Belgium, 2014

Myriam Riva, Emmanuel Riva, Dominique Sabrier,

Alexandre Strens — these are the names of the four

people brutally murdered on 24 May in Brussels. Four

people were killed just because they were in a Jewish

museum, an institution dedicated to culture, knowledge

and intelligence. I named these four victims, but I do

not forget the thousands of anonymous victims of

barbarism around the world. For the abject act that took

place at the Jewish Museum in Brussels is connected to

the events sweeping the world right now. In Syria and

Iraq, as well as in countries like Algeria, terrorists kill

innocent people every day.

Syria and Iraq are of special concern to us. There,

defenceless people, women and children are victims of

massacres, persecution, destruction and the theft of all

their possessions — all because they belong to cultures,

including the Muslim culture, that the terrorists do not

agree with. Yet, no religion, and certainly not Islam,

asserts that we must kill those who think differently.

We have to say this over and over again in order to

remove any excuse for these criminals who sow terror.

The personal history of the alleged perpetrator

of the attack against the Jewish Museum in Brussels

resonates with all of us. It is that of a French jihadist

who visited Syria in the ranks of the so-called Islamic

State. This jihadist then moved across Europe before

committing the irreparable. It is common trajectory for

many of these foreign fighters. These foreign fighters

are a threat to every country in the world. Security

Council resolution 2178 (2014), adopted the day before

yesterday, is an important step towards a coordinated

global response. We must and we shall put these

terrorists in a position where they can no longer inflict

harm.

Beyond the humanitarian support it has already

brought to the Iraqi people, Belgium recently decided

to send six F-16 fighters in support of the fight against

terrorism in Iraq. My country also wants to strengthen

cooperation among States. Belgium wants to intensify

the exchange of information at the European level and

within NATO. As required by the Security Council

resolution, a major preventive effort must also be made

to prevent jihadist aspirants from reaching the combat

zones. We must prevent the recruitment, training and

transportation of our citizens who may be tempted to

join terrorist groups. For minors in particular, each

country must demonstrate a total vigilance regarding

border control.

The battle we are waging against terrorism reflects

a conflict between two understandings of life: respect

for human beings, which we have and the terrorists do

not; defence of freedom everywhere and always, which

the terrorists do not want; tolerance, while the terrorists

preach and impose intolerance. For us, life is priceless;

for them, it has no value.

We know that military actions alone are not enough.

Here, as there, what is needed is to focus on education,

educational support, openness to others and the world.

Our goal should be to deradicalize violent radicals. I

cannot help but think that the human disaster we are

witnessing is also the result of a crushing defeat — that

of politicians who favoured military solutions and the

notorious so-called preventive war.

A few years ago, Belgium refused to participate

in such an operation in Iraq. How can we not see that

frustration and humiliation have further strengthened

radicalism? Things being what they are, we must

now deal with the emergency, and act, including

militarily. But we must also consider the future and

invest sustainably in civil action. Everywhere, the

establishment of a State that protects its citizens must

be the priority. Strengthening the rule of law and

improving living conditions is the best crisis prevention.

Such responses are also much less expensive than the

day-to-day management of uprisings and violence. In

many crises today, we see the States concerned in a

position of great weakness or even virtual failure.

The appointment of a new Prime Minister in Iraq

sends the right signal of inclusion and tolerance. Let

me mention other illustrations of this principle. With

regard to the Middle East, this summer we watched

in despair the launching of rockets in Israel and the

massive bombing of Gaza. More than 2,100 Palestinian

and 67 Israeli lives were lost in combat. War is not a

solution. There is no other way to achieve peace — one

based on two States coexisting in security — except by

returning to negotiations. The status quo is obviously

not an option. We must put the settlement of the Israeli-

Palestinian conflict back at the top of the international

agenda. That settlement will also constitute an

important factor in the stabilization and peace of the

entire region and the world. Therefore, we welcome the

efforts of President Obama in that regard, and we hope

that he will continue up to the last day of his mandate

to work in that direction.

