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Minister of Development Cooperation Meryame Kitir is going to Geneva from June 28 to 30. She will meet with several multilateral partner organizations active in the fields of human rights, health, humanitarian aid and migration. Itclude meetings with the Director-General of WHO, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, the Director-General of ILO, Guy Ryder, the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Winnie Byanyima, the Director-General of IOM, Antonio Vitorino, and the CEO of GAVI (Vaccine Alliance), Seth Berkley. Minister Kitir will take this opportunity to announce Belgian funding for multilateral partner organizations for the period 2021-2024.

This Thursday, June 24, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo will meet, together with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilmès, Minister of Development Cooperation Meryame Kitir and Minister of Climate, Environment and Sustainable Development Zakia Khattabi, with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

Today, February 22, the 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council started in Geneva and will continue until March 23. On this occasion, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sophie addressed the ministerial part of the session. She presented the priorities of the Belgian government and shared some reflections on the current challenges in the field of human rights.

September 21 marks the 75th anniversary of the United Nations. Belgium is a founding member of the UN and the very first President of the General Assembly was Belgian Foreign Minister Paul-Henri Spaak. Faced with the challenges of our time, Belgium remains more than ever convinced of the importance of the role of the UN and multilateralism in the search for effective and harmonious solutions fostering peace and sustainable development. This commitment is also demonstrated by its mandate in the Security Council, where Belgium was elected for the 6th time.

Today is the International Day of UN Peacekeepers. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defense Philippe Goffin wishes to pay tribute to the more than 95,000 men and women who serve with dedication under the flag of the United Nations in the thirteen peacekeeping operations deployed around the world.

Statement by Minister of Foreign Affairs Philippe Goffin on the 20th anniversary of two Protocols to the UN Children's Rights Convention, May 25, 2020.

During its two-year membership (2019-2020) of the UN Security Council, Belgium attaches great importance to ‘children and armed conflict’. The theme also occupies a central position during the Belgian presidency of the Security Council (February 2020).

Today, the United Nations Security Council is holding a debate on transitional justice. Belgium, which presides over the Security Council this month, is putting it on the agenda. Through this action, our country wants to step up the fight against impunity, with the ultimate goal of social reconciliation.

Belgium is putting the issue of children in armed conflict on the agenda of the United Nations Security Council, which our country presides over this month. February 12 is the “International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers”, and our country will use that symbolic day to issue a call to action. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defense Philippe Goffin will chair the briefing at the UNSC on integrating child protection measures into peace processes. King Filip will address the UNSC on behalf of our country.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defense Philippe Goffin is on his way to New York as part of the Belgian Presidency of the UN Security Council. The four-day visit will be intense, as it is full of encounters and meetings. On Tuesday and Wednesday (11-12/2) he will also participate in several activities with the King and Queen.