| Type of parliamentary body |
Multifunctional |
| Nature |
Permanent |
| Related to chambers |
Palata Predstaviteley
|
| Date of creation |
22.11.2000 |
| Last renewal date |
|
| Mandate |
The Committee prepares draft laws within its competence, and deals with written queries and proposals by natural and legal persons concerning the improvement of legislation. |
| Membership |
There are 7 MPs on the Committee, who are elected by a majority vote of the entire body of the House after they have expressed a wish to serve on the Committee. The Chairperson is elected by the entire body of the House through a secret ballot. Deputy Chairpersons are elected by the Committee, subject to approval by the entire body of the House. The term of service on the Committee corresponds to the House's mandate (4 years). |
| Working methods |
The Committee may propose items to be placed on the agenda through the Council (Presidium) of the House or directly at plenary sessions. Committee members proceed likewise. The agenda of the Committee's meetings is prepared by its support staff who analyse incoming mail and other documentation. The Committee also has a plan of activities. Any MP may participate in its meetings without the right to vote. There may also be representatives from bodies having a role in proposing legislation as well as government officials and experts. The Committee may also invite representatives of the mass media and organisations concerned to assist it in its work. In order to prepare items for parliamentary hearings the Committee may set up working groups including Committee members, other MPs, experts from ministries, government and research institutions and representatives of NGOs. Committee meetings are usually not open to the public at large. The Committee does not issue public reports and is not expected to carry out implementation or follow-up activities. |
| Relations with other parliamentary bodies |
There is no special procedure for the Committee to keep other committees informed. As a rule, this is done by the Committee support staff. It may hold joint meetings with other committees. |
| Relations with external bodies |
The government is responsible for effectively responding to any violations of human rights and freedoms in the country and for the coordination of human rights activities in their entirety. The Committee seeks to improve and harmonise its relations with human rights NGOs. To this end, representatives of such organisations are invited to participate in the consultative sessions of the Committee and government representatives. Jointly with the Committee and government representatives the representatives of human rights NGOs take part in the inspection of prisons, detention facilities, childrens' specialised establishments (orphans' homes, boarding schools). |
| Subjects dealt with |
The Committee has contributed to the organisation of conferences on topics such as: "The Environment and Human Rights", "The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: human rights and humanisation of education in the Republic of Belarus", "Rights and Freedoms of Citizens of the Republic of Belarus: status quo and prospects", "The National Identity and National Interests of the Republic of Belarus". It also organised workshops on topics which included: "The Relations between the State and Religious Confessions in the Republic of Belarus" and "The Ombudsman as an important link in the national human rights protection system". Another important event that the Committee organised is an international seminar on "Freedom of thought and religion: International legal standards and the legislation of the Republic of Belarus". The Committee organised a meeting jointly with the National Psychiatric Hospital dedicated to the implementation of the law "On Psychiatric Assistance and Guarantees of Respect of Psychiatric Patients' Human Rights". The exchange of opinions on the issue showed that there are gaps in the law that need to be filled by legislation.
In order to draw public attention to the issues of the protection of human rights and freedoms, the Committee initiated parliamentary hearings under the title of "Human Rights Issues" and "Political and Legal Aspects of the Abolition of Death Penalty in the Republic of Belarus". Participating in the hearings were the two Houses of the Parliament, representatives of the presidential administration, the Prime Minister, members of Cabinet, representatives of local and regional executive bodies, NGOs, religious communities, representatives of the United Nations and the OSCE Offices, and diplomatic representatives. The hearings did not arise out of any special human rights situation in the country. They were given wide coverage in the mass media and as a result recommendations were adopted and booklets published. |
| CONTACT INFORMATION |
| Main address |
Sovetskaya Str, 11
220010 MINSK (Belarus) |
| Phone |
... |
| Fax |
(+375 172) 22 37 05 |
| E-mail |
pravch@belarus.minsk.by |
| Website |
|
|
|
|
PRESIDING OFFICER(S)
|
| Name |
Mr. Valery Lipkin |
| Notes |
Chairman |
| Address (if different from above) |
|
| Phone |
(+375 172) 22 60 12 |
| Fax |
... |
| E-mail |
... |
| Website |
|
| Name |
Mr. Mikhail Anikeev |
| Notes |
Deputy Chairman |
| Address (if different from above) |
|
| Phone |
(+375 172) 22 60 13 |
| Fax |
... |
| E-mail |
... |
| Website |
|
| Name |
Mr. Aleksandr Svirid |
| Notes |
Deputy Chaiman |
| Address (if different from above) |
|
| Phone |
(+375 172) 22 62 94 |
| Fax |
... |
| E-mail |
... |
| Website |
|
| Name |
Mr. Aleksandr Chechora |
| Notes |
Deputy Chairman |
| Address (if different from above) |
|
| Phone |
(+375 172) 22 63 28 |
| Fax |
... |
| E-mail |
... |
| Website |
|
|
SECRETARY
|
| Name |
Mr. Evgeny Buday |
| Notes |
Head of Committee Support Department |
| Address (if different from above) |
|
| Phone |
(+375 172) 22 38 64 |
| Fax |
... |
| E-mail |
.. |
| web site: |
|
| Notes |
|
| Name |
Mr. Leonid Zemliakov |
| Notes |
Deputy Head of Committee Support Department |
| Address (if different from above) |
|
| Phone |
(+375 172) 22 63 47 |
| Fax |
... |
| E-mail |
.. |
| web site: |
|
| Notes |
|
