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Engaging Belarus on Human Rights and Democracy

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Engaging Belarus on Human Rights and Democracy 115th CONGRESS Printed for the use of the 1st Session Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe ENGAGING BELARUS ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY JULY 21, 2017 Briefing of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe Washington: 2017 Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe 234 Ford House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 202–225–1901 [email protected] http://www.csce.gov @HelsinkiComm Legislative Branch Commissioners HOUSE SENATE CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, NEW JERSEY ROGER WICKER, MISSISSIPPI, Co-Chairman Chairman ALCEE L. HASTINGS, FLORIDA BENJAMIN L. CARDIN. MARYLAND ROBERT B. ADERHOLT, ALABAMA JOHN BOOZMAN, ARKANSAS MICHAEL C. BURGESS, TEXAS CORY GARDNER, COLORADO STEVE COHEN, TENNESSEE MARCO RUBIO, FLORIDA RICHARD HUDSON, NORTH CAROLINA JEANNE SHAHEEN, NEW HAMPSHIRE RANDY HULTGREN, ILLINOIS THOM TILLIS, NORTH CAROLINA SHEILA JACKSON LEE, TEXAS TOM UDALL, NEW MEXICO GWEN MOORE, WISCONSIN SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, RHODE ISLAND Executive Branch Commissioners DEPARTMENT OF STATE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE [II] (2) ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION FOR SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE The Helsinki process, formally titled the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, traces its origin to the signing of the Helsinki Final Act in Finland on August 1, 1975, by the leaders of 33 European countries, the United States and Canada. As of January 1, 1995, the Helsinki process was renamed the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe [OSCE]. The membership of the OSCE has expanded to 56 partici- pating States, reflecting the breakup of the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia. The OSCE Secretariat is in Vienna, Austria, where weekly meetings of the partici- pating States’ permanent representatives are held. In addition, specialized seminars and meetings are convened in various locations. Periodic consultations are held among Senior Officials, Ministers and Heads of State or Government. Although the OSCE continues to engage in standard setting in the fields of military security, economic and environmental cooperation, and human rights and humanitarian concerns, the Organization is primarily focused on initiatives designed to prevent, manage and resolve conflict within and among the participating States. The Organization deploys numerous missions and field activities located in Southeastern and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. The website of the OSCE is: <www.osce.org>. ABOUT THE COMMISSION ON SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, is a U.S. Government agency created in 1976 to monitor and encourage compliance by the participating States with their OSCE commitments, with a particular emphasis on human rights. The Commission consists of nine members from the United States Senate, nine mem- bers from the House of Representatives, and one member each from the Departments of State, Defense and Commerce. The positions of Chair and Co-Chair rotate between the Senate and House every two years, when a new Congress convenes. A professional staff assists the Commissioners in their work. In fulfilling its mandate, the Commission gathers and disseminates relevant informa- tion to the U.S. Congress and the public by convening hearings, issuing reports that reflect the views of Members of the Commission and/or its staff, and providing details about the activities of the Helsinki process and developments in OSCE participating States. The Commission also contributes to the formulation and execution of U.S. policy regarding the OSCE, including through Member and staff participation on U.S. Delega- tions to OSCE meetings. Members of the Commission have regular contact with parliamentarians, government officials, representatives of non-governmental organiza- tions, and private individuals from participating States. The website of the Commission is: <www.csce.gov>. [III] (3) ENGAGING BELARUS ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY JULY 21, 2017 Page PARTICIPANTS Scott Rauland, Senior State Department Advisor, Commission for Security and Cooperation in Europe ...................................................................................................................................... 1 Stephen Nix, Eurasia Division Director, International Republican Institute, Washington ..... 3 Katie Fox, Deputy Regional Director for Eurasia Programs, National Democratic Institute, Washington .................................................................................................................................. 5 Sanaka Samarasinha, United Nations Chief in Belarus ............................................................. 7 Pavel Shidlovsky, Charge d’Affaires, Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in the United States ............................................................................................................................................ 9 APPENDIX Prepared statement of Stephen Nix .............................................................................................. 19 Prepared statement of Katie Fox ................................................................................................... 25 [IV] (4) ENGAGING BELARUS ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY JULY 21, 2017 Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe Washington, DC The briefing was held at 10:31 p.m. in room G11, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, DC, Scott Rauland, Senior State Department Advisor, Commission on Secu- rity and Cooperation in Europe, moderating. Panelists present: Scott Rauland, Senior State Department Advisor, Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe; Stephen Nix, Eurasia Division Director, Inter- national Republican Institute, Washington; Katie Fox, Deputy Regional Director for Eur- asia Programs, National Democratic Institute, Washington; Sanaka Samarasinha, United Nations Chief in Belarus; and Pavel Shidlovsky, Charge d’Affaires, Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in the United States. Mr. RAULAND. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. On behalf of the Helsinki Commission Chairman Senator Roger Wicker, and Co-Chairman Representative Chris Smith, I’d like to welcome you all to our briefing on ‘‘Engaging Belarus on Human Rights and Democracy.’’ My name is Scott Rauland and I’m the Senior State Department Advisor for the Helsinki Commission. I served for two years as the chief of mission at the U.S. embassy in Minsk, where I had an opportunity to see firsthand the work being done to promote greater respect for human right and democracy by the U.N., the National Demo- cratic Institute [NDI], the International Republican Institute [IRI], USAID, and many other organizations, working both in Belarus and abroad. I just returned from a week in Belarus, attending the 2017 annual session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. That provided hundreds of parliamentarians from throughout the OSCE region an opportunity to engage the government of Belarus and leading democracy and human rights activists. The Helsinki Commission’s mandate is to monitor and encourage compliance with the Helsinki Final Act and subsequent OSCE commitments, especially in the human dimension. The Helsinki Commission’s Belarus activities have included hearings, public briefings, congressional resolutions, press releases, direct contacts with Belarusian officials, as well as, of course, with the demo- cratic opposition and civil society. But the most visible expression of Congress’ interest and concern has been the now three iterations of the Belarus Democracy Act, public laws signed by President Bush in (1) 2004 and 2006, and most recently the Belarus Democracy and Human Rights Act of 2011, signed by President Obama. It’s rare for countries, at least those in which there’s not a war or some other major crisis, to get that kind of attention in Congress. Each of the three Belarus democracy acts was authorized by Representative Chris Smith, the co-chairman of the Helsinki Commission. And I’d like to list just a few of the highlights for you before we begin. • The Belarus Democracy Acts stated a U.S. policy of strong support for the Belarusian people to live in a free and independent country with human rights, democracy, and the rule of law, sending the signal of solidarity with the Belarusian people. • They call for the cessation of human rights abuses, and the immediate and unconditional release of political prisoners—a goal which was realized in 2015— and the restoration of their rights. • They call for targeted sanctions, including visa denials and blocking of the assets of senior officials and those engaged in human rights and electoral abuses, and the undermining of democratic institutions, and economic sanctions against major state-owned enterprises. At the same time, the legislation explicitly opens the door to the reevaluation of U.S. policy towards the Belarusian government should it take steps toward democracy and respect for human rights. A congressional delegation led by Senator Wicker which just returned from Minsk on July 8th made that clear, both in press engagements and in meetings with President Lukashenko and with civil society leaders that the U.S. is willing to move forward under the new U.S. administration if we see progress being made by the government of Belarus on key democracy and human rights issues. So what are the prospects for us being able to move forward? To answer that ques- tion, we have assembled a great panel for you today of people who have been working on Belarus for years. Let me quickly
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