Prosecutor General of the Republic of Belarus Aleksandr Konyuk took part in the 27th meeting of the Coordinating Council of Prosecutors General of member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States

The 27th meeting of the Coordinating Council of Prosecutors General of member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States (hereinafter - CIS) took place in St. Petersburg (Russian Federation), where the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Belarus Aleksandr Konyuk took part and made a presentation.

During the event, the experience of Prosecutor General’s Offices in the sphere of international cooperation, supporting public prosecution in court and counteraction to torture was discussed.

The work in the field of combating illegal trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, their precursors and analogues, identification of participants in it, closure of channels for transporting psychoactive substances was analyzed.

The issues of simplification and making criminal process more expedited, organization of information support of the work of prosecution bodies, discretionary powers of a prosecutor, ensuring the rights of the citizens finding themselves outside their State were examined.

An assessment was given to realization in the previous year of interstate programmes of cooperation in the field of countering crime, terrorism, human trafficking and illegal migration.

During the meeting, a Programme of exchange of experience, realization of scientific research and seminars for prosecutors in the field of protection of the rights and legitimate interests of minors for 2018-2020 was adopted, a plan for realization of the Programme of cooperation of CIS member states in the sphere of combating crimes committed with the use of information technologies was approved.  

The Prosecutor General of the Republic of Belarus made a presentation on the topic “Responsibility of the State for preservation of historical and cultural heritage and the role of the Prosecution Service in ensuring legality of turnover valuables”.

The head of the office noted, that in order to preserve national self-identification, comprehensive measures are required on ensuring preservation of historical and cultural valuables, including in cooperation with law enforcement structures. “Basic principles and norms of legal protection of cultural heritage and actions of prosecutors are universal – these are the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, UNESCO Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, and a set of inner legal institutes up to criminal prosecution of lawbreakers”, - said Aleksandr Konyuk.

The Prosecutor General underlined, that systems for record-keeping of historical and cultural valuables, financing of works on restoration of architectural monuments were created in the country on the levels of the President and the Government. The state programmes “Culture of Belarus” and “Castles of Belarus” are aimed at laborious work on restoration of the heritage.

Aleksandr Konyuk drew attention to the fact that, according to materials of inspections carried out by the Prosecutor General’s Office, many economic entities had not made payments to a special fund over a long period of time. “Owing to the measures of prosecutorial response, within a few months the fund was replenished by a sum necessary for reconstruction of the Church of Saints Boris and Gleb (Kalozhskaya Church) – an architectural gem of ancient Grodno and a unique monument of the XII-century orthodox architecture of Belarus and Eastern Europe”, communicated the head of the office.

The Prosecutor General stated, that currently new challenges arise connected to illegal turnover of movable cultural valuables, illegal digging of architectural relics and military gravesites. Taking into account the importance of work in this legal sphere, the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Ministry of Culture concluded, as far back as 2011, a Regulation on cooperation in the sphere of protection of historical and cultural heritage, which governs a prompt information exchange and holding joint inspections.

 
Photo: Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation