On the picture H.E. Bert Koenders Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands presenting the Kingdom’s canditature for a UN Security Council seat, Minister Ploumen in the background. The reception was held at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Hague. Photography by Henry Arvidsson. See Diplomat Magazine most recent printed version: https://issuu.com/diploflying/docs/dm.summer.2016
On the first day of Ramadan, Ambassadors credited to the Netherlands came to The Hague to join the Minister of Foreign Affairs for a special meeting. H.E. Minister Bert Koenders set forth in a memorable speech his government’s approach to diplomacy, partnership and the intention of the Netherlands to be part of the UN Security Council.
Ambassadors not only from The Hague but from Brussels and London too listened attentively to Minister Koenders’ brilliant and enthusiastic dissertation about the Netherlands’ Security Council candidature for the period 2017 – 2018. He emphasised in particular the Dutch nation’s effectiveness, flexibility and pragmatism in the service of the international community, considering the interests of all countries, big and small.
“Today I hope to tell you about our candidature, but also I want to hear from you about your own expectations. This is a sincere personal position and also an official decision – to represent not only ourselves but to represent you,” explained Minister Koenders. The Kingdom of the Netherlands, a UN member with roots in both Europe and the Caribbean, has extensive, proven experience in diversity and dialogue.
“We are living in a particularly significant time,” continued Minister Koenders. “We have an enormous amount of issues that we need to solve together. More than ever, diplomacy is at the forefront of the action and more than ever we have to find solutions as a whole. Today’s greatest challenges do not stop at our national borders; in our day they can only be addressed successfully with a commitment to global governance and the existing multilateral system.”
“The major challenges facing the world, regarding the protection of civilians, women and children, migration, water, security and peace, can be only addressed from a global perspective, and the UN is the only system equipped to do it. The UN is not perfect; more work needs to be done to reach a further balance, to make the UN more representative and inclusive. We need to work on reforms, but the United Nations is the only global organisation for achieving peace and stability. It has the power and legitimacy to bring all parties to the table and the Netherlands will successfully contribute to that.”
Making reference to Dutch culture and customs, the Minister went on: “We are not mysterious people, we are often very direct, we can be frank and a little blunt at times. But we mean well and we stick to our promises.” The Minister described the Dutch as defenders of democracy and reliable partners, able to address international issues, ready to listen to the proposals of others and able to build solid partnerships with other countries. The country is focused on bringing back to the UN agenda the fundamental problems of the world with the pragmatic solutions everybody needs.
H.E. Bert Koenders Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands presenting the Kingdom’s canditature for a UN Security Council seat. The reception was held at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Hague.
“We need new and smart coalitions and networks committed to taking the lead and finding creative solutions, without losing sight of the legitimacy broad participation brings. New and smart alliances are what the Kingdom of The Netherlands can offer, and I believe that’s where our candidacy distinguishes itself. We are serious about partnerships and about putting people first,” said the Minister.
The Kingdom’s ability to work in a multicultural arena is a natural competence, due in part to the Kingdom extending from Europe to the Caribbean to incorporate Curaçao, Aruba and St Maarten.
The Dutch and Caribbean people of the Kingdom are also intimately related to water. As Minister Koenders put it: “Water has helped shape our identity. Water connects people. Water is the basis, the source of all growth. But water doesn’t stop at borders, and when there’s too little or too much of it, water can be a great challenge.” The Minister noted that as with all global issues, managing water cannot be done by states unilaterally. It takes cooperation and long term vision, along with innovation, research, strength and perseverance.
“Through our history with water, we have learned to form bonds, to look beyond borders and build partnerships. Water is both our Kingdom’s strongest asset and its biggest challenge. Our Kingdom is surrounded by water on almost all sides,” the Minister added. “Water connects all countries in our Kingdom. Since the new constitutional order of 10 October 2010, the Kingdom of the Netherlands consists of four autonomous countries: the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao and St Maarten. Together, we are one UN Member State.”
The Dutch campaign for a seat on the UN Security Council is based on partnership, transparency and inclusiveness. As Minister Koenders noted, the values of peace, justice and development are integral to how the Dutch see the world.
“Why those three, together? For a simple reason: Development without peace is impossible. Peace without justice is untenable. And justice without development is no use to anyone.
“Building lasting peace requires robust and long-term mandates. Since 1947, we have contributed over 125,000 personnel to more than 60 UN and UN-mandated peacekeeping operations around the world. We will continue our work to make peace operations more effective. First and foremost, we need more cooperation, and we need better cooperation, on the ground and between headquarters, between countries, regional organisations and local actors. Partnerships are crucial for us.
“We can only achieve lasting and sustainable peace by promoting cohesion between diplomacy, defence and development. We support a strong focus on prevention, early warning and addressing the underlying causes of conflict. Particular attention is needed for the position of women and children in conflict.”
The Netherlands is one of the few countries in the world focused on building and promoting an international legal order. An increase in UN interaction with the International Court of Justice and other international organisations in The Hague will be a key priority of the Netherlands’ tenure on the Security Council.
“We will not lose sight of the fact that only 15 countries are members of the Security Council, while 178 are not. I pledge we will continue to be an approachable partner, now, after the election date, throughout a possible membership and after.” UN elections will be held on June 28.
Photography by Henry Arvidsson.
