10-Point Program for Real Change by Pavel Latushka and NAM

Fundamental Framework for Systemic Changes and Resolving the Internal Crisis in Belarus

Alexander Lukashenko's initiatives to present Minsk as a "negotiation platform" and his attempts to draw the international community into a "Minsk-3" format for talks on settling the Russo-Ukrainian war pursue a single goal: to divert attention from the second key problem in the region. This problem lies in the ongoing, severe socio-political and legal crisis inside Belarus created by the Lukashenko regime itself.

His attempts to construct the status of a "neutral arbiter" are incompatible with a reality in which mass repression continues inside the country, thousands of citizens are held in detention facilities, tens of thousands face persecution, hundreds of thousands have been deported from the country, and Belarusian territory and infrastructure are used for co-aggression in the military war against Ukraine.

The team of National Anti-Crisis Management (NAM) / Народнае антыкрызіснае ўпраўленне (НАУ), led by Pavel Latushka, is convinced: one-off concessions and tactical deals with the regime cannot lead to long-term stability. Systemic changes in Belarus must remain the ultimate goal of international efforts and the efforts of Belarusian democratic forces.

In this regard, we propose the "10-Point Program for Real Change" as a baseline platform addressed to two key parties:

1. International Partners – as a strategic framework to adhere to regarding the Lukashenko regime. Any contacts and negotiations with Minsk must be conditioned on concrete steps to stop repression, restore citizens' rights, and initiate a genuine, inclusive dialogue with civil society.This position fully aligns with official decisions of the European Union. Specifically, the Council Conclusions on Belarus, adopted by the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union on 19 February 2024 (para. 5), explicitly state:“The Council continues to support the democratic right of the Belarusian people to elect their representatives through free and fair elections. The EU calls on the authorities of Belarus to engage in a genuine and inclusive dialogue with all elements of society with a view to holding free and fair elections, under the observation of the OSCE/ODIHR and in accordance with internationally recognised standards.”(Source: Consilium Document 6737/24, Council of the European Union)

2. Functional Authorities in Belarus – as the most rational, constructive, and practical algorithm to end internal confrontation, restore legality, sovereignty, and the international standing of the Republic of Belarus.

10-Point Program for Real Change

1. Cessation of repression and release of all political prisoners.

2. Guarantees of safe return for Belarusian emigrants, activists, and politicians without threat of prosecution.

3. Decriminalization of socio-political activities, including the activities of political parties and NGOs in Belarus.

4. Decriminalization of independent media activities in Belarus.

5. Cessation of the use of criminal and administrative law enforcement practices for politically motivated prosecution of opponents and representatives of civil society.

6. Revocation of normative acts restricting the rights of Belarusians abroad, with the restoration of consular services, passport issuance, and voting rights overseas.

7. Launch of the Belarusian Round Table on resolving the political crisis and preserving state sovereignty and independence between the acting functional authorities of Belarus and democratic forces under international mediation.

8. Cessation of any further escalation of Belarus's involvement in Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine, and prevention of further use of Belarusian territory, airspace, and infrastructure for this aggression.

9. Full rehabilitation of all unlawfully convicted individuals and cancellation of all politically motivated decisions in criminal and administrative cases.

10. Return of confiscated, seized, and attached property.

Our Principled Position

The implementation of the "10-Point Program for Real Change" is a necessary prerequisite for restoring legal order within the country and returning Belarus to its status as a sovereign and predictable participant in international relations.

We insist that determining the future of the country must be built on the foundational principle: “Nothing about Belarusians without Belarusians” / «Нічога пра беларусаў без самих беларусаў». Without fulfilling these conditions, any international initiatives of the regime remain illegitimate and incapable of bringing about a real resolution to the crisis in Belarus and the region.