11 International Peace Organizations Submit Joint UPR Report Urging End to Belarus’s Role in the War Against Ukraine and Militarisation of Society

On April 7, 2025, a coalition of 11 international peace and human rights organizations submitted a joint report to the United Nations Human Rights Council ahead of the 50th Session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on Belarus.
This submission is part of a broader international campaign aimed at:

🛑 Ending Belarus’s hybrid participation in Russia’s war against Ukraine
🛑 Preventing the deployment of the Belarusian army to Ukraine
🛡️ Protecting fundamental rights and freedoms inside Belarus, even as the country plays an active role in the regional war

The Focus: Human Rights Under Fire

The report shines a spotlight on the systemic violations of human rights in Belarus, particularly under the cover of militarisation and authoritarian repression. It documents:

• The militarisation of children through kindergartens, cadet schools, and state-run military camps;
• Forced conscription and the suppression of conscientious objection;
• The criminalisation of anti-war speech and support for draft evaders;
• Laws that target and silence civil society, journalists, and peace advocates;
• Punitive measures against Belarusians living abroad who refuse to return to participate in military registration or war efforts.

These abuses are directly linked to Belarus’s military alignment with the Russian Federation, and its use as a platform for aggression against Ukraine.

Why It Matters Now

This report and campaign go beyond Belarus. Militarisation in Belarus is not just a national issue – it is a regional and global threat. It affects:

• Democratic rights in neighbouring countries, including Lithuania, where restrictive laws targeting draft evasion and dissent are spreading;
• Climate justice, as militarism and war significantly undermine ecological stability and sustainability;
• Regional peace and the safety of Europe, as an emboldened militarised regime in Belarus increases the risks of broader conflict.

✊ Standing with the People of Belarus

This submission comes from a coalition that includes Nobel Peace Prize laureates and NGOs with UN ECOSOC consultative status, united in their call for peace, justice, and the right to resist war.

🔹 International Centre for Civil Initiatives “Our House” (Belarus+Lithuania)
🔹 War Resisters’ International (WRI) (ECOSOC status)
🔹 International Peace Bureau (IPB) (Nobel Peace Prize, ECOSOC status)
🔹 Conscience and Peace Tax International (CPTI) (ECOSOC status)
🔹 Center on Conscience & War (USA)
🔹 European Bureau for Conscientious Objection (EBCO) (Belgium)
🔹 International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR) – Netherlands & Austria
🔹 Fellowship of Reconciliation USA (FOR USA)
🔹 MIR France
🔹 World BEYOND War (USA)

Our Appeal

We call on the international community to:

• Stand with the people of Belarus who reject war, reject Putin’s aggression, and fight for democracy and dignity;
• Take urgent action to stop Belarus’s role in the war against Ukraine;
• Expose and oppose the militarisation of society, which threatens not only Belarus, but also democratic values across Europe.

This campaign is about more than policy. It is about protecting life, peace, and freedom — in Belarus, in Ukraine, and across our region.

Join us in saying no to war, no to militarisation, and yes to human rights, peace, and solidarity.

 

 

 

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