YouSaid · the spoken record

Frankinet

lines on the record: 176
first: 2013-04-17
most recent: 2016-07-28
sittings or episodes: 29
sources: un-security-council

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“Ms. Frankinet (Belgium) (spoke in French): I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for giving me the opportunity to participate in this meeting. I would also like to thank Under-Secretary-General Feltman for his briefing. On behalf of the Government and the people of Belgium, I would like first to express my most heartfelt condolences to the Government of Malaysia, as well as to the families and friends of the 298 people who were aboard the Malaysia Airlines plane shot down in eastern Ukraine. There were five Belgian nationals among the victims. Our thoughts are with those who mourn today, in particular the friends and families and the Government of the Netherlands, a country close to us.”
2014-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7219 (2014) · source
“Besides that, other due process safeguards should be introduced in other sanctions regimes, such as informing in a timely manner the listed individual or entity of the designation and communicating a narrative summary of reasons for listing. Lastly, the holds procedure time limits adopted by the Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999) and 1989 (2011) could be extended to other sanctions regimes. The Group of Like-Minded States would be happy to further discuss these proposals with the members of the Security Council and all members of the General Assembly.”
2014-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7184 (2014) · source
“At the same time, Member States and relevant international organizations and bodies should encourage individuals or entities that may consider challenging their listing through national and regional courts to first seek their removal from the Al-Qaida sanctions list by submitting delisting petitions to the Office of the Ombudsperson. Secondly, we propose beginning a reflection on improving due process in other sanctions regimes as well, given that one of them is already subject to a review by the European Court of Human Rights. We should consider gradually extending the important procedural safeguards of the Ombudsperson process to other appropriate sanctions regimes. In so doing, the need for possible adaptations to the Ombudspersons mandate should be explored.”
2014-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7184 (2014) · source
“In the course of the review, the Committee should actively confirm each listing in order to maintain it on the list. In so doing, the Committee should give reasons why a listing remains appropriate. In case a listing is not reviewed and confirmed within the required three-year period, it should automatically be deleted. Besides these four proposals for the immediate future, the Group of Like-Minded States would also like to submit a few ideas for the longer term, aimed at ensuring the effectiveness of all the Council's sanctions regimes, while improving their fairness and thereby bringing them in line with human rights jurisprudence: First, we recommend providing the Ombudsperson with the authority to decide, when a delisting request is made, whether to maintain a listing or to delist an individual or entity.”
2014-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7184 (2014) · source
“Secondly, information-sharing between Member States and the Ombudsperson, as well as between the Sanctions Committee and Member States, national or regional courts and other authorities should be improved. Thirdly, transparency should be enhanced. All decisions regardless of whether they maintain a listing or delist an individual or entity should contain adequate and substantial reasons. Moreover, those reasons, as well as a redacted version of the comprehensive report of the Ombudsperson, should be published, while allowing for legitimate privacy, security and confidentiality interests to be adequately protected. Fourthly, the Committees must continue to conduct the triennial review in a timely and thorough manner and to regularly inform Member States about the results of all reviews provided for under resolution 2083 (2012).”
2014-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7184 (2014) · source
“Therefore, as long as national and regional Courts consider United Nations sanctions to fall short of the minimum standards of due process, national authorities may find themselves unable to fully implement them at the national level. In order to further strengthen the effectiveness of the United Nations sanctions regimes and in line with the continuous need to ensure due process, the Group of Like-Minded States on Targeted Sanctions invites the Security Council and Member States to consider the following proposals and ideas, which were submitted in writing on 17 April in document S/2014/286. First, the Office of the Ombudsperson should be made permanent. That will give more weight and credibility to the Ombudsperson's work.”
2014-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7184 (2014) · source
“The ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union in the Kadi case in July last year, concerning the Al-Qaida sanctions regime, is one of several judicial decisions confirming that in the implementation of United Nations measures, the actions of Member States are subject to full judicial review as to their conformity with fundamental norms, such as the right to be heard, the right to have access to one's file - subject to legitimate interests in maintaining confidentiality - the right to ascertain the reasons behind a decision, and the right to an effective remedy. The right to have cases decided upon within a reasonable time frame should also be respected.”
