Kingdom of Sweden

Position Paper

Country: Kingdom of Sweden

Committee: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe

Agenda: The Situation in Belarus

Opening Statement:
The Kingdom of Sweden , one of the earliest member of the UN that is since 19 November
1946 openly welcomes a discussion as a part of the Organization for Security and Co-
operation in Europe which forms a multilateral forum for dialogue and negotiation between
East and West focussing on the situation in Belarus .

The Issue at Hand:

The country of Belarus has seen ‘dictatorship in democracy’ in the past few months that has
resulted in angry crowd as Lukashenko cast himself as a ‘guarantor of sovereignty for
decades has turned out to become a direct threat to it’ , says opposition. A long history of
falsified elections has resulted in his victory for his sixth term in office. As observed by UN, the
number of arrests indicated a “clear violation of international human rights standard” , says
Michelle Bachlet.

Threat to Security
 In the city of Brest, on Belarus’s border with Poland, security forces fired live
bullets, claiming the officers had come under attack.
 On ‘Freedom Day’, more than 50 protesters were arrested in the capital of Minsk
for protesting against Lukashenko’s dictatorship.
 Even though Lukashenko’s position has weakened amid massive protest against
 his rule. Nearly 34,000 people were arrested and beaten up.
 Opposition leaders have fled Belarus or migrated families due to constant death
threat.
 More than 500 incidents of harassment, detention, fines and temporary arrests of
journalists from January through mid-November 2020 has been observed.
 Internet access hampered fearing cyber attacks

Negligence towards Covid-19 situation:

 Lukashenko did not order any restrictions amidst the rising Covid-19 cases.
Restaurants, coffee shops, malls, theatres remained open blind siding the
pandemic that had hit the globe.

Firm Position:

 The kingdom of Sweden is willing to take in refugees from Belarus and shelter
them and continue providing the growing young generation with education and
basic amenities.
 We also extend our support in medical assistance as Sweden’s healthcare
system is one of the well-developed in the world.
 Create employment opportunities for the widower refugees who lost their sole
bread earner to the aftermaths of the protest.

Point of focus:
 Freedom of speech
 Free and Fair Elections
 Human Rights
 Right to Information
 Security Assurance and compensation to families that faces the effects of protest
 Covid-19
Effect on the Kingdom of Sweden due to current position:
When it comes to the international relations, protection of human rights is a priority of
Sweden’s foreign policy. Despite the dicey diplomatic relations between Sweden and
Belarus, Sweden extends its hand of assistance to the Belarusian Government in this
situation of hardship.