The Group of Friends has supported Belarus’ initiative on a greater involvement of UNESCO in the implementation of the UN Global Plan of Action against Trafficking in Persons adopted in 2010 on the initiative of Belarus.  Belarus continues its work at the 192nd session of the UNESCO Executive Board. The Group of Friends United against Human Trafficking held their first meeting at UNESCO headquarters in Paris on 2 October under the chairmanship of Belarus' Representative to the UNESCO Executive Board Yuri Ambrazevich and with the participation of Belarus' Permanent Representative at UNESCO Pavel Latushko. The Group of Friends was established on Belarus’ initiative and comprises 22 countries that regularly hold meetings in New York, Vienna, and Geneva.
     The Group of Friends emphasized UNESCO’s leading role in the fields of education, freedom of information, development of humanities, which makes this organization the most important instrument of international efforts to fight modern slavery. Belarus expects that the Group of Friends will formalize the results of the discussion on human trafficking counteraction in a UNESCO General Conference resolution.