2014-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7184 (2014) · source
“The need to further develop fair and clear procedures in United Nations sanctions regimes is widely recognized, as we have heard again today. As in previous years, the Group of Like-Minded States aims to support the efforts of the Security Council to enhance the fairness and transparency of its various sanctions regimes, thereby contributing to their credibility and effectiveness. Much has been done with regard to the Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999) and 1989 (2011) concerning Al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities. In particular, the creation and strengthening of the Ombudsperson process were vital steps towards an independent and effective sanctions review mechanism. However, considerable due process concerns persist and legal challenges have been filed in jurisdictions around the world.”
2014-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7184 (2014) · source
“Ms. Frankinet (Belgium) (spoke in French): At the outset, I should like in my national capacity to thank the delegations that have condemned the terrorist attack on the Jewish Museum in Brussels for their expressions of sympathy. (spoke in English) I am pleased to take the floor on behalf of the Group of Like-Minded States on Targeted Sanctions. This group is comprised of Austria, Costa Rica, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Belgium. First of all, we thank the Committee Chairs for their informative briefings. We commend the Security Council for organizing this biannual meeting, and for creating the opportunity to discuss United Nations sanctions regimes.”
2014-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7184 (2014) · source
“Belgium would like to underscore, as the Secretary- General did, that the end of a conflict does not mean an end of sexual violence. Post-conflict situations create high-risk environments. That must be borne in mind in order to have a comprehensive, consistent approach to combating sexual violence. Along those lines, Belgium supports the Secretary-General's recommendation regarding including the prevention of sexual violence in all peace and cease-fire agreements. Furthermore, as an ardent champion of resolution 1325 (2000), on women and peace and security, Belgium pays particular importance to the participation of women in all stages of the peace process. Women must have the possibility to decide their own fate and to contribute to preventing and resolving conflicts as well as to building peace.”
2014-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7160 (2014) · source
“Furthermore, Belgium shares the Secretary- General's concerns regarding the link between sexual violence and the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) of ex-combattant programmes and security sector reform (SSR) programmes. There is a real need to pay particular and additional attention to the gender dimension when planning, training for and developing DDR and SSR programmes. Belgium would also like to state its concerns about the impact of conflicts on the rights of the child, in particular regarding forced marriages, prostitution and the exploitation of girls. The presence of armed groups increases the rate of forced and early marriages in a number of countries - for example, Syria and Yemen - where conflict has had devastating consequences for the poorest and most vulnerable girls.”
2014-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7160 (2014) · source
“My country is seriously concerned by the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is one of the three target countries of the national Belgian action plan called "Women, peace and security". There is a great gulf between the legislative framework and implementing that framework. Numerous victims have limited access to justice, in particular because ofa lack ofresources to file a law suit and to get legal aid. Developing appropriate mechanisms to assist victims and to facilitate access to justice is crucial. Implementing a functioning judicial system is also needed in the Central African Republic, where the victims of sexual violence are very vulnerable to being stigmatized and to reprisals.”
2014-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7160 (2014) · source
“Security Council resolution 2106 (2013), adopted last year, called for the pursuit of efforts in combating the impunity of perpetrators of sexual violence in conflict. Belgium is particularly concerned about sexual violence committed by members of the police, the army and some armed groups, in particular in Afghanistan and in Cote d'Ivoire. The climate of impunity, characterized by a lack of disciplinary procedures, sanctions and criminal prosecution, significantly contributes to creating a high-risk environment for women and girls. Belgium would also like to underscore the importance of ensuring access to effective justice for victims of sexual violence.”
