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Deputy Prime Minister Alexander De Croo presents today in New York , at the United Nations, MolenGeek to the rest of the world. MolenGeek is a Molenbeek tech incubator that focuses on young people. They can enhance their digital skills, learn coding and strengthen their digital entrepreneurship. "It's a great example of how to prepare vulnerable youngsters to make up their way in the digital economy."

On the margins of the 72th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations (VN) in New York, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders participated in the annual ministerial meeting of the Friends of Mediation. This is a growing group of countries, now 47 strong, who, at the initiative of Finland and Turkey, seek to give political attention to mediation between parties in conflict areas. Conflict mediation has gained political importance now that the new Secretary General Antonio Guterres has made conflict prevention a priority.

Speech by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders on 'Enhancing the role of Mediation in Conflict Prevention & Sustaining Peace' (New York)

Today is the International Day of Peace. A ministerial meeting on Youth, Peace and Security took place in the framework of the United Nations General Assembly. It was presided over by  UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Development Cooperation Alexander De Croo announced that Belgium will cooperate with its partner countries, Benin and Senegal, to improve access to family planning services through the use of big data and satellite imagery. Belgian data company Bluesquare and the universities of Brussels and Namur will also participate. Today, Belgium, Benin and Senegal jointly present the partnership at the United Nations in New York.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders took the floor yesterday at the United Nations Security Council during the debate organised by the Ethiopian presidency of the Council on the topic of “Reform of peacekeeping: implementation and monitoring”.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders attended today in New York a meeting organized by Norway and Palau on ocean management. This debate on the sustainable use of marine resources was organised under the name  “The Oceans - a wealth of opportunities - high level dialogue on sustainable ocean management”.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders chaired today the Ministerial Conference on the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. This Treaty establishes a comprehensive ban on nuclear testing. It was signed in 1996, but will only enter into force after the accession of a specific category of countries. Eight of them have not yet ratified the treaty: the US, India, Pakistan, North Korea, Iran, China, Israel and Egypt. Every two years, a Ministerial Conference is organised to promote the Treaty’s ratification. This year, Iraq and Belgium were designated Co-Chairs of the Conference.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders continues to follow the situation in Myanmar with great attention. He has taken note of Aung San Suu Kyi’s speech yesterday, in which she expressed regret over the suffering caused by the current conflict in Rakhine State. She has also committed to ensure the return of Rohingya refugees and condemned Human Rights violations.

At the initiative of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Development Cooperation Alexander De Croo, our country allocates an additional 6 million euros to the alarming humanitarian situation in the DRC. The Minister makes this announcement today in New York, at the occasion of a meeting with the UN Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region Said Djinnit and with UN humanitarian coordinator Mark Lowcock. Minister De Croo also asks the international community to make more humanitarian resources available to the DRC.