UN Senior Human Rights Advisor's work suspended in Belarus

Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Belarus, reported today to Deutsche Welle that the work of the Senior Human Rights Advisor's office has been suspended by the Belarusian government. She added that it was a "window of cooperation" and the human rights situation in Belarus continues to deteriorate.

The office of the Senior Human Rights Advisor was established in Minsk in 2018. The focus of its work included supporting the local government in implementing the Interagency Human Rights Plan and elaborating the second National Human Rights Action Plan that was to be adopted in 2021. The Senior Human Rights Adviser also worked to promote increasingly effective oversight in places of detention and alternatives to detention, particularly for those who have not committed criminal offences.