2014-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7160 (2014) · source
“Ms. Frankinet (Belgium) (spoke in French): My delegation first would like to thank Nigeria for convening this debate and for providing Belgium with an opportunity to take part in it. Combating sexual violence in conflict is indeed a priority for Belgium. My country would like to thank the Secretary-General for his report (S/2014/18l) and Ms. Bangura, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, for her unfailing commitment to the cause. My delegation fully supports the statement made by the observer of the European Union. I would therefore like to focus my statement on some points that are of particular importance for Belgium. First and foremost, combating impunity is a priority for my country.”
2014-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7160 (2014) · source
“Under the framework of the fight against sexual violence, my country again calls for the application of the broadest possible definition of sexual violence, as determined by the International Criminal Court. Finally, Belgium calls upon all of the countries that have not yet ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict to do so as quickly as possible.”
2014-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7129 (2014) · source
“In addition, while reporting such crimes is an important first step for the victims, their voices need to be heard and the perpetrators need to face justice. Belgium remains highly concerned by the impunity surrounding the perpetrators ofviolence. In that respect, we welcome in particular the efforts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to implement a national plan aimed at preventing and eliminating the recruitment of children in the national armed forces and preventing sexual violence. However, Belgium notes with concern the impunity enjoyed by the perpetrators of sexual violence. We encourage the Democratic Republic of the Congo to undertake all possible measures to bring to justice those responsible for such crimes.”
2014-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7129 (2014) · source
“On the one hand, there is a need to raise awareness among families and communities to prevent stigmatization of the children; on the other hand, security forces themselves must be informed of the negative consequences, both for children involved as well as for the security forces themselves. Awareness-raising is also necessary in tackling the issue of sexual violence, especially in cases involving children. In the Sudan and in Syria, for example, children who have suffered sexual abuse tend to remain silent, rather than to complain, because they fear social exclusion and reprisals. It is therefore of the utmost importance to implement specific provisions in order to guarantee access to justice and appropriate assistance as part of children's reintegration process.”
2014-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7129 (2014) · source
“The psychological impact of recruitment into armed forces and the significant stigmatization of the children make their return to civilian life especially difficult. Without appropriate, targeted and long-term follow up - as the Council heard in today's testimony - they risk becoming, in turn, perpetrators ofviolence as a result of limited life experiences focused on the use of weapons. That is why we need to provide them with special assistance and include their opinions and experiences in peace processes. Moreover, various awareness-raising actions are necessary on the issue of children in armed conflict.”
2014-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7129 (2014) · source
“The report notes, however, that they are increasingly attacked or used for military purposes. Resolution 1998 (2011) highlights the impact ofsuch attacks on the security, education and health of children in armed conflict, and calls for increased attention to the issue. Belgium and Luxembourg have therefore undertaken the initiative of organizing an event on the margins of the current Human Rights Council session to raise awareness of that urgent problem and shed light on the challenges and opportunities involved in implementing the resolution. Belgium has similar concerns about the reintegration of children who were involved in armed conflict, not only as child soldiers but as sexual slaves, scouts, messengers or in any daily life task.”
2014-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7129 (2014) · source
“We stress first of all that although positive achievements have been made in the fight against the recruitment of children into armed forces, it is limited at this stage to governmental forces. It is therefore necessary to pursue dialogue to achieve our goal of eliminating the use of child soldiers by non-governmental armed forces and groups. Belgium welcomes the attention accorded in resolution 2143 (2014) - which the Security Council has just adopted today and which Belgium co-sponsored - to the problem of military use of schools by governmental and non-governmental armed groups, and to attacks on schools and hospitals. Indeed, the Secretary-General's report on children and armed conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic (S/2014/31) notes an increase in attacks on schools and hospitals, which should be areas of peace and refuge.”
2014-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7129 (2014) · source
“Ms. Frankinet (Belgium) (spoke in French): Belgium wishes to associate itself with the statement made earlier today by the observer of the European Union and congratulates Luxembourg for its commitment to the issue under discussion. The past few years have been marked by significant progress in the field ofprotection ofthe rights ofthe child in armed conflict, more specifically in the prevention of and response to violence and abuses committed against them. In that context, we refer in particular to the demobilization, rehabilitation and reintegration of thousands of children recruited into armed forces and the signing of national action plans between parties to armed conflict and the United Nations. Despite such progress, however, huge challenges remain.”
