How long have you worked with human rights and with advocacy?
My name is Anastasiya Dziubanava, I work for the Belarusian Helsinki Committee as an International Human Rights Advocacy Coordinator. I have worked in general with defending human rights since 2019, and I have worked with advocacy for two years.
What was it like to participate in the resolution processes at the Human Rights Council for key mandates related to Belarus in 2024?
Participating in these resolution processes was important for us, and I would even say quite exciting! We advocated for two mandates, and it’s quite a unique and sensitive situation where a country has two mandates. In the case of Belarus, they are the mandates of the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Belarus (UNSR Belarus) and of the Group of Independent Experts on Belarus (GIE Belarus).
Both mechanisms are crucial for us and for reporting on and improving the human rights situation in Belarus, ensuring the rule of law and justice.
The UNSR Belarus is a key mechanism that provides monitoring and analysis of the complex human rights issues in Belarus, for example, including economic, social and cultural rights, even the engagement of the Belarusian authorities with international human rights mechanisms – a focus of one of the mandate’s recent reports. This mandate is key in emphasising that there are issues in Belarus beyond the post-2020 election crisis.
As for GIE Belarus, this mandate is crucial as an accountability mechanism, which investigates and explores human rights violations and international crimes. Making it possible that these crimes will be prosecuted and that those responsible should be held accountable.
What would happen in the absence of these mechanisms?
The situation for us without these mechanisms would not be good. They are important for both showing the international community what is really happening in Belarus, and also to show the Belarusian authorities that international scrutiny still exists and will continue to exist.
What impact do you feel that you/your organisation had on these processes?
It’s a difficult question to answer because this was a collective effort by Belarusian human rights defenders and international NGOs, where everyone’s input was significant for achieving these results.
However, one aspect I would highlight is that because of our ECOSOC consultative status, we have the opportunity to make statements during HRC sessions promoting the key messages and recommendations of our human rights coalition.
I think it’s crucial that the voices of Belarusian human rights defenders are heard and considered in these decision-making processes. It’s essential to ensure that the policies, resolutions and decisions at the international level reflect the reality on the ground in Belarus and address the needs of the people of Belarus and its civil society.
How has direct one-on-one support from HRHF’s advocacy team helped you in your work?
With HRHF’s support and its crucial role in advocacy in Geneva, we were able to secure bilateral meetings with permanent missions, where we had a chance to reinforce how essential the mandates of the Special Rapporteur and the Group of Experts are for us. It gave us more time to discuss the specificities of these mandates. HRHF also supported our travels to Geneva in 2024, which contributed significantly to our advocacy opportunities.
In addition to the direct support that we received, it’s also important for us that HRHF, independently from Belarusian organisations, raised the human rights situation through its own advocacy at HRC, and provided information and recommendations to decision-makers, promoting and highlighting the needs of Belarusian civil society and the situation in the country.
Another significant aspect, on a more personal note, is HRHF’s staff. They are always available to help, to explain any nuance, and to offer strategic advice and more effective ways to raise our key issues and recommendations.
Top photo: Anastasiya Dziubanava and HRHF’s Matthew Jones (Photo from 2023).
