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International seminar on the "Security Implications of Emerging Climate Altering Technologies": speech by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Didier Reynders (Brussels, 23 October 2019).

Today, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Didier Reynders opened an international seminar at the Royal Military School in Brussels on the "Security Implications of Emerging Climate Altering Technologies". The event was organised in the framework of the Belgian mandate 2019-2020 in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). It reflects the importance that Belgium attaches to the link between security and climate.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Development Cooperation Alexander De Croo will participate in the annual session of the General Assembly in New York this week. It will be an intensive week full of meetings and events at the United Nations (UN).

“We have to tackle climate change at home, but we must certainly not forget the poorest countries. They are the biggest victims of climate change.” That is the message of Minister for Development Cooperation Alexander De Croo and of Enabel director Jean Van Wetter. Today and tomorrow, the Belgian development agency Enabel organizes an international climate conference in Brussels. More than 170 participants from Belgium and from abroad will debate on plans to integrate climate change into the development strategies of secondary cities, including cities in the partner countries of the Belgian development cooperation.

Ministerial Meeting "GoF Climate & Security" - Belgian Intervention (New York, 29/9/2018).

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Development Cooperation Alexander De Croo decided to make available an additional grant of 7 million EUR for the Least Developed Countries Fund. He makes this announcement in the margins of the COP23, the UN Climate Conference which is currently on-going in Bonn. With these extra resources, Belgium wants to help the most vulnerable countries to become more resilient against the impact of climate change.

The 23rd United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP23) starts tomorrow in Bonn (Germany) under the presidency of Fiji. It is the first time that a small island State like Fiji takes the control of climate negotiations. Belgium supports Fiji in making a success of the COP23.

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 of Development Cooperation Alexander De Croo has decided to support COP23 Presidency Fiji, making 100.000 euro available. Later this year, the small island state will chair the 23rd climate conference in Bonn which will focus on the implementation of the Paris Agreement. This decision has been taken in the context of Belgium’s strategy to support the international climate policy and strengthen the cooperation with small island states.

From 7 to 9 March, the Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs organizes a workshop “Healthy Oceans, Resilient Islands” for representatives and experts from the Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Belgium wants to contribute to the establishment of a new UN Convention on the protection of marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction. The negotiations on this Convention continue in New York.