2014-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7129 (2014) · source
“In September 2012, during the General Assembly High-level Meeting on the Rule of Law at the National and International Levels, Belgium undertook seventeen specific commitments; today most of them have been achieved. For example, we established predeployment training with training units on sexual violence and gender mainstreaming. As well, together with the Kingdom of the Netherlands and other countries, we brought together a number of States from all continents for a project for negotiating a multilateral treaty regarding extradition and judiciary proceedings for the national prosecution of the most serious international crimes, so as to facilitate in practice judicial cooperation between States undertaking investigations and the prosecution of such crimes.”
2014-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7113 (2014) · source
“The end of a peacekeeping operation mandate should not in principle mean the end of the international community's support for the various processes of credible institutional rebuilding in countries emerging from conflict. Lasting transition strategies as well as support strategies should be established that will contribute to the efforts of the Government, other United Nations bodies and bilateral and multilateral donors. Furthermore, the Peacebuilding Commission, which has been referred to many times today, is a useful tool for following up the commitments of the concerned State and those of its international partners in re-establishing and upholding the soundness and legitimacy of the institutions. Finally, strengthening the rule of law is something that every State must undertake.”
2014-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7113 (2014) · source
“We know that national ownership in the context of a fragile State just coming out of conflict could be a hollow concept ifthere is no genuine political commitment from the local authorities in carrying out this objective. Of course, such commitment should be supported by the resources of the international community but also progressively by the resources of the national budget of the State concerned. Finally, consulting with and bringing women to participate in the institutional rebuilding process, as well as taking into account their situations and particular needs, are yet other guarantees of the lasting nature of the national ownership process.”
2014-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7113 (2014) · source
“The effectiveness ofUnited Nations activities on the ground depends on the quality of coordination between United Nations bodies and regional organizations and countries concerned in bilateral efforts as well as with the national authorities of the country. That is a matter not only of preventing duplication, which could be counter-productive, but primarily to guarantee the most effective use of resources earmarked for the establishment of institutions in line with the rule of law. In that regard, Belgium believes it necessary, from the very beginning of any international intervention, for the United Nations to facilitate or guarantee coordination of institution-rebuilding efforts backing the State concerned, with the vision and national ownership process of building the rule of law being the end goal.”
2014-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7113 (2014) · source
“In that regard, Belgium welcomes the project for the promotion of dialogue and reconciliation between Muslim and Christian communities in the Central African Republic developed by the United Nations office responsible for the responsibility to protect and prevent genocide. It is nevertheless clear that peacekeeping operations can hardly tackle those problems head-on nor work alone. The optimal sequence of priorities in this area is a true challenge. Moreover, in addition to peacekeeping operations, many players work on the ground in countries emerging from conflict in the areas of DDR, SSR and institutional reform, be it a United Nations country team or bilateral or multilateral donors.”
2014-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7113 (2014) · source
“In the context of DDR and SSR processes, there can be no amnesty provided for such crimes, much less the reintegration of perpetrators into law enforcement forces. National jurisdictions should therefore be swiftly made capable of prosecuting perpetrators. The building of the rule of law and of democratic institutions presupposes that animosity between former fighters, and among the citizens themselves, should at least have diminished somewhat since the end of the conflict. To that end, and to avoid a return of violence, United Nations peacekeeping operations should endorse or even initiate all efforts that could bring about a national reconciliation process.”
2014-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7113 (2014) · source
“That entails re-establishing citizens' trust in the State and a feeling of security for each individual, as well as by reforming the military and establishing services in the areas of the police, tribunals, prisons, border control mechanisms and so on. Such services must work properly and be subject to adequate oversight in line with rule-of- law standards. Accomplishing those crucial tasks undoubteldy requires strong political commitment and national ownership on the part of the countries concerned. Nevertheless, the mandates of peacekeeping operations should provide for specific and substantive support for those crucial reforms. At each stage, the principle of accountability for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide should be applied.”
