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MINISTERS’ DEPUTIES |
Decisions |
CM/Del/Dec(2022)1429/2.5 |
17 March 2022 |
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1429th meeting, 17 March 2022
2.5 Relations between the Council of Europe and Belarus Reference document |
Decisions
The Deputies,
Reiterating their condemnation of the active participation of Belarus in the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, decided:
1. to suspend the rights of Belarus to participate as observer or in any other capacity in meetings and activities of the Committee of Ministers, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities or in any subsidiary organs or bodies thereof; this includes suspension from all committees set up under Article 15.a, 16 and 17 of the Statute of the Council of Europe with the exception of the participation rights of Belarus deriving from its status as a Contracting Party to the European Cultural Convention (ETS No. 18) until further notice;
2. to suspend the rights of representation of Belarus in the European Pharmacopeia Commission (as observer) and in the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS);
3. to suspend the right of representation of Belarus in GRECO, except when GRECO exercises its functions under the Civil Law Convention on Corruption (ETS No. 174), the Criminal Law Convention on Corruption (ETS No. 173) and its Additional Protocol (ETS No. 191) with respect to Belarus. Belarus may continue to participate in the plenary meetings of GRECO only when the latter examines evaluation and compliance reports on Belarus as foreseen in Article 8 (1) i. of the GRECO Statute with a view to providing and receiving information concerning such reports, without the right to participate in the discussion or the adoption of reports under Article 15 of the GRECO Statute, and without the right to vote;
4. to suspend Belarus from its right to participate, as associate member, in the work of the European Commission for Democracy through Law;
5. to invite the Secretary General to take the necessary steps with a view to withdraw the request for the re-registration of the Council of Europe Information Point in Minsk;
6. to suspend, with immediate effect, access to the office located in the premises of the Council of Europe provided to the Representative of Belarus and to invite the Secretary General to undertake the necessary measures in this respect;
7. to suspend all technical co-operation with Belarus but to enhance the Organisation’s relations with the Belarusian civil society and the opposition in exile, paying particular attention to the Belarusian youth, independent media and human rights defenders;
8. to invite the Secretary General to inform Belarus about the amount of its financial contribution to convention and partial agreement mechanisms as appropriate;
9. to revert to this item with a view to adopting additional decisions, complementing or clarifying the effects of the above decisions whenever necessary.