Written question asked by Lord Mann (Labour) on Friday, 7 January 2011, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 12 January 2011. It was answered by David Lidington (Conservative) on Wednesday, 12 January 2011 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Belarus: Elections

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the implications for the UK's policy on election monitoring of the decision of the Government of Belarus to withdraw facilities from the election monitoring team sent by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: On 31 December 2010,1 made a statement underlining that the UK strongly regrets Belarus's decision to veto the renewal of the mandate of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Mission in Belarus and calling for this decision to be revised immediately.In addition to its role of supporting the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights in conducting their election observation mission, the OSCE Mission in Belarus makes other vital contributions. The mission not only encourages democratic reform, but also promotes institution building, consolidating the rule of law, the development of civil society and the freedom of the media. Further valuable work is also conducted in addressing issues of common regional security, such as energy security and border management.

Secondary information