2014-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7113 (2014) · source
“How can we build lasting institutions when former combatants are still circulating with weapons in hand and there are latent tensions that can at any time spiral into acts of violence, thereby spoiling all the efforts undertaken? Disarming former parties to a conflict, their demobilization and reintegration into civil society are essentail elements in building a State based on the rule of law. The disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) undertaking should be part and parcel of peacekeeping missions, while appropriate human and material resources should be provided in agreed-upon budgets. Moreover, security sector reform (SSR) is another indispensable condition for the success of rebuilding efforts for the institutions of a country.”
2014-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7113 (2014) · source
“Ms. Frankinet (Belgium) (spoke in French): We would like to thank the Lithuanian presidency of the Security Council for convening today's debate. We would also like to thank the Secretary-General for his report (S/2013/34l). Belgium fully endorses the statement just made by the observer of the European Union. There can be no lasting peace without lasting institutions. It is therefore clear that the mandate of United Nations peacekeeping missions should include a rule-of-law component that is detailed and concise and allows us to measure progress accomplished. In my statement, I should like to address certain aspects of that mandate that we think are essential if one day we hope to achieve the rule of law in a country emerging from conflict.”
2014-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7113 (2014) · source
“Secondly, regarding autonomous weapons systems, or killer robots, before their use becomes widespread, it is essential to begin thinking and discussion, including in the United Nations, on the ethical questions and criminal responsibility arising from the use of such weapons.”
2014-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7109 (2014) · source
“Similarly, we must ensure that the meticulous preparation of peacekeeping operations, their organization and the requisite coordination with the local authorities and all international stakeholders guarantee the success of the protection-of-civilians aspect of the United Nations mandate. In his report the Secretary-General refers to the challenges that new weapons technologies pose to the protection of civilians in times of war. First, concerning armed drones, their use must be in accordance with the rules of international law, including humanitarian law and the laws governing armed conflicts.”
2014-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7109 (2014) · source
“Belgium encourages the other permanent members the Security Council to be open to this. The primary responsibility for the protection of civilian populations lies with the parties to the conflicts. The Security Council nevertheless has a role to play in ensuring that peacekeeping operations have a clear mandate, enjoining them not only to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid but also to protect civilians, particularly those under imminent threat of physical violence, as provided for in sub-paragraph 8 (h) of resolution 2086 (2013). Everything must be done, both by the United Nations and the Member States, so that all persons engaged in those operations are aware of the obligation to protect civilians.”
2014-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7109 (2014) · source
“I also want to recall - as the Head of the European Union delegation just did - the letter that was addressed to the Security Council over a year ago by 57 countries, including Belgium, expressing their wish to see the situation in Syria referred to the International Criminal Court Prosecutor. Allow me to emphasize that it is always preferable to prevent conflicts before getting to a point where peace missions are necessary. That is why we support the Secretary-General's "Rights up front" initiative, which stresses the promotion of early warning and timely action. I would like to reiterate the initiative of France on voluntarily restricting the right of the veto when a situation of a mass crime is recorded - a voluntary approach that does not involve a revision of the Charter of the United Nations.”
2014-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7109 (2014) · source
“Belgium calls on all States that have still to do so to adopt national legislation providing for the prosecution of persons suspected of war crimes, crimes against humanity and crimes of genocide, to ratify the Rome Statute and to fully cooperate with the International Criminal Court. Belgium encourages Member States to establish witness protection programmes, for which it is ready to share its own technical expertise. Finally, we stress the need to bolster inter-State judicial cooperation in order to facilitate the prosecution of those crimes before national jurisdictions, in accordance with the principle of complementarity.”
2014-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7109 (2014) · source
“Belgium also wishes to recall that 11 actions that could be implemented immediately were developed in Rome on 3 February by the high-level working group on the humanitarian challenges in Syria. Belgium would also like to reiterate that there can be no lasting peace unless justice is done - unless the perpetrators of atrocious crimes are punished by a criminaljurisdiction. Granted, as the Secretary-General states in his report, some progress is being made in that regard in a number of countries. But further efforts are always required from States, which bear the primary responsibility for combating impunity.”
