The Republic of Belarus (Belarus) is located in eastern Europe. It borders Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Russia and Ukraine. Belarus is divided into six regions (oblast): Brest oblast, Vitebsk oblast, Gomel oblast, Grodno oblast, Minsk oblast and Mogilev oblast. The capital of Belarus is the city of Minsk, which is the biggest political, economic, scientific and cultural center of the country. In the first quarter of 2005 the Republic of Belarus' population was 9.78 million people.

BELARUS HOLDS NATIONAL ROUND OF JESSUP MOOT COURT COMPETITION  

At the Competition MINSK - With funding from USAID, ABA CEELI administered this year’s Belarus National Round of the Jessup International Moot Court Competition held in Minsk on February 11 and 12, 2006, at the Institute on Education for Judges, Prosecutors and Legal Professionals. Four teams from different universities competed, giving Belarus the largest increase in participation in the international competition this year.  The Jessup Competition brings together the top law students from over 90 countries.  Now in its 47th year, the Jessup Competition is the world’s largest event for law students, with participants from over 570 law schools participating in 2005-2006.  The Competition is a simulation of oral and written pleadings before the International Court of Justice, during which the students submit English language written briefs on hypothetical case, and present oral arguments in English before a three judge panel.  The Belarus National Round was judged by lawyers from the U.S. Embassy, UNHCR and OSCE.  In March the winning team will travel to Washington to deliver oral arguments in head-to-head competition with their counterparts from around the world.  For more information, contact Jodi Rafkin, Rule of Law Liaison  jodi@ceeli.org.by.

NEW PROGRAM FOR HUMAN AND INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT

WASHINGTON – September, 2005. USAID has begun implementing the Community Connections Program for human and institutional capacity development. The Program offers three to five week-long practical training opportunities in the United States for entrepreneurs, local government officials, non-governmental organization leaders, education administrators, as well as medical, business support, and environmental professionals. Participants live with American host families. In Belarus, the program will be administered by the American Center for Education and Research (ACER). An estimated 50 Belarusians will annually be able to take advantage of the opportunity to obtain first-hand knowledge in their field of expertise.

NEW PROGRAM TO IMPROVE COMMUNITY SERVICES TO VULNERABLE GROUPS OF POPULATION

MINSK - September, 2005. The USAID Mission for Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus is funding a three-year program to improve community services to vulnerable groups of population in Belarus. The program consists of two components: Supporting Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Belarus and HIV/AIDS NGO Capacity Building in Belarus. The first component is for three years; the second – for two years.

IN EARLY JULY 2005, THE FIRST EVER CAP/CIPA EXAMS IN BELARUS IN INTERNATIONAL ACCOUNTING STANDARDS WERE CONDUCTED UNDER THE BELARUS ECONOMIC EDUCATION PROJECT FUNDED BY USAID

 

CAP/CIPA Exam MINSK - In early July 2005, the Belarus Economic Education Project (BEEP) conducted the first-ever internationally- recognized certified accounting examinations free-of-charge, with a number of Belarusian accountants and auditors from both the private and public sectors participating. USAID sponsored the CAP/CIPA (Certified Accounting Practitioner/Certified International Professional Accountant) Exams, as part of a training program that is being implemented by Development Alternatives, Inc., in coordination with BIZPRO and the Institute of Privatization and Management in Minsk. Since April, BEEP has prepared and provided three training courses for 118 Belarusian participants: two in Accounting, Financial Accounting (FA1) and Managerial Accounting (MA1) and one in Tax and Law (T&L). BIZPRO created an infrastructure for the CAP/CIPA exam training in Minsk by training the trainers – 15 people in FA1 and 15 people in MA1; preparing exam facilities; and conducting the first ever exams in Belarus. The actual number of exam participants in FA1 and MA1 exams was higher than the number of course graduates - 57 and 48 - respectively, but all the willing were given the opportunity to test their knowledge. The next cycle of FA1, MA1, and T&L training courses will start this September, with exams scheduled for November. In this cycle, BEEP will cover all training and examination costs for MA1, FA1 and T&L, making them cost-free to participants in the CAP/CIPA Program once again. Gradually, fee-based services will be introduced.

PREVENTION OF TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS IN BELARUS

MINSK - The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), office of the Regional Mission for Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova in Minsk has launched the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons in Belarus project. The project is part of a broader U.S. Government effort to address criminal trade in human beings, particularly the exploitation of young women. The two-year, $1,000,000 project will be implemented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Belarus.

BELARUS ECONOMIC EDUCATION PROJECT (BEEP)

MINSK - The USAID Mission for Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus has launched the Belarus Economic Education Project (BEEP), which will be implemented by Development Alternatives, Inc. (DAI) through the regional BIZPRO Project in partnership with Belarusian research and education institutions. The project goal is to provide a broad range of professionals and the general public with access to information regarding steps that can be taken to improve the country's long-term economic growth and foster improvement of financial reporting in Belarus to bring it into compliance with international standards.

BELARUS MICRO CREDIT PROGRAM

MINSK - In April 2005, USAID contributed $150,000 to the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to assist in expanding the micro credit capacities of lending institutions in Belarus. This 6-month project will help EBRD partner banks to expand micro and small enterprise (MSE) lending operations into at least two new regions (Gomel and Vitebsk) by setting up efficient procedures for MSE lending, and by conducting on-the-job training for the local staff. Using financial experts and consultants, the project will select and train 25 loan officers for the new branches to be opened by the EBRD partner banks in the new regions.

The USAID Assistance Strategy for Belarus includes programs to promote civil society participation, support NGO development and independent media through technical assistance, training and small grants, and strengthen democratic political process.

• BIZPRO Economic Education Project (BEEP)
• Prevention of Trafficking in Persons in Belarus
• Rule of Law Development Program
• Community Services to Vulnerable Groups
• Eurasia Foundation Program
• Agribusiness Volunteer Program in West NIS (AVP)
• Community Connections

• American Bar Association's Central European & Eurasian Law Initiative (ABA/CEELI)
• American Center for Education and Research, Inc.
• Citizens Network for Foreign Affairs (CNFA)
• Christian Children's Fund
• Development Alternatives, Inc. - BIZPRO
• Eurasia Foundation
• International Organization for Migration (IOM) (in Russian only)

USAID is not responsible for the contents of the following sites:

U.S. Government

• U.S. Embassy - Minsk

Other Internet Resources

• Embassy of Belarus in Washington, United States of America
• UN in Belarus
• Presidential Administration of the Republic of Belarus
• National Academy of Sciences of Belarus
• Ministry of Education of Belarus
• Council of Ministers
• National Center of Legal Information of the Republic of Belarus
• Information Guide to Belarus
• About Belarus
• Information Portal for Belarusian Non-Governmental Organizations

News Media

• BELAPAN News Agency
• Belarus Today
• Belarus & Business

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Minsk, Belarus, 220002
Tel: +375 17 210 1283
Fax: + 375 17 211 3032
http://belarus.usaid.gov
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