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On the occasion of the International Day Against the Use of Child Soldiers, Belgium is organizing an informal session of the UN Security Council on the important role the United Nations can play in liberating and reintegrating child soldiers into society. They are recruited worldwide by armed groups or government forces.

Didier Reynders, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defense, is leaving for a two-days working visit to New York today in the framework of Belgium’s mandate in the United Nations Security Council.

From January 1st 2019 onwards, Belgium will begin its two-year term in the United Nations Security Council. On the eve of the start of this mandate, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders underscores the importance of this responsibility, which the international community entrusted to our country. Minister Reynders renews the commitment of Belgium to be a constructive, open and trustworthy partner in the pursuit of collective answers to international issues of peace of security, in cooperation with the other members of the Security Council and all other stakeholders.

The Belgian government is happy to announce Belgium's election to the United Nations Security Council. As of 1 January, our country will be a non-permanent member, for the 6th time in its history. It will carry out this important responsibility for two years (2019-2020), together with the other newly elected members: Germany, South Africa, the Dominican Republic and Indonesia, as well as the ten other members of the Security Council.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Development Cooperation Alexander De Croo is very pleased that Belgium will once again have the opportunity to serve on the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member for two years, starting on 1 January 2019. Minister De Croo, who is also responsible for humanitarian affairs, indicates that Belgium will pay great attention to the respect of international humanitarian law, the protection of human rights and gender issues.

Belgium was elected this Friday, 8th of June 2018, as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the period 2019-2020. Elected with 181 votes, Belgium received wide support among the 193 Member States of the UN General Assembly.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders took the floor today during an open debate of the UN Security Council on Children and Armed Conflict. Minister Reynders was invited to take part in this debate, opened to countries who do not sit at the Security Council, by France’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian.