The Prosecutor General of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Koniuk took part in the 28th meeting of the Coordinating Council of Prosecutors General of the Member States of the Commonwealth of Independent States

On September 20 2018 in Dushanbe (Republic of Tajikistan) the 28th meeting of the Coordinating Council of Prosecutors General of the Commonwealth of Independent States (hereinafter – the CCGP) was held where Alexander Koniuk, Prosecutor General of the Republic of Belarus, took part and delivered a report. 

As an honorable guest the President of the International Association of Prosecutors Gerhard Jarosch also addressed the participants with a welcome speech. 

During the meeting the heads of supervisory agencies exchanged information on best practices of prosecutorial activities, including fight against corruption, compliance with lawful activity of the bodies of inquiry and preliminary investigation. 

The results of the implementation in 2017 of the CIS member states programs of cooperation on the fight against terrorism and other violent demonstration of extremism, illegal trafficking of psychoactive substances, human trafficking, illegal migration and crimes involving the use of information technologies were considered. 

This topic was also raised during the meeting of the heads of delegations of the CCGP with the President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon due to a previously scheduled meeting of the Council of CIS Heads of State on September 28, 2018 in Dushanbe. 

The Prosecutors General were acquainted with the progress in implementing this year the program for the exchange of experience, the conduct of scientific research and seminars of prosecutors in the field of protecting the rights and legitimate interests of minors for 2018-2020. 

They approved an analytical report and a summary on the criminality state, investigative work, prosecutorial activities, ensuring by prosecutors the rights of citizens outside their state, the practice of implementing international treaties in the criminal law sphere in the CIS member states for 2017. 

The Prosecutor General of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Koniuk in his statement presented information about the work of the prosecutor's office to counteract driving in a state of alcoholic intoxication. 

The head of the office noted that ensuring the safe living of the population, an integral part of which is road safety, is one of the main directions of the internal policy of the Belarusian state. 

Alexander Koniuk informed that on behalf of the Head of State, the General Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Belarus developed a draft law on adjusting the norms of administrative and criminal legislation, which was adopted in 2013: 

- a twofold increase in the amount of the fine imposed administratively;
- the criminal law establishes a differentiated liability for violation of traffic rules or the operation of vehicles by a driver in a state of alcoholic or narcotic intoxication;
- additional punishment in the form of deprivation of the right to drive means became uncontested;
- increased responsibility for the committing a repeated accident in the state of intoxication;
- the criminal law introduced a special confiscation of the vehicle regardless of property belonging. 

The Prosecutor General of Belarus drew attention to the fact that the court and the bodies conducting the administrative process began to notify the owners of the fact of the offense, since the bringing to administrative responsibility was of prejudicial importance and subsequently could lead to loss of ownership of the vehicle. 

As the changes currently under way in the criminal law, Alexander Koniuk indicated:
- the establishment of a minimum and an increase in the maximum sentence in the form of imprisonment for "drunk" driving with serious consequences;
- application of the non-alternative five-year period of driving license deprivation. 

"The adoption of such measures will allow to consolidate the positive trends in the field of road safety, reduce the number of offenses and crimes related to drunkenness driving, reduce the number of accidents caused by drunk drivers and people affected by them," Alexander Koniuk assured. 

At the end of the event, the meeting participants approved the proposal to hold the 29^th meeting of the CCGP in the Kyrgyz Republic in the autumn of 2019, took note of the initiative to hold the 30^th meeting of the CCGP in 2020 in the Republic of Uzbekistan. 

The heads of the delegations of the Prosecutor General's Office of the CIS member states noted the atmosphere of trust and mutual understanding during the meeting, underscored the importance of coordinating the fight against the most dangerous types of crimes, the need to deepen cooperation in the field of protecting the rights and freedoms of citizens.

Photo: genproc.gov.ru