Seimas calls for suspending Russia and Belarus from UNESCO

Press release, 22 March 2022 

The Seimas calls for suspending the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus from UNESCO committees, intergovernmental councils and programmes in the fields of culture, education, science and information policy. The related Resolution was adopted unanimously by 113 votes in favour.

‘The war waged by the Russian Federation against independent Ukraine constitutes a gross violation of the principles of international law and of the Charter of the United Nations by threatening European and global security and stability, running counter to the mission and the values of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), and undermining the efforts of the international community to build a culture of peace,’ the Resolution reads.

It stresses that the military action of Russia and its accomplice Belarus against Ukraine make membership of these countries in the United Nations and UNESCO impossible. ‘The destruction of cultural heritage and of educational, scientific and cultural institutions is a war crime, and the destruction of Ukrainian cultural treasures is detrimental to the cultural heritage of mankind as a whole,’ the Resolution states.

Concurrently, the Seimas calls for combating the disinformation spread by the Russian Federation and for backing free, independent and impartial media as one of the cornerstones of democracy.

In the Resolution, a call is also issued for ensuring the security and freedom of expression of Ukrainian educators, academics, artists, and cultural workers, monitoring the damage caused to Ukraine’s cultural treasures and educational and scientific infrastructure, and supporting the revitalisation of Ukraine’s educational, cultural and scientific sectors.

When presenting the Resolution, Vytautas Juozapaitis, Chair of the Seimas Committee on Culture, said that this was a Lithuanian political declaration that should be made heard by both the United Nations and UNESCO. ‘This message is, first and foremost, addressed to the current leadership of the organization. They should reflect on the situation and stay on the side of truth, peace, art, culture and education in the face of this inconceivable and cynical war,’ Mr Juozapaitis said.

Rimas Rudaitis, Adviser, Press Office, Information and Communication Department, tel. +370 5 239 6132, e-mail: [email protected]