By Ilona Krasutskaya: The International Committee of the Red Cross Belarus Office will open in Minsk on 1 January 2018. A comprehensive partnership between Belarus and the ICRC was discussed today at the meeting of President Alexander Lukashenko and ICRC President Peter Maurer. This is Maurer’s first working visit of to Belarus.
The official Minsk has long supported the ICRC and assisted people who are in trouble. As always, Belarus stands for peaceful settlement of any conflicts and a global dialogue and is always ready to help. In recent years, Belarus sent humanitarian aid to Syria, Iraq, Nepal, and Ukraine.
The International Committee of the Red Cross was established nearly 155 years ago. It has its headquarters in Geneva. In recent years, the number of military conflicts in the world has been steadily growing, so the geography of the committee is expanding. 16,800 employees from over 80 countries help people affected by armed conflict and violence. Humanitarian operations are currently taking place in the hot spots of Syria, South Sudan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Israel, and Ukraine.
The activities of the ICRC are funded by voluntary contributions. The organization closely cooperates with the Belarusian Red Cross Society. Last year, the total budget exceeded 800,000 euros. The money was used to trace missing persons, provide humanitarian assistance, and help children who have suffered in armed conflicts.
After a meeting with the Belarusian President, Peter Maurer went to a meeting with Vladimir Makei. The Belarusian Foreign Ministry signed an agreement between Belarus and the ICRC on the status, privileges and immunities of the humanitarian organization in the republic. It is this document that will launch the ICRC Office in Minsk on 1 January 2018.
Belarus is an active participant in many international and regional organizations. The International Committee of the Red Cross is interested in making Belarus a kind of a guide for expanding cooperation with such platforms as the CIS, the SCO, and the CSTO.
During his three-day visit to Minsk, Peter Maurer will have over 10 meetings, but not all of them will be held in the presence of journalists. The ICRC is, perhaps, one of the least public organizations. It practically does not work with the press and preserves the confidentiality of its contacts. Following these principles, the organization manages to conduct humanitarian operations in the most closed areas.
