International Labour Conference

113^th session 

Special sitting – Belarus (CAS, 2025)

Geneva, 7 June 2025

Chair,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the following 34 Governments: Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Colombia, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, and my own country, Denmark.

1. Our Committee is meeting today again to carry out a responsibility entrusted to us in the 2023 ILC resolution concerning the measures under article 33 of the ILO Constitution on Belarus. 

2. Two years have passed since the adoption of the resolution, and more than two decades – since the Commission of Inquiry issued its report and recommendations to ensure observance by Belarus of the ILO Conventions Nos 87 and 98. 
   Yet, regrettably, Belarusian authorities have systematically violated their commitments under the fundamental ILO Conventions, and the situation on the ground continues to deteriorate. This year’s report of the Committee of Experts paints yet again a deeply troubling picture of persistent and systemic violations of the ILO fundamental conventions by the Belarusian authorities.

3. Our governments note with serious concern that no substantial changes in either legislation or practice have been reported. Instead, despite clear evidence of systematic repression against independent trade unions, their leaders and members, the alarming and deteriorating human rights situation, the systematic shrinking of any civic space, and strong and consistent condemnation from the ILO constituents, the Belarusian authorities maintain that the situation in the country has been misunderstood and misinterpreted.

4. We are particularly concerned with continued reports from the BKDP, UN Special Rapporteurs, and others, of mass repression against independent trade unions, criminal action taken against workers and their families for exercising their fundamental labour rights, and the judicial harassment of trade union members, including arrests, prosecution and imprisonment. The Belarusian authorities have deliberately dismantled independent civil society, including depriving workers of the ability to organize and advocate for their rights. We further condemn the growing practice of trials in absentia and without basic fair trial guarantees, and demand an immediate halt to such trials as well as full access to legal representation and transparent judicial proceedings.

5. The reports of politically motivated actions against independent businesses and their workers in Belarus, including arbitrary inspections, raids, searches, administrative fines or closures, are a matter of our grave concern. 

6. We deeply deplore the climate of state violence, intimidation and fear against peacefully protesting workers in Belarus. 

7. We strongly denounce the Belarusian authorities’ total disregard for international labour obligations. Belarus must halt the violations of its commitments without further delay and  fully implement the guidance, conclusions and recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry, the supervisory bodies and the Governing Body. 

8. To that end, we demand full transparency of law enforcement proceedings which bear the hallmarks of political cases. All trade union leaders and members arrested for their participation in peaceful industrial actions or protests in line with their legitimate right to freedom of association must be immediately and unconditionally released and all related charges must be dropped. Each instance of intimidation or physical violence must be investigated without delay through an independent judicial inquiry. The dissolved trade unions must be allowed to function and fully participate in national tripartite bodies. The rule of law must be upheld, a predictable and transparent business environment must be ensured, and all enterprises must be guaranteed the ability to operate free from political interference or retaliation.

9. We urge the Belarusian authorities to accept, with the utmost urgency, an ILO tripartite mission to assess the situation and visit trade unionists that are currently in prison or detention, as well as an international humanitarian mission to ensure that independent doctors can visit all imprisoned trade unionists. 

10. We call on Belarus to immediately and unconditionally cease its support to Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, which severely impacts Ukrainian lives and livelihoods, including workers, employers and their families.

11. We note with concern the repeated grave allegations regarding the close affiliation between the Belarusian authorities and the FPB, which has not shown to be a free, genuine and independent organization of workers. We urge the authorities to refrain from showing favouritism towards any particular trade union.

12. Considering the need of permanent and continuous monitoring of the situation in Belarus, we encourage the ILO Director-General to appoint a special envoy in Belarus as soon as possible.

13. It is also crucial that the Director-General further engages with other UN agencies, Special Procedures and relevant international bodies with a view to ensuring coordinated and joint action towards the implementation of the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry and the supervisory bodies.

14. To conclude, Chair, we reaffirm our strong support to the application of article 33 of the ILO Constitution and are committed to continuing working with the ILO and its constituents to secure compliance by the authorities of Belarus with the Commission of Inquiry's recommendations. We will continue to support holding a special sitting of this Committee so long as Belarus has not been shown to have fulfilled its obligations under ILO Conventions Nos 87 and 98.

Thank you, Chair.