2014-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7109 (2014) · source
“In September 2013, at the initiative of the Belgian Minister for Foreign Affairs, 27 States from several continents and the European Commission signed a petition calling on all the parties to the Syrian conflict to immediately respect their obligations with regard to protecting civilians as well as medical personnel, infrastructure and transport vehicles, to authorize and facilitate immediate and unhindered access to humanitarian relief throughout the country and to guarantee without delay the security and safety of humanitarian personnel in carrying out their functions. Belgium today wishes to reiterate that appeal, which the presidential statement of 2 October 2013 (S/PRST/2013/15) partially integrated and which the statement made by the observer of the European Union earlier today also addressed.”
2014-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7109 (2014) · source
“However, the use of indiscriminate explosive weapons in populated areas violates the rules and principles of international humanitarian law, as the Secretary-General noted in his report on the protection of civilians in armed conflict. Moreover, besides the agreement concluded for the evacuation of women and children from the city of Homs, the parties must allow humanitarian relief to reach the entire civilian population, guarantee the security of humanitarian convoys and remove administrative obstacles. The parties must guarantee humanitarian access to the civilian population.”
2014-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7109 (2014) · source
“The protection of civilians in times of war - a concept at the heart of international humanitarian law - imposes on parties to an armed conflict the obligation to protect civilians by respecting fundamental principles, such as the distinction between civilians and combatants, proportionality and prudence in attacks and, naturally, the prohibition of indiscriminate attacks. Similarly, parties to a conflict have the obligation to give special protection to medical staff and equipment and humanitarian assistance. They must guarantee access to medical care and humanitarian assistance. Unfortunately, those principles are violated on a daily basis, particularly in Syria and South Sudan. The Syrian Government is bombing certain locations with barrels containing explosives, thus killing many civilians, including children.”
2014-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7109 (2014) · source
“Ms. Frankinet (Belgium) (spoke in French): Belgium fully aligns itself with the statement made by the observer of the European Union, as well as the statement by the representative of Switzerland on behalf of the Group ofFriends on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict. We thank the Lithuanian presidency of the Security Council for organizing today's debate. We also thank the Secretary-General for his very forward-looking tenth report on the protection of civilians in armed conflict (S/2013/689).”
2014-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7109 (2014) · source
“We count on the Security Council members, in particular the permanent members, to join their efforts with the wider membership to continue to enhance the transparency, legitimacy, effectiveness and interactivity of the Security Council.”
2013-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7052Resumption1 (2013) · source
“Furthermore, relations between the Council and legal institutions, such as the International Court of Justice and the Permanent Court of Arbitration, could be strengthened, given their potential role in conflict prevention and resolution. Lastly, the Netherlands and Belgium would appreciate earlier notification of certain options considered by the Council in cases where said options have possible budgetary implications that affect the entire membership. In that regard, the cost of peacekeeping missions in particular comes to mind. As I said, the Netherlands and Belgium value the efforts that have been made so far to improve the working methods of the Security Council. The suggestions in the President's concept paper deserve further careful consideration.”
2013-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7052Resumption1 (2013) · source
“Thirdly, we commend the United Kingdom and Australia for having organized a horizon-scanning debate at the start of their presidencies. The Netherlands and Belgium would favour building on that precedent to establish horizon-scanning meetings as an integral part of our efforts with regard to preventive diplomacy. Therefore, we encourage other Council members to hold horizon-scanning meetings on a regular basis. Fourthly, the cooperation between the United Nations and relevant regional organizations in the area ofpeace and security has greatly improved and become more diversified. We commend the Council in that regard. Regional organizations should be heard even more frequently in the Council, not only on thematic issues, but in discussions of the situations in countries in which they are involved.”
