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Aid effectiveness
At the start of the new millennium, reflection on the sometimes only transient results of development cooperation efforts not only prompted a call for more support (Monterrey) and a tighter focus on goals aimed at eliminating poverty (the Millennium Development Goals), but also focused greater attention on systematically boosting the effectiveness of such support. In 2005, principles for achieving this were set out in the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness.
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Asylum
The Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs is not directly responsible for dealing with asylum applications. The granting of refugee status falls within the competence of the FPS Home Affairs.
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Migration
In his opening speech to the World Forum for Migration and Development, which took place in Brussels in July 2007, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated that it is a cliché to regard the world as our village. For example, it is less noticeable that globalisation takes place in stages. We are now in the second stage: the era of mobility.
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Energy
The FPS Foreign Affairs follows multilateral diplomacy in international organisations in charge of energy, either on a primary basis (International Energy Agency, Energy Forum, Energy Charter, International Renewable Energy Agency) or on a complementary basis (UN, OSCE, NATO and the International Atomic Energy Agency as regards civil consumption).
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Antarctica
The Belgian presence in Antarctica dates back to the end of the 19th century, with the scientific expedition and wintering in Antarctica of the Belgica, led by Adrien de Gerlache.
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Climate
In 1992, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change was agreed upon at the UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio. The purpose of this UN climate treaty is to combat climate change related to the greenhouse effect that is strengthened by human activity.
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Desertification
Belgium contributes in several ways to the fight against desertification. It must be clarified that combatting desertification should be understood in the broadest sense here, including combatting land degradation, with a particular focus on Africa, and drought.
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Environment
The environment is one of the five pillars of Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and is also playing an increasingly central role within the United Nations. Below is a brief introduction to this policy theme.
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International cooperation for the protection of biological diversity and ecosystems
Find out more about the United Nations Biodiversity Convention and Belgian development cooperation and biodiversity.
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Management of chemical products
Chemicals can pose a threat to nature and mankind.
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Partners
Find more information about the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Green Climate Fund (GCF), and the Montreal Protocol Multilateral Fund here.
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Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
At the end of September 2015, all United Nations member states set 17 ambitious targets (or SDGs) to improve the world by 2030.
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United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA)
The United Nations Environment Assembly was created after Rio+20.
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Food safety
Belgium’s actions on food security are both humanitarian and structural.
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Management of the international economy
Opening up to trade and international flows of capital makes economies interdependent. International efforts to manage the international economy are prior to the 2008 crisis, the COVID-19 crisis and the war in Ukraine which, due to globalisation, have affected and continue to affect the entire country. However, these economic integration efforts have intensified due to the pressure of the crisis.
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Raw materials
The agricultural commodities market has often been characterised by large price fluctuations. Since many developing countries are highly dependent on raw materials for their export income, these price fluctuations regularly had negative effects on their development.
