The state being reminded of international commitments

The Movement for Freedom (the MFF) Homiel city activist Uladzimir Katsora addressed state agencies demanding to execute the decision of the UN Committee on Human Rights to restore the activity of the civil association named Civil Initiatives.

The corresponding appeals were sent to the Council of Ministers, to the President’s Administration, to the National Assembly, to the Ministry of Justice, and to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which – in accordance with the Law – should create the conditions for the execution of the international agreements of the Republic of Belarus.

“Belarusian officials say the Committee’s Decisions a mere recommendations”, Katsora says. “However, these Decisions are the part of the international law which should be obligatory executed by Belarus. Moreover, Belarus undertook such obligations voluntarily having signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Optional Protocol thereto”, Katsora states.

In his appeals, Katsora reminds the officials of the Pacta sunt servanda principle which means the following – “Each existing treaty shall be compulsory for its participants and shall be executed by them in good faith”. This principle originated in the Vienna Convention on the International Treaties Law which was signed by Belarus as well.

For reference – the Homiel Province civil association named Civil Initiatives was liquidated by the Province Court in 2003. Due to Viktar Karnieyenka’s complaint to the UN Committee on Human Rights, the fact of violation of the right to the freedom of associations by the Republic of Belarus was admitted in the case of liquidation of this association. Nevertheless, Belarusian authorities didn’t even publish this decision of the Committee so far.

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