WG2 CSF EaP: Towards the creation of a regional network EU4Digital: eUnion

Русский

The EU's Eastern Partnership Program within Thematic Platform 2 “Economic Integration and Convergence with EU Policy “provides for multilateral cooperation to achieve interconnectedness of information and communication infrastructures (ICI), both between partner countries and between them and the EU countries.

The digital market is based on IKI and the regulatory framework. The integrity of the IKI is inextricably linked with the territorial integrity.

With the occupation of the Ukrainian Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, PACE on April 9, 2014 adopted Resolution №1988 (2014) "Recent Events in Ukraine: Threats to the Functioning of Democratic Institutions". Pointing to the risk of destabilization and deterioration of the security regime of the entire region in the event of further Russian armed aggression against Ukraine, PACE recommends the guarantor countries and other interested European states to conclude additional agreements to the Budapest Memorandum that would guarantee the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

Leonid Kuchma signed the Budapest Memorandum on behalf of Ukraine.

Alexander Lukashenko signed the Budapest Memorandum on behalf of the Republic of Belarus.

In December 1994, with the signing of the Budapest Memorandum, the OSCE Summit adopted a Code of Conduct on Politico-Military Aspects of Security:

17. The participating States commit themselves to co-operate, including through development of sound economic and environmental conditions, to counter tensions that may lead to conflict. The sources of such tensions include violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms and of other commitments in the human dimension; manifestations of aggressive nationalism, racism, chauvinism, xenophobia and anti-semitism also endanger peace and security.

On May 14, 2014, the EaP CSF WG2 adopted the Strategy "Eastern Partnership: Information Society Instead of War". In pursuance of the recommendation of the PACE resolution, as an additional agreement to the Budapest Memorandum, it was proposed to conclude agreements on accession to the European Declaration on e-Government (Malmö Declaration, eUnion program).

On June 11, 2015, the proposal of the EaP CSF WG2 on the accession of partner countries to the eUnion program was approved in the Joint Declaration on the digital economy of the EU and Eastern Partnership countries.

On November 18-19, 2015, within the framework of Thematic Platform 2 (Economic Integration and Convergence with EU Political Stances), the Group for Harmonization of EU and EaP Digital Markets (HDM Panel) was formed under the chairmanship of the European Commission's Directorate General for Communication Networks, Content and Technologies DG CNECT) .The HDM Panel includes representatives of WG2 of the EaP CSF.

On October 17-18, 2016, the Concept of the Digital Community with Eastern Partnership partners was approved, which provides for the creation of regional EU4Digital networks in the relevant thematic areas. 

The harmonization of the digital markets of partner countries with the countries participating in the eUnion program (EU countries, EU candidates and members of the European Free Trade Area (EFTA)) should be preceded by measures to harmonize their institutional systems in order to close the digital divide with eUnion. These measures include the restoration of the rule of law (rehabilitation, restitution, lustration) and democracy (counteraction to the violation of the electoral rights of citizens during elections and government).

Representatives of WG2 CSF EaP and Estonia at the HDM Panel proposed the creation of a regional network EU4Digital: eUnion. The proposal was rejected by Vassilis Copanas, DG CNECT International Relations Officer of the European Commission, without giving any reasons.

In 2019, on May 22 in Ukraine and September 5 in Belarus, the European Union announced the start of the EU4Digital initiative aimed at expanding the European Union's Digital Single Market to the Eastern Partnership countries.

The implementation of the road maps (eUkraine + eUnion) and (eBelarus + eUnion) should be carried out with the support of the United States and Great Britain - the guarantor countries of Ukraine and Belarus under the Budapest Memorandum. 

When harmonizing the digital markets of partner countries with eUnion program participants, special requirements are imposed on the rule of law in order to achieve the required quality of information in terms of its completeness, reliability and integrity for its subsequent use within the framework of e-government and cross-border electronic interaction.

