BELARUS

General Comments - Government Responses

CERD A/8718

Annex IV

Text of comments of states parties to general recommendations I and II, adopted by the committee at its fifth session, received up to the end of the sixth session, in accordance with paragraph 2 of article 9 of the convention a/

BYELORUSSIAN SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLIC

[Original: Russian]

17 August 1972

The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic fully supports the general recommendation adopted at the fifth session of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (24 February 1972).

It is a well-known fact that the legislation of a number of States Parties to the Convention does not include the provisions envisaged in article 4 (a) and (b) of the Convention, although the implementation of the provisions of those paragraphs is obligatory for all States Parties. For that reason, the adoption by the Committee of a recommendation calling upon States Parties whose legislation is deficient in this respect to supplement their legislation with appropriate provisions represents a vital contribution to the struggle for the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination.

As has already been pointed out in previous documents, the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic pursues a policy of complete equality for all citizens and provides firm guarantees against discrimination of any kind. Any restriction of the rights of, or, conversely, the establishment of any privileges for, citizens on account of their racial or national origin and any preaching of racial or national exclusiveness or hatred and contempt are punishable by law.

The relations which have grown up between people in the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, as in the other republics of the Soviet Union, on the basis of friendship and fraternal assistance bear witness to the triumph of the Leninist nationalities policy and represent a great achievement by all the peoples of the multinational Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, whose fiftieth anniversary will be observed at the end of 1972.

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a/ See chap. IV, para. 99; and, for the texts of general recommendations I and II, see chap. IX, section A, decisions 3 (V) and 4 (V).

Thus, legislation and current practice in the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, fully conform to the requirements of article 4 (a) and (b) of the Convention, so that there has been no need to enact

any supplementary legislation as a result of the adoption of the recommendation in question by the

Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

CERD A/28/18

Annex IV

Texts of comments of States parties to general recommendation III, adopted by the Committee at its sixth session, received up to the end of the eighth session, in accordance with article 9, paragraph 2, of the Convention a/

[Original: Russian]

16 March 1973

The Byelorussian SSR regards as positive the general recommendations adopted by the sixth session of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on 18 August 1972 in connection with the consideration of reports from States parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

It is of importance that the Committee emphasized the significance of resolution 2784 (XXVI), adopted at the twenty-sixth session of the United Nations General Assembly, which, inter alia, called upon "all the trading partners of South Africa to abstain from any action that constitutes an encouragement to the continued violation fo the principles and objectives of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination by South Africa and the illegal regime in Southern Rhodesia". In view of the violation of this resolution by certain States, it would be advisable for the Committee to give constant attention to its implementation by States.

The Committee is correct in its view that there is an interrelationship between measures adopted on the national level to give effect to the provisions of the Convention and measures taken on the international level to encourage respect everywhere for the principles of the Convention. A comprehensive approach of this nature makes it possible to create the conditions necessary for the complete elimination of all forms of racial discrimination.

The Committee recommends that States should include in their reports submitted under article 9 of the Convention information regarding the status of their diplomatic, economic and other relations with the racist regimes in southern Africa.

As far as the Byelorussian SSR is concerned, as is noted in the second report concerning the legislative, judicial, administrative and other measures adopted in the Byelorussian SSR for the purpose of giving effect to the revisions of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, "Byelorussia has implemented and is implementing strictly the

decisions of the Security Council and the General Assembly of the United Nations concerning the

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a/ See chap. VI, paras. 317 to 322 above; for the text of general recommendation III see decision 1 (VI), chap. IX, sect. B, of the report of the Committee to the twenty-seventh session of the General Assembly, Official Records of the General Assembly, Twenty-seventh Session, Supplement No. 18 (A/8718).

policies of apartheid of the racist regime in the Republic of South Africa, the question of Rhodesia and the situation in Namibia and the Portuguese colonies".

The Byelorussian SSR has not maintained and does not now maintain any relations with the racist regimes in southern Africa. We advocate the full implementation of the United Nations decisions concerning the elimination of the remaining colonial regimes and the eradication of racism and apartheid.

CERD A/38/18

Annex VI

Additional comments of States parties on general recommendation VI adopted by the Committee at its 569th meeting, on 15 March 1982 a/

BYELORUSSIAN SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLIC

[Original: Russian]

[6 September 1982]

The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, unwaveringly opposed to all forms of racism and racial discrimination, attaches great importance to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and affirms the need for all States parties to the Convention to comply with its provisions and, of course, with the obligation to submit reports in accordance with article 9, paragraph 1, of the Convention.

The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic therefore supports general recommendation VI of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the purpose of which is to ensure the timely submission to the Committee of the reports of States parties on legislative, judicial, administrative or other measures giving effect to the provisions of the Convention.

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a/ See para. 69 above.