In most Western European countries as well as in the USA mass anticoronavirus demonstrations also brought about a number of long-standing problems while authorities’ reaction on them was mostly extremely violent and brutal. Water cannons, mounted police, pepper spray, police dogs were used this spring in the Netherlands, Germany, France, Belgium, Austria and in the USA. In the United Kingdom the new Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill expanded the powers of the police, allowing it to restrict even peaceful demonstrations. Peaceful protests against the Bill were suppressed by force, like it happened in Manchester and in Bristol this March. Moreover, the riots in the Northern Ireland provoked by the dissatisfaction of certain groups of the population with the conditions of Brexit have been going on unabated for several months now.

Our world today is facing many challenges. The negative impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the global socio-economic landscape is aggravated by political factors such as the rise in confrontation, centrifugal trends in multilateral trade, the abuse of protectionist measures, the use of illegitimate unilateral restrictions. There is an escalation of various contradictions between states, which may have the most serious consequences for the world economy. We are witnessing the fragmentation and destruction of well-established cross-border cooperation chains. The well-being of people is being damaged, the prospects for global economic growth are being undermined, and therefore the opportunities for effective implementation of the development goals, including those of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Agenda 2030), are being put at risk. The choice of the UNCTAD as a platform for discussing these pressing issues seems to be warranted. Such an event is particularly relevant in the context of the preparations for the forthcoming 15th UNCTAD Ministerial Conference, one of the most important objectives of which, in our view, is to forge a broad unifying global agenda on trade and development for the near future.

For the purpose of preventing the spread of COVID-19 infection, the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2021 will take place in compliance with recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) and Rospotrebnadzor, the Russian Federal Service for Oversight on Consumer Rights Protection and Welfare. If all prevention measures are complied with, attending the Forum will be safe for everyone.

The United Nations Compensation Commission is a subsidiary organ of the United Nations Security Council. It was established in 1991 in accordance with Security Council resolutions 687 (1991) and 692 (1991) to process claims and pay compensation for losses and damages incurred by individuals, corporations, Governments and international organizations as a direct result of Iraq’s invasion and occupation of Kuwait (2 August 1990 to 2 March 1991). The Commission received approximately 2.7 million claims and concluded its review of all claims in 2005. Approximately $52.4 billion was awarded to over 100 Governments and international organizations for distribution to the successful 1.5 million claims in all claim categories.

Russia, as one of the major players in the international energy markets, fully supports the efforts of the global community to combat climate change, protect the environment and implement environmental management. In this regard, in 2016, Russia signed the Paris Agreement and in 2019 adopted it. Moreover, in order to implement the Paris Agreement, in November 2020, the President of the Russian Federation signed a Decree on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in our country.

On April 7 it was signed in Geneva by Amb. R. Wood, the US Commissioner of the Bilateral Consultative Commission under the Treaty. The procedure will be concluded in Moscow where the Decision is to be signed by the Russian Commissioner. Thereafter the Decision is to come into force.

Distinguished colleagues! Honorable Dr Tedros! On behalf of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation and on my own behalf, I am pleased to welcome you today. The event takes place in the context of an ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. All countries and international associations contribute to the global effort to fight it. At this difficult time, I express my gratitude to the medical community for the efforts made to fight the new coronavirus infection and other infectious diseases. One of them is tuberculosis, which annually claims about 1.5 million lives.

Excellencies, Special Rapporteur, Children’s Rights Commissioner, Dear Participants, Thank you for your interest in the today’s discussion. I am honoured to open this side event which is organized by the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, the Bulan Institute for Peace Innovations in Geneva and the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations in Geneva.

- We thank the Implementation Support Unit (ISU) of the Biological & Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) and the UNODA Geneva Branch for convening this virtual workshop in order to promote the BTWC. Russia, being among the founding fathers of the BTWC and one of its depositaries along with the United Kingdom and the United States, attaches high importance to the universalization and the strengthening of the BTWC as well as to the improvement of its implementation. - Since 1975, the BTWC has remained one of the basic pillars of disarmament and international security prohibiting an entire category of weapons of mass destruction. As a collective endeavour it enshrines commitments by its State Parties to promote co-operation for peaceful purposes and provide assistance and protection from biological weapons.

Mr. President, Colleagues, I appreciate the opportunity to address this authoritative forum. 2020 was a difficult year in all respects. It saw a growing destructive trend toward the collapse of the existing international arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation regimes, an increasing tension and lack of trust between UN Member States. Unfortunately, the United States continued taking steps to substitute some global "rules-based order" imposed by Washington for international law and the central role of the United Nations. After withdrawing from the JCPOA in 2018 and dismantling the INF Treaty in 2019, the United States decided, in 2020, to withdraw from the Treaty on Open Skies, thereby undermining international security.