Belarusian-Norwegian cooperation on the issue of UN reform: current state and prospects

Abstract

The article examines one of the most pressing problems of modern world politics, which is the reform of the United Nations that is studied in the context of regional cooperation of the member states and its possible intensification in this area. Based on the analysis of diplomatic documents introduced into scientific circulation for the first time, a detailed description of the current state and prospects of cooperation between Norway and Belarus in the direction of reforming the UN is given. Recently, there has been noticed a significant intensification of interaction between the two countries in various spheres of public life both at the European and global levels (consultations between the ministries of foreign affairs and the dialogue of their leaders, the growth of trade turnover, the exchange of technologies, the development of tourism).That stimulates the activities of diplomatic missions of Norway and Belarus to the UN, aimed at adapting and updating the work of the Organization in the light of new trends and processes in international life. The key directions of the UN institutional reform, according to which it is possible to implement the Belarusian-Norwegian cooperation in the studied area, include the Security Council, the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, the Human Rights Council, the institute of peacekeeping. Twenty initiatives supported by Minsk and Oslo were considered, which could become the basis for cooperation in this direction. It is emphasized that the reform of the Security Council is most likely to become a starting point for fruitful interaction. At the same time, it will be possible to speak about the significance of steps to deepen it only if at least ten mutually complementary initiatives are implemented. The conditions for realizing the potential of cooperation have been determined as well; they include the creation of a developed legal framework for bilateral relations, their transfer to the level of embassies, the accession of the Republic of Belarus to the ACT Group of which Norway is a member