Security Council of the Republic of Belarus

The Security Council of the Republic of Belarus is the constitutional, supreme collective coordinating and political body that is established to enforce the powers of the President of the Republic of Belarus as the Head of State and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces in national security.
The Security Council of Belarus

In accordance with Article 84 of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus, the President of the Republic of Belarus is the chairman of the Security Council. He appoints members of the council and the state secretary of the Security Council.

The legal framework of the Security Council is shaped by the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus, laws and resolutions of the Head of State, including the National Security Concept, international treaties of the Republic of Belarus in security matters.
 

The Security Council supervises domestic and foreign policy issues of the Republic of Belarus, which affect the national security, makes important decisions to ensure political, economic, scientific, technological, social, demographic, information, military and environmental security of the state and its citizens.

Security Council’s functions are:

  • to determine key national interests, to identify real and potential external and internal security threats;
  • to outline the main principles of the national security strategy, to manage an efficient national security system;
  • to submit proposals to the President of the Republic of Belarus regarding domestic and foreign policies in ensuring personal, public, and national security;
  • to coordinate activities of government authorities in preparation and implementation of decisions in security, to assess effectiveness of their work;
  • to put forward early solutions to prevent emergency situations;
  • to submit proposals to reform the existing or establish new bodies responsible for ensuring personal, public, and national security;
  • to maintain cooperation with other countries in security, to inform the public about the state policy in national security and practical measures for its implementation.

The Security Council includes the President of the Republic of Belarus, who is also the Chairman of the Security Council; and permanent members of the Security Council: the prime minister of the Republic of Belarus, chairpersons of the House of Representatives and the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus, the head of the Belarus President Administration, the state secretary of the Security Council of the Republic of Belarus, the chairman State Control Committee, the prosecutor general, the minister of internal affairs, the minister of defense, the chairman of the State Security Committee.

The Security Council also includes ex officio the defense minister, the head of the General Staff of the Armed Forces – first deputy defense minister, the minister of internal affairs, the minister of foreign affairs, the finance minister, the chairperson of the State Security Committee, the chairperson of the State Control Committee, the prosecutor general, the chairperson of the Investigative Committee, the chairman of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Belarus, the chairman of the board of the National Bank, the chairman of the Investigative Committee, the minister of foreign affairs, the minister of emergencies, the minister of finance, the chairman of the State Authority for Military Industry, the chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces – first deputy minister of defense.

Heads of other ministries and agencies, organizations, the largest Belarusian mass media outlets, members of the parliament, renowned scientists and public figures, experts in economics, law, social politics are also involved in the operation of the Security Council.

The State Secretariat of the Security Council is the working body of the Security Council of the Republic of Belarus.

The State Secretariat of the Security Council provides information and analysis to the President of the Republic of Belarus and the Security Council in national security, in the evaluation of external and internal threats to vital interests of the individual, the society, and the state. The State Secretariat of the Security Council also provides legal, organizational, and technical support for their work. The State Secretariat of the Security Council coordinates the development of the main guidelines of the national security strategy by government agencies.

Upon instructions of the President of the Republic of Belarus the State Secretariat oversees the implementation of resolutions of the Security Council and the work of government agencies tasked with ensuring the security of the individual, the society, and the state.

The State Secretariat of the Security Council supports the work of interagency commissions operating under the aegis of the Security Council of the Republic of Belarus. Those include commissions on economic security, on protection of state secrets, on military and technical cooperation and export control, on information security.