9         International Consortium "EUROBELARUS"
10       International Helsinki Association on Human Rights
11       Lev Sapieha Foundation
12       Movement "For Freedom"
13       Belarusian National Youth Council “RADA”
14       Centre for Social Innovations
15       Public Union “Education Center POST”
16       Republican NGO “Belarusian Organization of Working Women”
17       Republican Association of Wheelchair Users
18       Sustainable Development Promotion Foundation
19       Humanitarian Techniques Agency
20       Enlightening Institution “Centre for Legal Transformation”
21       Belarusian School Society
22       Human Rights Center “Viasna”
23       Analytical Center "Wider Europe"
24       Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
25       Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions
26       Belarusian Independent Trade Union of Miners, Chemists, Oil Refiners, Transport Workers, Builders and other Workers
27       Belarusian Trade Union of Workers of Education and Science
28       Belarus youth NGO "Civil Forum"
29       Business Union of Entrepreneurs and Employers Named after Prof. M. Kuniavsky
30       Civil campaign “European Belarus”
31       Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus
32       Gomel regional public association “Civil Initiatives”

Minsk, 6 July, 2010