Kingdom of the Netherlands, 2012

Last month, I visited

a refugee camp at the border between Turkey and Syria.

I met children, women and men, who told me how they

had escaped the violence and suffering in their home

country. They had f led the bloodshed of a regime that

is using indiscriminate violence against its own people.

They had f led a country where children are being

tortured, women raped and innocent civilians killed.

They had lost their friends, family and homes, but they

had not lost hope for a better future.

One of the people whom I met near the border was

Medya, the 25-year-old mother of a five-year-old girl.

She had f led the city of Homs eight months earlier.

Now, she travels back and forth between Homs and a

refugee camp in Turkey at great personal danger. She

risks her life to report to the world on the situation in

Syria. Her reports are broadcast on major international

networks.

Medya told me about the terrible events that she had

witnessed. I was touched by her sorrow and impressed

by her determination. Her strong desire for freedom is

something to which we can all relate. Those who have

struggled for freedom do not give up easily. However,

it is also clear that those refugees need the support of

the international community at large. They need food,

shelter and security. Ultimately, they need an effective

United Nations and a strong international legal order.

Promoting the international legal order is enshrined

in the Constitution of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

It is a mission that we share with many in this Assembly.

Together with 49 other countries, we are helping to

establish legal order and security in Afghanistan, for

example. I want to pay tribute to the Dutch and the

other men and women, soldiers and civilians, currently

serving there.

The Hague, a city of peace and justice, is known

for its contribution to the international legal order. It

is home to the International Court of Justice and the

Permanent Court of Arbitration, which are both based at the Peace Palace. Next year, we will proudly celebrate

its centenary. Former Secretary-General Boutros

Boutros-Ghali recognized the role of the Netherlands

in the international legal order by naming The Hague

the legal capital of the world.

We need international law to protect people,

societies and nations, or, as former Secretary-General

Kofi Annan recently wrote, the United Nations Charter

was issued in the name of we the peoples, not we the

Governments. So we need a stronger international legal

order, first, to preserve peace and security; secondly,

to protect freedom; and thirdly, to promote prosperity.

That is the task that we face.

A strong international legal order helps to preserve

peace and security. To achieve that goal, we need

greater unity. I regret the persistent disagreement in the

Security Council. It has prevented the United Nations

from taking decisive action on Syria. The world is

in desperate need of a strong, united and determined

Security Council.

Mediation, arbitration and judicial settlement are

indispensable for the peaceful settlement of conflicts.

We should cherish and develop those tools, as Deputy

Secretary-General Jan Eliasson has so rightly said.

Better implementation of existing treaties on

non-proliferation, arms control and disarmament is of

paramount importance.

An effective international legal order means that

countries are bound by their promises. Iran must

completely fulfil its International Atomic Energy

Agency obligations and abide by Security Council

resolutions. The burden of proof is on Iran. As I said

to my Iranian colleague, Minister Salehi, earlier this

week: You are the one to convince the world of the

peaceful character of your nuclear programme — not

us.

The international agendas on nuclear, chemical and

conventional weapons must lead to concrete results and

new treaties. The United Nations and the Conference

on Disarmament in Geneva need to do better.

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical

Weapons in The Hague will this year celebrate its

fifteenth anniversary. It should stand ready to assist in

addressing the chemical weapons problem in Syria.

The Netherlands will host the next Nuclear Security

Summit, in 2014, as part of our efforts to enhance

security and fight nuclear terrorism. Negotiations on a robust and effective arms trade

treaty should recommence as soon as possible.

A stronger legal order also promotes freedom. It

promotes human rights, reinforces the responsibility to

protect and helps prevent atrocities. Greater freedom

means equal rights for men and women alike. Women

make up 50 per cent of humankind. We need the full

100 per cent of humankind. It is in every country’s

own interest to make sure that women are actively

involved in society, the economy and politics. They

must participate in the power structures as leaders of

the world.

Human rights cannot be imposed from the outside.

But Governments carry the responsibility for observing

their international human rights obligations and

commitments. There is therefore a need to communicate

constantly about the obligations and commitments.