On May 23, 2019, on the Belarusian initiative upon the conclusion of the "Minsk agreements" and the implementation of the policy of their "no alternative" to the detriment of the security guarantees of Ukraine under the Budapest Memorandum, criminal proceedings were opened under Part 1 of Art. 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (high treason). At the moment, the investigation of the case has been suspended due to the resumption of negotiations in the "Normandy format" on December 9, 2019.

On June 8, 2020, the initiative was declared to dismiss A. Lukashenko from the post of President of the Republic of Belarus for committing grave crimes (seizure of state power by unconstitutional means and treason to the state).

On the fact of collective violence against citizens because of their political convictions, committed after the "elections" on August 9, charges were brought against A. Lukashenko and his entourage under Art. 128 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus (crime against the safety of humanity) – appeal to the deputies of parliament.

In Belarus, as of May 21, 667 criminal cases against 944 participants in street protests were sent to courts, of which 682 have already been convicted.

At the same time, not a single criminal case has been initiated on the facts of the killings of participants in peaceful protests, violence and torture against them. At the moment, 862 people have been recognized as political prisoners in Belarus. 

On May 17, 2021 A. Lukashenko signed the law "On Amendments to the Laws on the Issues of Ensuring the National Security of the Republic of Belarus." Now the security forces are empowered to use military and special equipment in suppressing mass riots (peaceful protests) and are exempt from responsibility for the harm caused to citizens.

On May 18, the largest Belarusian information and service Internet portal TUT.BY (3.303 million real users and 62.58% of coverage in the country) was destroyed. 14 employees of the edition were taken into custody.

On May 23, using a military MiG-29 fighter jet and false information about the presence of explosives on board, a Ryanair civilian plane was forcibly landed in Minsk on the Athens-Vilnius flight.

An act of international terrorism by intentionally violating the Chicago Convention of April 4, 1947 "On International Civil Aviation" and the Montreal UN Convention of 1971 "On the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Civil Aviation" was carried out solely for the sake of capturing one journalist - Roman Protasevich, the founder of the Telegram channel Nexta, included by the Belarusian KGB on the "list of terrorists" for covering and coordinating street protests. No doubt, that this act of international terrorism was carried out to capture the founder of the Nexta Telegram channel, Roman Protasevich, who was included by the Belarusian KGB on the "list of terrorists" for covering and coordinating street protests.

Due to the fault of the Lukashenka regime, 171 passengers of 18 nationalities were in mortal danger, of which 94 were citizens of the Republic of Lithuania. The General Prosecutor's Office of Lithuania has launched a pre-trial investigation into the hijacking of the plane and the prohibited treatment of people.

Tyranny has no place either in Belarus or in Europe. It threatens not only its citizens, but also millions of others around the world.

On May 29, the Coalition for Freedom of the Media adopted a statement in connection with the arrest of Roman Protasevich.

Within the framework of the Moscow Mechanism established by 17 OSCE participating States, a report was prepared and, in order to implement its recommendations, it was decided to create an International Platform for Belarus (IAPB) to bring to justice those responsible for serious human rights violations, including crimes against humanity.

During the implementation of the roadmaps (eUkraine + eUnion) and (eBelarus + eUnion), the international legal partnership Global Rights Compliance with headquarters in The Hague is interested in accompanying the submission of a single Ukrainian-Belarusian case to the UN Security Council for the adoption of a special resolution in accordance with Article 13 (b) Rome Statute for the consideration of international crimes (war crimes in Ukraine, crimes against humanity in Belarus) at the International Criminal Court in The Hague (international campaign "The Road to The Hague").

The International Charitable Foundation "Belarus of the Future" with registration in Tallinn has begun the implementation of the program "(eBelarus + eUnion): Support for the Implementation of Institutional Reforms" (eBelarus). 

As part of the implementation of the roadmap (eBelarus + eUnion), cooperation has begun with the community of multidisciplinary teams of Meta-Belarus on the development of the Belarusian platform of the digital state.

