On 16 March, the Secretariat-General of the Council of the EU proposed principles to Member States regarding Russia and Belarus in multilateral fora, following the Russian aggression against Ukraine.
It proposes that measures to suspend Russia and Belarus from international organisations be considered. These measures “should be prioritised, on a case-by-case basis, on the grounds of an assessment of: (a) the EU interests at stake; (b) the legal possibilities offered by the procedural rules of each organisation concerned and the provisions and context of the applicable treaty; (c) the realistic chances of success and the expected level of trans-regional support; (d) the potential consequences for the EU; (e) the integrity of the organisation and the multilateral system”.
According to the secretariat, Europeans should oppose the election or appointment of Russian and Belarusian candidates to official functions or positions of responsibility.
The secretariat advocates preventing Russia and Belarus from hosting international events in multilateral fora, adding that participation in events organised in these countries or those sponsored by them should be avoided and participation in events sponsored by the EU or its Member States should be suspended. “Where appropriate and necessary, consider, in a coordinated manner, lowering the level of EU and Member State participation in high-level meetings at which Russian or Belarusian representatives speak”, the secretariat adds.
In addition, efforts should be made to suspend projects of international organisations, including the UN, that are not in line with EU sanctions.
However, the Secretariat-General points out that in some cases, the suspension of engagement with Russia and/or Belarus could be detrimental to the EU’s interests, citing - inter alia - the Iran nuclear deal, the climate and environment, the WHO and the OSCE. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)