2013-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7052Resumption1 (2013) · source
“Nevertheless, we would like to draw the Council's attention to some specific ideas. First, we appreciate the fact that the chairs of the country-specific configurations of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) are invited to brief the Council when the situation in "their" country is being discussed. However, we strongly believe that the Council's work would benefit from allowing the chairs of the PBC country-specific configurations to participate in the much more interactive closed consultations that usually follow the public briefings. Secondly, we welcome the monthly wrap-up sessions, but believe they could also be much more interactive and thus provide the opportunity for an assessment based on a more analytical approach.”
2013-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7052Resumption1 (2013) · source
“The Netherlands and Belgium commend both the permanent and the successive elected members of the Council. The commitments put forward in presidential note S/2013/515, adopted in August, deserve not only our appreciation but expedient implementation. Nonetheless, further progress on the improvement of the working methods of the Security Council is desirable. It would help to enhance the Security Council's accountability towards other Member States, and would further increase the transparency, legitimacy and effective implementation of its decisions. The concept paper prepared for this meeting contains an interesting overview of the recent work and events on the working methods of the Security Council. It lists a number of good suggestions, virtually all of which the Netherlands and Belgium are happily support.”
2013-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7052Resumption1 (2013) · source
“Ms. Frankinet (Belgium) (spoke in French): I have the honour to address the Security Council on behalf of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Kingdom of Belgium. First of all, I would like to thank Azerbaijan, as President of the Security Council, for convening this debate and for preparing the excellent concept paper (S/2013/613, annex) before us. The Netherlands and Belgium attach great importance to this open debate. It gives the wider membership of the United Nations the opportunity to interact with the Security Council on a topic that is not merely a matter of internal procedure, but that has a profound impact on the way we attempt to make our universal Organization work. Let me start by acknowledging that real progress has been made over the past few years.”
2013-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7052Resumption1 (2013) · source
“We also reiterate our call on all countries to apply the broadest possible definition of the concept of sexual violence, as identified by the International Criminal Court. In conclusion, I take this opportunity to welcome the publication by the Democratic Republic of the Congo of a report on sexual violence in that country. The report demonstrates the importance of the Human Rights Council's decision to convene at its twenty- fifth session a high-level dialogue on the lessons learned and the remaining challenges in the campaign against sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The report also reflects the need to allow countries in conflict and post-conflict situations to share their relevant experience.”
2013-10-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7044 (2013) · source
“To attain that goal, we believe that it is critical, on the one hand, to support the initiatives that facilitate access to justice for women and girls so as to ensure that their rights are protected, and, on the other, to incorporate the gender dimension into documents relating to the rule of law and transitional justice and to support transitional justice mechanisms that have a real impact on gender parity. Belgium continues to give political and operational priority to the fight against all forms of violence against civilians during and after armed conflict, with particular focus on sexual violence. In that regard, my country encourages States to include the fight against sexual violence in their transitional justice mechanisms and penal law, and to consider the fight against sexual violence as their responsibility.”
2013-10-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7044 (2013) · source
“My country welcomes the fact that this debate is also focusing on the rebuilding ofjustice mechanisms that guarantee women non-discriminatory access to justice in post-conflict societies. Indeed, improving the legal framework and the rules of procedure to ensure women better access to justice at both the national and the international levels is one of the aims of the second national action plan for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) that my country recently finalized for the period 2013-2016.”
2013-10-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7044 (2013) · source
“Ms. Frankinet (Belgium) (spoke in French): My delegation thanks the Secretary-General and the Executive Director of UN Women, Ms. Mlambo- Ngcuka; the representative of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security, Ms. Balipou; and Ms. Pillay, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, for their contributions to this debate. We fully align ourselves with the statement of the European Union. We would like to make a few additional remarks in our national capacity. Belgium welcomes the theme chosen for today's debate. We also sponsored resolution 2122 (2013), adopted today. The rule of law and transitional justice in relation to gender have not yet received sufficient attention, despite the fact that they are key to the promotion and protection of women's rights in post- conflict situations.”
2013-10-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7044 (2013) · source