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Belarus has joined the UN Group of Friends of Victims of Terrorism, media learned from the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Belarus’ Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei put forward a initiative for Belarus to join the Group at a briefing held in the UN headquarters in New York to review the joint Belarus-UN International High-level Conference on Counter-Terrorism and the Use of New and Emerging Technologies which took place in Minsk in September 2019.

The Group seeks to promote a comprehensive approach towards the promotion and protection of the human rights of the victims of terrorism, especially women and children. It will also seek a balanced implementation of the relevant UN General Assembly and Security Council resolutions. “The Group will seek to ensure that victims’ voices are heard in the international arena and promote the role of victims of terrorism and their families in countering and delegitimizing the terrorist narratives including through education,” the ministry said.

According to the ministry, Belarus’ Group joining demonstrates the country’s principled position “on the need to eradicate the evil of terrorism, and also reaffirms its commitment to the protection and rehabilitation of victims of terrorism.