The role of the Human Rights Council in promoting

freedom is crucial. We need to improve the way in which

it functions. Countries that aspire to join the Council

should be genuinely committed to respecting human

rights. I am proud to reiterate our genuine commitment

and to announce the Dutch candidature for the Human

Rights Council from 2015 to 2017.

People should be free to live their lives in peace

and security. Therefore, every State has an obligation to

prevent aggression, genocide, crimes against humanity

and war crimes. Prevention is key. But if countries

cannot or will not act, the international community has

a responsibility to protect.

A strong international and domestic legal order

promotes prosperity and, let me state it emphatically,

economic growth. Trade, investment, innovation and

economic development will all benefit from a stable,

predictable and rules-based business climate.

The economy cannot thrive in societies where

human rights are violated, corruption is rampant and

Government revenues are wasted. That is one of the

lessons of the Arab awakening. Sustainable prosperity

and sustainable economic growth depend upon a strong,

legitimate and reliable legal order.

For that matter, free trade agreements and a well-

functioning World Trade Organization are crucial for

stimulating growth. According to the World Bank, a

new global trade deal would increase global welfare

tremendously.

A good way to promote foreign direct investment

is by enhancing arbitration and conflict resolution

mechanisms. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in

The Hague has an increasingly important role to play.

Protecting intellectual property rights effectively

fosters innovation. We should therefore strengthen the

World Intellectual Property Organization.

Finally, the Millennium Development Goals need a

new agenda, with bold ideas to end poverty and plans to

promote sustainable development and foster economic

growth. The private sector is crucial to achieving

those goals, especially when it comes to unlocking the

potential of small and medium-sized enterprises. To

quote renowned economist Paul Collier, “We cannot

make poverty history unless the countries of the bottom

billion start to grow”.

The United Nations is indispensable for the agenda

of peace, freedom and prosperity. The widening gap

between the increasing expectations we have of the

United Nations, on the one hand, and of its capacity

to deliver, on the other, is a cause of serious concern.

Therefore, we need a more effective, efficient and

coherent United Nations.

The Security Council must act decisively when

serious crimes are involved and international peace and

security are at stake. All United Nations organizations

should deliver as one. The Secretary-General’s reform

proposals must be implemented.

Emerging Powers rightly ask for more influence,

due to new political and economic realities. The

Security Council should be reformed while taking those

realities into account. At the same time, the larger share

of those emerging Powers in the world economy should

be reflected in the relative contributions of Member

States to the United Nations budget.

The Members of the United Nations need to take

action in five areas. First, countries should respect

universal human rights without distinction. That

key principle also applies to lesbian, gay, bisexual

and transgender individuals. Secondly, the rights of

religious minorities should be guaranteed all over the

world. Governments should protect religious groups

against violence. Thirdly, countries should recognize

the compulsory jurisdiction of the International Court

of Justice, as the Secretary-General has requested.

Fourthly, countries should adhere to the principle of

the responsibility to protect. That applies to prevention, protection and prosecution. Fifthly, countries that have

not done so to date should join the International Criminal

Court. That will ensure that civilians are protected and

the perpetrators of atrocities are prosecuted.

That takes me back to Syria. The Syrian crisis

highlights the mounting challenges of the United

Nations and its States Members. I applaud the active

stance of the Secretary-General with regard to Syria.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian

Affairs, the World Food Programme, the Office of

the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

and many other organizations are providing crucial

assistance to the victims of the violence. I want to pay

explicit tribute to the Governments of Turkey, Lebanon

and Jordan for their invaluable efforts to alleviate the

suffering of the thousands of refugees.

In conclusion, for me, meeting Мedya, that

courageous Syrian journalist and mother, has given a

voice to those refugees. I hope that I will meet Medya,

that 25-year-old mother of a five-year-old child, again

in the near future in Homs, Syria. I want to see her live

in an inclusive and prosperous Syria, where democracy

and human rights replace terror and violence. It is about

democracy and human rights. That is our aim. I want

to see her live in a Syria where jobs and economic

opportunities have replaced poverty and despair.

That woman, Мedya, has already shown the courage

and the will to contribute to Syria’s future. Together,

we, the peoples of the United Nations, should show

that same courage. Together, we must preserve peace,

protect freedom and promote prosperity. Together, let

us build a stronger international legal order.