GENEVA - UN experts* today expressed serious concern over proposed regulations in Belarus that would introduce a mandatory State register for tutors and other independent educators, and prohibit individuals convicted of so-called 'extremist' offences from engaging in a range of independent educational activities involving children.
"We are alarmed that the proposed measures may further exclude and stigmatise individuals who have been prosecuted under Belarus' broadly framed anti-extremism legislation, including for activities protected under international human rights law," the experts said.
The draft Resolution would require tutors, music teachers, art instructors, speech therapists and other independent educators working with children to be registered with the Ministry of Education before they could legally provide services. The register would be publicly accessible and maintained by the Ministry of Education, which would request information from the Ministry of Internal Affairs to verify whether applicants are subject to restrictions.
The experts expressed concern that this vetting mechanism could further institutionalise the misuse of anti-extremism legislation to restrict access to the independent exercise of professions. They recalled having repeatedly alerted Belarus that the vague and overbroad term of "extremism" has no basis in binding international law standards and is irreconcilable with the requirement of legal certainty. Furthermore, the experts were concerned that since information would be publicly accessible, it could interfere with the right to privacy.
"Where convictions stem from peaceful expression, association, participation in public affairs, civic activism, journalism or cultural activities, imposing broad professional restrictions may amount to unlawful punishment for exercising fundamental rights if they are not necessary, proportionate and based on objective criteria rather than political considerations," the experts said.
"We are concerned that burdensome registration requirements and arbitrary exclusions may disproportionately interfere with women's economic opportunities and financial independence, as many women rely on tutoring and other flexible educational work as a source of income whilst balancing childcare and family responsibilities," they said.
The experts noted that the Justification Note accompanying the draft regulations states that one of its objectives is to protect the 'spiritual and moral values of the Belarusian people' - vague concepts which risk justifying discrimination, political exclusion or ideological control over educational activities.
"Protecting children is a legitimate objective, but invocations of 'moral values' should not be used to limit diversity of opinion, independent educational initiatives or the legitimate exercise of fundamental rights," the experts said.
The experts also highlighted the consultation process itself. "Meaningful public participation is essential to democratic governance and sound policymaking," they said. "A consultation period of only 10 days for legislation with potentially significant implications does not appear sufficient to enable informed public debate and meaningful engagement by affected stakeholders."
The experts urged Belarusian authorities to refrain from adopting the proposed regulations and review existing legislation to ensure compliance with international human rights law.
The communication of experts sent to the Belarusian authorities is public as of 15 June 2026.
