The ILO Governing Body calls on Belarus to cooperate with the Special Envoy and allow international missions

At the 356th Session of the Governing Body of the International Labour Organization, discussion of the “Belarus issue” was concluded. The matter was considered under item 12 of the agenda: “Follow-up to the implementation of the resolution concerning measures recommended by the Governing Body under Article 33 of the ILO Constitution with regard to Belarus.”

Following the discussion, the Governing Body, by majority vote, endorsed a set of conclusions in which it once again expressed serious concern over the failure of the Belarusian authorities to implement the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry and the subsequent decisions of the ILO supervisory bodies. Forty members of the Governing Body voted in favour, two voted against, and eight abstained.

During the session, Lélio Bentes Corrêa, the ILO Special Envoy for Belarus, addressed the Governing Body. He reaffirmed his neutral position, while noting that the Belarusian authorities continue to refuse engagement and remain unwilling to enter into dialogue. The Special Envoy also specifically called for the release of trade union activist Vatslau Areshka, who has effectively lost his eyesight in detention.

The session was also addressed by Aliaksandr Yarashuk, Chair of the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions (BKDP). He stated that the Belarusian authorities continue to demonstratively ignore the implementation of Article 33 of the ILO Constitution: they do not recognise the mandate of the Special Envoy, they continue to hold 20 members of independent trade unions in detention, they have not revoked the decision to dissolve BKDP and its affiliated organisations, and they refuse to return his passport and reinstate his pension payments.

“We cannot allow ourselves to admit helplessness in the face of the open challenge of evil thrown at the ILO by the Belarusian government. It must not be allowed to prevail and remain unpunished,” the BKDP Chair said.

According to Yarashuk, if the Belarusian authorities allow themselves such blatant violations of rights even in relation to a member of the ILO Governing Body, then the situation of ordinary workers in the country is even more deprived of rights. He stressed that the situation regarding labour rights in Belarus is becoming increasingly intolerable, and that any attempt to exercise the right to freedom of association and to establish a trade union independent of the authorities results in the loss of one’s freedom.

The representative of the Belarusian government, Aleh Takun, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Protection, delivered what has become the standard line of the Belarusian authorities, denying the existence of violations and effectively rejecting the conclusions and decisions of the ILO.

The conclusions endorsed by the Governing Body note that the Belarusian authorities have once again failed to provide any new information on steps taken to implement the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry. The Governing Body called on the Government of Belarus to reconsider its position and to cooperate fully with the ILO Special Envoy.

The Governing Body also noted with the gravest concern the refusal of the Belarusian authorities to return the confiscated passports of Aliaksandr Yarashuk and Henadz Fiadynich, as well as to restore their pension payments, and demanded that this be done without further delay.

Members of the Governing Body once again strongly urged Belarus to agree, as a matter of urgency, to an international humanitarian mission, so that independent doctors could visit all imprisoned trade union activists, assess their state of health and, where necessary, provide medical assistance. In addition, the Governing Body called for consent to an ILO tripartite mission to assess the situation and visit trade unionists who are imprisoned or otherwise detained.

The Belarusian authorities were requested to submit information to the ILO Director-General by 31 October 2026 on the concrete steps taken following the 356th Session. This material is to be transmitted to the 358th Session of the Governing Body in November 2026.

The Governing Body also called on governments, employers and workers to continue taking steps to ensure the effective implementation of the decisions concerning Belarus, including through tripartite meetings and the submission of reports to the Director-General for subsequent consideration by the Governing Body.

The issue of systematic violations of freedom of association and the rights of independent trade unions in Belarus remains at the centre of the ILO’s attention. Despite the continued denial by the Belarusian authorities, international pressure for the release of imprisoned trade union leaders and activists continues.

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