Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders opens today the annual plenary session of the Kimberley Process at the Egmont Palace in Brussels. The Kimberley Process is the global platform in the fight against the trade in conflict diamonds.

Since the end of September, our fellow countryman Michel Arrion is the new head of the International Cacao Organization (ICCO) located in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Belgium is a world leader when it comes to chocolate, with more than 400 companies and a yearly production of 650.000 tons.

On November 7th, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Development Cooperation Alexander De Croo had a long exchange with Dr. Riyad al-Malki, Foreign Affairs Minister of the Palestinian Authority. The meeting allowed the ministers to address a whole series of bilateral questions, including development cooperation. Also the Middle East Peace Process and the Belgian priorities at the United Nations Security Council were discussed.

Today is the International Day to end impunity for crimes against journalists. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders reiterates the importance of freedom of expression and media freedom to promote and protect human rights. Allowing journalists to work freely and independently, is a fundamental cornerstone for a well-functioning and open democracy. Apart from informing the public, they also have a supervisory role to hold those in power accountable and address wrongdoings.

The Belgian Development Cooperation will support organizations who stand up for LGBTI rights in the South. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Development Cooperation Alexander De Croo made the announcement at the ILGA-Europe Conference which takes place in Brussels over the next four days. The ILGA-Europe conference is the largest gathering of LGBTI activists in Europe.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Development Cooperation Alexander De Croo provides € 5,5 million extra humanitarian aid for Yemen. Minister De Croo takes this decision following the demand from UN emergency aid coordinator Mark Lowcock in the UN Security Council in New York yesterday. He called for a humanitarian truce and additional humanitarian aid for the biggest humanitarian crisis in the world.

Le 24 octobre 1945, la Charte des Nations Unies entrait en vigueur. A l'occasion de cet anniversaire, le Vice-Premier Ministre et Ministre des Affaires Etrangères Didier Reynders rappelle l'attachement de la Belgique aux Nations Unies et au système multilatéral. La Charte est le texte fondateur de l’ONU, et reste à ce jour le socle sur lequel repose l’ensemble de l’action des Nations Unies à travers le monde.

Today, the Chamber of Representatives approved an amendment of the legal framework in which the Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries (BIO) operates. The amendment is the final element of a thorough reform of BIO. This reform makes the investment company better embedded in the Belgian development policy, strengthens the link with the private sector, and increases the impact of the development initiatives in Belgium’s partner countries.