UNHCR Holds a Regional Workshop
14.03.2019On March 13, UNHCR held a regional workshop in Geneva on a regional project titled “The Asylum System Quality Initiative in Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus”. Similar meetings to evaluate the project’s implementation and to share national experiences are held on a biennial basis.
For reference: the project has been implemented since 2013 and covers Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. The project is funded by the European Union. The participation of Belarus in the project allowed to improve the quality of training and decision-making related to the granting of refugee status or additional protection, as well as to improve professional skills of relevant officials with regard to international and national legislation in the field of forced migration.
The delegation of Belarus represented by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, took part in the meeting. In his presentation the representative of Belarus noted that the project contributed to the adoption of a new version of the Law of the Republic of Belarus “On granting the refugee status, additional protection and temporary protection in the Republic of Belarus to foreign citizens and stateless persons” (2017). In particular, the adjustment was aimed at bringing the national legislation in full compliance with the 1951 Convention on Refugees, as well as at improving and streamlining relevant procedures and preventing abuses.
