ADVANCE UNEDITED VERSION
Committee against Torture
Concluding observations on the fifth periodic report of
Belarus*
1.
The Committee against Torture considered the fifth periodic report of Belarus
(CAT/C/BLR/5) at its 1623rd and 1626th meetings (see CAT/C/BLR.1623 and 1626), held
on 27 and 30 April 2018, and adopted the following concluding observations at its 1642nd
and 1645th meetings (CAT/C/xxx) held on 10 and 14 May 2018.
A.
Introduction
2.
The Committee welcomes submission of the fifth periodic report of Belarus as well
as the written replies provided to the Committee.
3.
The Committee welcomes the dialogue with the State party’s delegation and the
responses provided orally to the questions and concerns raised during the consideration of
the report.
B.
Positive aspects
4.
The Committee welcomes the State party’s accession to and ratification of the
following international instruments:
(a)
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional
Protocol, in November 2016;
(b)
Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human
Beings, in November 2013.
5.
The Committee welcomes the State party’s initiatives to revise its legislation in areas
of relevance to the Convention, including the:
(a)
Amendment of the Trafficking in Persons Act in December 2014 to expand the
definition of trafficking in persons;
(b)
Amendment of the Principles of Crime Prevention Act (2014) concerning
domestic violence;
(c)
Amendment of the International Labour Migration Act in January 2016 to
introduce protection for immigrant domestic workers;
(d)
The Law on Granting Refugee Status, Complementary Protection, Asylum and
Temporary Protection to Foreign Citizens and Stateless Persons in the Republic of Belarus
(the 2016 Law on Refugees), which entered into force in July 2017.
*
GE.
Adopted by the Committee at its sixty-third session (23 April-18 May 2018).