Belarus

Humankind has only one past, but many options for the future. History is such that we know only the consequences of those actions that have occurred, but not those that did not take place. What would our world look like today if, a century ago, that memorable shot had not been fired in Sarajevo, irrevocably changing the course of history? That shot set in motion a dynamic that has yet to be fully explained. For some key European countries the question of honour contained in that shot overrode both common sense and all other considerations. Millions paid with their lives for that hypocritical honour. Unfortunately, the tragedy did not end there, because the lessons of the First World War have not been learned. As a consequence, other global carnage has claimed even more human lives. Thus, the shot in Sarajevo marked nothing more than the onset of the bloodiest period in the history of humankind. For Belarus, this period was also the bloodiest in the history of its people. Located at the centre of Europe, in the very crucible of geopolitical interests, Belarus lost a third of its population during the Second World War. Even today, with 20 years of unprecedented successful and stable development, we have not recovered from that immense loss, either physically, psychologically or emotionally. This year, as the Republic of Belarus celebrates the seventieth anniversary of its liberation from the Fascist occupiers, is very important and symbolic for the country. Belarus remembers all the victims who paid with their lives for the freedom of the nation. Against this background, we do not understand and strongly condemn some attempts to revise the outcome of the Second World War, downplaying the significance of the Great Victory or desecrating the memory of the fallen heroes. The world community must not allow this to happen. Indeed, the verdict of history is unequivocal; if humankind fails to learn the lessons from past tragedies, we are bound to repeat them in the future. Let us ponder the the immediate and distant future, and indeed the present, as we mark the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War. What do current global trends tell us about the future? Undoubtedly, a multitude of factors determine the dynamics of contemporary global politics. We would identify the resistance of the majority of the world’s population to the imposition of external influences as one of the key factors. Indeed, much like in the past, the mighty of the world persist in believing that only their vision and their development model stand as universal. Therefore, they do not ask others whether they like or dislike, for instance, so- called liberal democracy or the Washington consensus. Others are just forced to choose — either they accept our recipes or face the consequences, such as threats, sanctions and colour revolutions. To be honest, we — that is, the majority — have grown accustomed to alien political and economic models being foisted upon us. We know what is going here. Someone wants our nations to feed transnational corporate capital, not ourselves. If we resist, we are punished. The pretext is always contrived — alleged violations of human rights by unruly States. Having been subjected to external attacks for many years, countries such as Belarus, Cuba, Iran and Venezuela feel such pressure especially acutely. No less dangerous, however, is another factor. Similar attempts at imposition have been made recently against our identity. Indeed, some have been doing their best to impose on us extraneous cultural preferences. For example, we are being forced to renounce the values of a traditional family and recognize instead the diversity of that institution’s forms. In other words, they are striving to strip us of our own soul. That may be just another way to subdue those who dissent against capital by turning them into soulless slaves. We are convinced that nothing will come out of it, however. The reason why the world is developing is because it is diverse. It is diversity itself that gives rise to healthy competition and creativity, which, in turn, drive human progress. Do we need uniformity and the ensuing trivial, soulless world? Of course we do not. In that regard, I appeal to those who persist in compelling others to do something that they find alien and unpleasant to give up their meaningless and futile policy. It is a road to nowhere. Their efforts only divide us. We have too many problems on our plate that require us to be united. Today, two approaches determine international relations: the ability to effect change and the ability to stand in its way. Indeed, on the one hand, one or even several countries can easily paralyse the international community in its activities; on the other, no State or group of States, however powerful, can alter the status quo without cooperating with the rest of the world. That is the paradox of globalization. We have become too intertwined and too interdependent. Sadly, the same holds true for global challenges — they too have become intertwined. It is impossible in today’s world to succeed in one area without making headway in others. There is, for instance, no simple solution to the threat of human trafficking unless we effectively tackle the problem of poverty. In short, strategies and policies to counter all contemporary threats will be effective only if they are comprehensive in scope and focus. Let us be realistic and acknowledge that we will never solve the world’s problems all at once. Our collective goal must therefore be to reduce the extent of the threat they pose to society through our constant, unswerving attention. It is precisely that attitude that must underpin our collective effort aimed at developing the post-2015 United Nations development agenda. That agenda should be both comprehensive and realistic. Its main goal should be to make globalization more even and equitable than it has been up to now. When people in different countries take to the streets to protest against globalization, they are not calling for a return to parochial nationalism. Rather, they seek a strengthened globalization; they want to make it sustainable and they want it to result in a win-win situation. Rising inequality in the world is the biggest scourge. We face a paradox. Having recently made significant progress in strengthening various forms of equality, such as gender, race and ethnic equality, we are seeing a stubborn rise in economic inequality. The international community must do whatever it takes to reverse that trend. Otherwise, we will not eradicate poverty. Climate change is another major challenge. It is inextricably linked to such issues as energy consumption, food security and water resources. We need to fully reflect this complex issue in the future agenda. To be sure, many other sectors must also be represented in this comprehensive document. In that context, Belarus attaches particular importance to the struggle against human trafficking and the strengthening of the institution of the traditional family. In the light of the significant and recognized advances we have made at the national level, we propose for the consideration of our partners specific, effective, long- term solutions to those vital issues at the global level. We need to be thinking right now about how we will implement the future agenda. We are certain that it should be carried out through the tool of thematic global partnerships. In this day and age of multiple actors and multiple threats, only effective partnerships among States, international organizations, civil society and the private sector can deliver success in addressing global problems. The State must, of course, remain the central pillar among all other partners. Moreover, what is needed is a powerful and responsible State. Only such a State can achieve the long-term complex goals arising from the post-2015 United Nations development agenda. A powerful State often frightens people on the grounds that it may potentially abuse its power and harm the people. But let us take us a look at the other side of that coin. How do people feel when they do not have a powerful State, when there is no one to protect them from resulting chaos, lawlessness and excess? I believe that both the people of Belarus and their neighbours can soberly assess arguments like these and draw the right conclusions. It is no wonder, then, that the world community selects stable and internally coherent States like Belarus to serve as a stage for addressing acute international crises. The people of Belarus very much value stability and successful development. We are convinced that those factors make us a fully responsible stakeholder in the implementation of the future global development agenda. The United Nations should play a special role in implementing the agenda. It is this universal forum where Governments and their partners seek to implement it. We are convinced that the Organization will be able to cope with the task at hand if it successfully adjusts to the constantly emerging realities of life. The issue of the reform and revitalization of the United Nations is as acute as ever, not just in its traditional institutional dimension but also in conceptual terms. As far as the latter is concerned, we believe it necessary to give a serious thought to two problems. First, we need to look for practical solutions to numerous situations where certain United Nations principles contradict each other. Secondly, there is the problem of negative consequences arising from purportedly benign international activities that are often undertaken under a United Nations mandate. Far too often, those activities seek to advance someone’s political goals, and the sponsors care little for the consequences, including chaos, lawlessness and refugee flows. Iraqi Kurdistan, for instance, stands as a typical example of such egotistical policy when it comes to the issue of refugees. We hope that the issue will be tackled ahead of the next United Nations global summit. As we look to the future, we would all be well advised to take to heart the words of the great internationalist who lived during the First World War, American President Woodrow Wilson, who said: “The interests of all nations are our own also. We are partners with the rest. What affects mankind is inevitably our affair.”