The Arab Spring is another example of what I

am talking about. It was a legitimate revolution and it

speaks to true aspirations for democracy and prosperity.

We must note that in some countries, chaos and terror

have long reigned over democracy, while in others we

are witnessing a return to State totalitarianism. In that

regard, the international community must do everything

possible to encourage democracy peace and prosperity.

With regard to Africa, with which Belgium shares

a long common history, it is in constant forward motion

and far removed from common clichés. We must

strongly support its economic, educational and political

development. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo,

in particular in the east of the country, putting armed

groups where they can no longer do harm is an urgent

necessity. In Sahel, Mali and the Central African

Republic, the fight against religious extremism is

where our priorities should lie. We must also mobilize

to support populations in Africa that are dealing with

the horrific Ebola epidemic.

On the fringes of Europe, we are seeing a broad

destabilization. Internationally recognized borders are

being violated, and Ukraine is facing a major challenge

to be inclusive and representative for both the minorities

and the majority of the population in Ukraine.

With regard to Flight MH-17, in which six

Belgian citizens died, the currently known facts are

incriminating and we eagerly await the final report of

the independent experts, who must have free access to

the site and responses to all of their requests.

We will have peace only if tolerance triumphs

over barbarism. And we must act together. Therefore,

I welcome the American initiative to launch a process

of reflection on the role of the United Nations in

peacekeeping. The role of the United Nations in the

prevention and settlement of conflicts is irreplaceable.

It is the only place where the representatives of the entire

world can talk to each other. To be sure, the functioning

of the Organization should evolve and recognize that

the right to veto has sometimes been used to prevent

action from being taken. I am open to the consideration

that has begun in that regard. However, the common

house that is the United Nations should be preserved at

any price and encouraged to act. That is why I would

like to thank our Secretary-General for his unwavering

efforts to further improve its functioning.

Our world continues to present us with insufferable

contrasts. Too many human beings are today living in

extreme poverty. They do not have safe access to water or

basic health services and they suffer from malnutrition.

Who can believe that people will resign themselves to

such a situation and that there will not be yet another

scandal if they do? The international community — the

Group of Seven and the Organization for Economic

Cooperation and Development — are beginning to deal

with tax evasion. That is extremely important, as is the

fight against corruption. There will not be great human

progress without a moralization of finance at the global

level. Our responsibility in that regard is huge.

Too many women and men do not have access to

a job or to housing, only because they are of foreign

origin. Too many women are subject to moral or

physical violence only because they are women. Too

many people — lesbians, homosexuals, bisexuals and

transgender people — are persecuted and rejected only

because they are different or they love differently. It

is also our responsibility to denounce and combat all

together and systematically those injustices and attacks

on human rights.

As a crossroads of many cultures, Belgium has

always been one of the most open countries in the

world. It has a high standard of living. And although

I think they are still too great, the inequalities there

are the smallest in Europe. That is largely due to the

civil support, which is organized by the Belgian State.

In particular, our health system is exceptional and

is accessible to everyone. Moreover, Belgium is a

multicultural country both through its demography and

its abundant and diverse migration. In our country, the

respect for the other and the culture of compromise are

part of our cultural heritage.

Belgium, like the European Union, is moving on a

path of solidarity with peoples who are encountering

difficulties. We want to help them to achieve their

legitimate aspirations for a more just world. We must

also remain vigilant so that we do not fall into the trap

of social regression and increasing inequalities. All the

ethical progress that we have achieved is precious and

must be preserved.

I will conclude by saying that human fraternity is

not a utopia. It is what has often allowed us to make

great progress. We must go beyond borders to form

new types of cooperation, reduce inequalities and bring

about new hope. The most powerful obstacle to war

and violence is human fraternity. It is that fraternity

that will enable us tomorrow to better share the

planet’s resources, to offer a future to each and every

child and to make sure that peace reigns everywhere

and for everyone. Members of the Assembly may rest

assured that my country will continue to do everything

it can to bring peoples together. We believe in sharing

and solidarity, and we thus find it entirely natural to

continue to support Member States in their many

struggles for peace and justice.