The Republic of Belarus is in the state of a "captured" state. The eBelarus residency will be provided on the basis of the passportisation of citizens of Belarus, both on its territory and abroad, in synchronization with the European Digital Identification System (EDIF).

It is proposed to link the creation of an International Platform for Belarus to prosecute perpetrators of crimes with the creation of the International Platform "eBelarus", with the integration of the services of the digital state platform with the services of the European Union and with the formation of a regional network EU4Digital: eUnion.  

Joe Biden: The world is divided into digital democracies and authoritarian regimes. 

The problem with security in the Eastern Partnership (in the OSCE region) is the problem of redistributing the "potential for violence" between two institutional systems - Western (sanctions) and pro-Russian (violence and war).

With the introduction of Western sanctions against the Lukashenka regime, the defeat of the expert community began. This strengthens the dependence of Belarus on Russia within the framework of the "union state" and leads to a new round of tension in Europe.

By openly supporting the Belarusian dictator, who, in order to preserve his tyranny, seizes an aircraft that is the territory of a NATO country (register of Poland), the Kremlin is implementing its strategy "from escalation to de-escalation" and is strengthening its positions in the region. The lack of an agreed response to this strategy increases the risks of a military confrontation, up to a nuclear one.

On June 1, Alexander Lukashenko, in violation of the resolution of the UN General Assembly of March 27, 2014, № 68/262 "Territorial integrity of Ukraine", ordered the opening of flights to the Russian-occupied Ukrainian Crimea.

This step will have disastrous consequences for the OSCE region. In world practice, a contender is being created for confrontation between the two countries, which have been provided with security guarantees under the Budapest Memorandum.

The refusal of the dictator Lukashenko from the implementation of the international policy of non-recognition of the changed status of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, approved by 100 UN countries with reference to the security guarantees under the Budapest Memorandum, will lead to serious consequences - Belarusians will defend the "union" Crimea as part of the "allied" army with Russia!

In this regard, notable is the criminal prosecution of Dzianis Ivashyn, a Ukrainian-Belarusian investigative journalist of the InformNapalm International Community since 2014 (Dzianis Ivashyn’s case).

Dzianis Ivashyn is prosecuted under Art. 365 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus ("Intervention in the activities of an employee of internal affairs") for the articles about the influence of the "Russian world" in Belarus and the transfer of former Ukrainian security officials to the service of the Lukashenka regime.

The torture used against the journalist caused heart rhythm irregularities that threaten to develop into a heart attack. Denis Ivashin's relatives were denied his hospitalization.

Belarus has ruled out the possibility of bringing Alyaksandr Lukashenka to criminal responsibility for the seizure of state power and state treason after holding illegal "referendums" (14.05.1995, 24.11.1996, 17.10.2004) and signing the "union agreement" with Russia on 8 December 1999, to the detriment of the security guarantees of Belarus under the Budapest Memorandum. This leads to the legalisation of the political system established by Lukashenka with Russian support by prosecuting journalists for state treason (the case of Andrei Aleksandrov).

Report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights "Situation of human rights in Belarus in the context of the 2020 presidential elections".

On September 9, 2020, the PACE Legal and Human Rights Committee proposed, in cooperation with other international bodies, to establish an international investigative body to collect evidence of human rights crimes in Belarus.

International crimes must be ruled out in countries that have been provided with security guarantees based on the principles of the OSCE Helsinki Final Act under the Budapest Memorandum!

In order to restore the security system in the OSCE region, it is proposed, within the framework of the European "triple", to organize control over the implementation of the decisions of the Council of Europe, the European Union and the OSCE during the creation of a regional network EU4Digital: eUnion.

Ihar Lednik, co-author of the Joint Declaration on the Digital Economy of the EU and Eastern Partnership countries, Executive Secretary of the International Committee "For the Budapest Memorandum!" ("actions in the interests of the state" - Chapter 50 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus).

* – Working Group 2 of the Civil Society Forum Eastern Partnership