38
54
55
64
Mister President, my final point today is the importance of
rule of law and accountability for a stable future in Abyei. We support the rec-
ommendation of the SG that the peace-development nexus should be enhanced. In particular, justice and accountability mechanisms need to be strengthened. We see an important role for the UN Country Teams in this respect. Criminality is rising in the Abyei region, in the absence of domestic security forces. It is vital to build the rule of law capacity in local communities. Therefore, we support the recommendation of the SG to increase the police component of the mission. In particular, deploying female police officers could serve a crucial role. We encourage the SG to increase his efforts to do so. We are really concerned about the heavy toll that the conflict continues to exact on
civilians. We remain concerned about
the scale of sexual abuse and assaults on women and young girls. Gender-Based Violence remains a key protection concern. TBut at the same time, we call upon the Government of Somalia and international partners to do everything possible to prevent civilian casualties during operations. In addition, it is crucial that the Federal Government of Somalia holds perpetrators of sexual violence accountable. We welcome in that light the approval of the Sexual Offence Bill. And we hope it will soon be adopted at federal level. Mr. President, as stipulated in Resolution 1325 and in the Sustaining Peace Agenda, the role of women in peacebuilding cannot be underestimated. As indicated by the briefer, women played an extremely important part in breaking through the political impasse in Bissau. Let me reiterate the importance of continued engagement of women, both in the upcoming elections, and further political life in Guinea-Bissau. Mr. President, this brings me to my third point:
accountability. And
that is one of our key priorities in this Council, accountability. The Kingdom of the Netherlands favors the establishment of a Specialized Court for International Crimes as proposed by the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq. We also continue to support efforts by the Investigative Team in Iraq and the IIIM for Syria to collect evidence against ISIS fighters. We look forward to the first briefing in December of the Special Adviser of the Investigative Team to this Council and we call on all UN members to cooperate with the IIIM and to support it. We must unite in holding ISIS fighters accountable for their heinous acts, in particular war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. Mr. President, we must consider that Liberia is a country that has seen violence; it is still a new democracy, with young institutions. While the situation in Liberia is relatively stable, a stagnant economy and youth unemployment; human rights violations; and lack of land reform and reconciliation policies, could pose threats to peace in the country. We must seize this opportunity. The role of the UN Country Team and the active engagement of the Peacebuilding Commission will be crucial moving forward. In light of this, the Kingdom of the Netherlands welcomes the necessary strengthening of the UN Country Team, and the office of the Resident Coordinator. These offices will be crucial in ensuring the UN’s active engagement in protecting human rights, ensuring the full and meaningful
participation of women and girls, addressing the root causes of the initial conflict, and building strong institutions peace process and what this Council can and should do.
to sustain peace in Liberia. Madame President, my third point concerns the
Looking at the whole picture, first of all it is de-escalation that we need in the current situation. This pertains to Jerusalem, to Gaza and also to Israeli-Palestinian-relations at large. All parties should instead focus on defusing tensions, and enable efforts towards a better future for the region. While wisdom and courage is needed to go back to negotiations for a political solution, both sides are taking steps that are incompatible with Resolution 2334. Israeli political leaders who advocate for annexation of parts of the West Bank only play into the hands of those who do not want a twostate solution. So we call upon both sides to take steps that create mutual trust and that contribute to the preservation of the possibility of the two-state solution. The current tensions should not be used as an argument against action. On the contrary, they demonstrate the urgency of more resolute action now. Only a two state solution will realistically allow both sides to fulfil their aspirations, to put an end to the conflict, and to achieve the just and lasting peace that Israelis and Palestinians long for and that they deserve. Mr. President, this brings me to my second point: we must deliver on our responsibility to protect. The
protection of civilians must remain an absolute priority. We call on the Astana guarantors to
use their influence to prevent any further attack. They should ensure the cessation of hostilities and de-escalation of violence as per Security Council Resolution 2401. We owe this to the men, women and children of Douma, of Syria. We owe this to our own citizens. The Kingdom of the Netherlands furthermore recalls that the majority of UN member states count on the permanent members of this Council not to use their veto in case of mass atrocities. The international community should be able to count upon this Council to uphold international humanitarian law and to uphold the international prohibition of the use of chemical weapons. And to act when international law is trampled upon. And let me be clear, we support the humanitarian work of the White Helmets. They do extremely important humanitarian work for the civilians in Syria in dire circumstances. And yet, such protection is lacking. The Syrian crisis is above all a protection crisis: a grave violation of the long-established norm to protect civilians and their belongings in the time of war. Together, we – the international community – have expressed our determination to
prevent conflict; to save
successive generations from the scourge of war. And where conflict cannot be prevented, we have agreed to regulate the conduct of warfare. One of the very first steps to that end was taken in Russia, almost 150 years ago. In St Petersburg, it was decided to forbid weapons that cause unnecessary suffering. Since those first steps, the body of international humanitarian law has grown considerably, including through the adoption of the Hague and Geneva Conventions. The imperative of these laws has always been to protect civilians in conflict. Sadly, this was not the last time that we received reports that chemical weapons were used in Syria. Dozens of instances are currently being investigated by the Fact Finding Mission of the OPCW. The use of
chemical weapons should never go unpunished. Impunity erodes the important prohibition of the use of chemical root causes of this man-made crisis. The escalation since 2016 is directly linked
weapons. My second point is that we need to address the
to the political crisis. The people of Congo need to regain hope and trust in their country. A renewed commitment to the Sylvester Agreement from all parties is therefore urgent. Despite progress, the conditions conducive to credible elections have not been met yet. Under current circumstances, hundreds of thousands of people will not be able to fully participate in the elections. Simply, because they are too scared. Simply, because they are on the run from widespread and unpunished human rights violations. Or, simply because they are a woman. A woman like Françoise. Without meaningful participation of women in the elections – national, provincial and local – there will be no peace. We call on the Congolese authorities to ensure women’s participation in the electoral law. All political actors must increase their efforts to engage women in the elections. My first point, Mr. President:
effective prevention. One of the most effective ways to prevent armed conflict, is through the peaceful settlement of disputes.
Cees Debets
Directeur Theater bij Het Nationale Theater In deze samenwerking komen hoofd en hart samen. “Wat bijzonder om zoveel jonge mensen in de zaal te zien die grote betrokkenheid tonen bij ingewikkelde, politieke vraagstukken. Ik ben trots dat Het Nationale Theater een bijdrage kon leveren aan deze programmareeks, waar hoofd en hart elkaar raken. Ik hoop van harte deze samenwerking met Humanity House in de komende jaren te kunnen voortzetten.”