High-level conference on Belarus: “Building foundations for democratic change” 

WHEN: Monday 8 December, 9.00-9.45

WHERE: Room 3G2 in the European Parliament’s Spinelli building in Brussels

The high-level conference is a collaboration between the European Parliament and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), with the support of the European Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS). It is the fifth in a series of events held over the past two years, focusing on the reform package developed by Belarusian democratic actors and the international community’s efforts to support the Belarusian people.

The event - Belarus: Building foundations for democratic change” - will be opened on Monday 8 December at 9.00 CET by European Parliament Vice-president Nicolae Ștefănuță, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, leader of the Belarusian democratic forces Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, and the Secretary-general of International IDEA, Kevin Casas-Zamora. EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas will also participate in the event. Across several panels, participants will explore the prospects for and challenges inherent in democratic reform, their potential impact on the political landscape, and the role of civil society in driving change. The aim of the conference is to support the conceptual development of reforms in Belarus by offering a platform for dialogue between the Belarusian democratic movement, MEPs, the European Commission and the EEAS, legal experts, and representatives of international organisations and European member states.

Important information

Only the opening session, 9.00-9.45 CET, and the intervention by Kaja Kallas, at 14.15-14.30 CET, will be open to the media. The rest of the conference will be held in camera.

You can also watch the opening and Ms Kallas' intervention live here.