Anatoli Hrushkousky (Head of the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus), in the presence of Deputy Secretary General Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni, signed today the Council of Europe Convention on the counterfeiting of medical products and similar crimes involving threats to public health (known as “MEDICRIME” Convention).

The "MEDICRIME Convention" is the first international criminal law instrument to oblige States Parties to criminalise the manufacturing of counterfeit medical products; supplying, offering to supply and trafficking in counterfeit medical products; the falsification of documents, as well as the unauthorised manufacturing or supplying of medicinal products and the placing on the market of medical devices which do not comply with conformity requirements.

The Convention provides a framework for national and international co-operation across the different sectors of the public administration, measures for co-ordination at national level, preventive measures for use by public and private sectors and protection of victims and witnesses. Furthermore, it foresees the establishment of a monitoring body to oversee the implementation of the Convention by the States Parties.

Belarus is the 29th country to have signed the Convention, which has already been ratified by 12 member states of the Council of Europe (Albania, Armenia, Belgium, France, Hungary, Portugal, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, and Ukraine) and 3 non-member states (Benin, Burkina Faso, and Guinea).