MINSK, 22 June (BelTA) – Western countries interpret the international concept of human rights in order to suit their own interests. Head of the Multilateral Diplomacy Directorate of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Irina Velichko made the relevant statement during a discussion organized within the framework of the 53rd session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to discuss the importance of observing international commitments by countries, BelTA has learned.
Irina Velichko is convinced that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights remains a topical document and the only thing that needs to be done today is to rigorously follow its provisions. “Nobody has an exclusive license to interpreting international documents on human rights on the basis of its own interests, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” the official pointed out.
Irina Velichko said: “Nobody argues against the importance of human rights. However, human rights are not a prerogative of a certain group of countries and nobody can guarantee that individual countries will not fail to observe them once they identify themselves as well-developed democracies. Regretfully, the West demonstrates this consumerist approach and interpretation of the international concept of human rights to suit its own interests by introducing economic sanctions and even launching hybrid wars against the countries, which the Western countries believe do not match their democratic ideals. One starts logically wondering: who are they to judge us?”
Western countries continue ignoring their deteriorating human rights situation, Irina Velichko stated. Many facts that vividly illustrate the situation in these countries can be found in the report released by the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to point out the most outrageous violations of human rights in some countries.
According to Irina Velichko, the report draws attention to a complex of problems that are typical for all the Western states: systemic discrimination in the society, practically daily crackdowns on peaceful protesters, who demand better social and economic rights, violations of rights of refugees and migrants, restrictions on access to mass media, which advocate a point of view that differs from the government’s. The West is moving towards legislating the criminal prosecution of nonconformists, the official said. Beatings and intimidation of reporters continue while multiple homicides prompted by racial, cultural, religious, and language reasons are left uninvestigated, she noted.
The situation with refugees is quite illustrative, the report says. According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone has the right to the freedom of movement and to looking for a safe place to live and if faced with threats or unfair treatment, then to getting asylum in other countries. “How does the West realize these principles? The West has created multiple trouble spots all over the world and people are trying to flee from them due to quite natural reasons. However, Western countries, which have always claimed they are committed to protecting refugees and migrants, actually close their doors for these people,” the official stressed. “Hundreds of thousands of these wretched individuals die in the Mediterranean Sea these days due to the unwillingness of some European Union countries to shelter them. Pushing migrants back to neighboring countries is a favorite pastime for some countries, in particular, Greece, Bulgaria, Poland, and Lithuania.”