I want to begin with the story of Karina, 22-years-old.
Eight years ago, Karina — a teenager — was forced to flee Donetsk when Russia invaded eastern Ukraine. In spring this year, the family was once again forced to flee, but this time, Karina — now in her early twenties — did not follow her parents. For the first few days, she stayed in touch by phone, but soon things went quiet.
After the Russian barbarians retreated from Bucha, Karina’s horrible fate was revealed. Her body was found, and her stepfather shared with The Kyiv Independent what had happened to her:
“There were cuts and lacerations. There was a piece of flesh torn off from her ribs. Half of her
nails were torn off. Her leg was shot. They tortured
her and most likely raped her.”
These are haunting and horrifying words; and sadly, this is only one of thousands of stories that mark that we are living in one of the darkest moments since the birth of the United Nations. Out of the destruction and devastation of the Second World War, the United Nations emerged “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war”, as the Preamble of the Charter of the United Nations begins.
Never again war in Europe — that was the mission. Never again were schools to be bombed on the European continent. Never again were hospitals to be hit. Never again were cities to be cut off from food and medicine. Today we are witnessing all of these in Ukraine. The mass graves and torture chambers in Izyum are the latest signs of the utter brutality of this unnecessary and illegal war — all gross violations of everything the United Nations stands for.
Faced with this Russian aggression and, indeed, war crimes, the United Nations is challenged to fulfil its calling. Everyone in this Hall, the representatives of every single country, will be asked one day: “What did you do to stop this? What did you do to protect the people of Ukraine? Did you look away, or did you act?” In this conflict, there is no room for neutrality.
It was the late Mikhail Gorbachev who said: “The victor is not the one who wins battles in a war, but the one who makes peace.” To win this peace, we must place the principles of the United Nations Charter at the forefront again — the principles of territorial integrity and national sovereignty. Indeed, if today the world is less stable and less secure, it is because of the sheer scandal that one of the founding Members of this United Nations has trampled on these principles and unleashed a war that reminds us of Europe’s darkest hours.
The statements of the past days and the threat to launch a nuclear war against an independent country have demonstrated Russia’s ruthlessness once again. It is reminiscent of medieval barbarism, much more than of Russian greatness.
We should be clear — this war will not go without consequences for those who are waging it. There will never be peace without accountability. That is why Belgium has always supported the International Criminal Court (ICC) and that is why we support the ICC in fully investigating and prosecuting all serious crimes committed in Ukraine. There is no room for impunity — not for the butchers of Bucha and definitely not for the leaders in Moscow who are calling the shots and bear the ultimate responsibility.
I specifically want to highlight the importance of the fight against sexual violence, one of the most destructive weapons of war, punishable under international law. Women who are exposed to acts of sexual violence suffer irreparable damage. And let us not forget that boys and men, too, are victims. They all deserve truth, justice and reparation.
This war is not just about Ukraine. It sows instability, famine and poverty all over the world. We have all seen the images of blocked Ukrainian ports, bombed grain silos and even looted Ukrainian grain. Those images speak for themselves of a chaos sown by Russia, and by Russia alone, that endangers the lives of hundreds of millions of people in Africa, Asia and Latin America — as if the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic were not enough.
In the midst of this chaos, the Black Sea Grain Initiative, signed in July in Istanbul, appeared as a beacon of hope. It showed the convening power of the United Nations, and I want to especially thank its Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Tiirkiye for making that agreement possible. I would also like to commend the positive role played by the African Union, whose leadership and mediation were decisive in the conclusion of the agreement.
We European countries have spared no effort in addressing this food crisis. We have maintained food exports. We are helping Ukraine through solidarity corridors, and we are providing emergency aid to the most vulnerable in the most affected regions. Belgium has considerably increased its humanitarian budget in recent years and will continue to work hand in hand with its humanitarian partners to meet the most urgent needs.
Yes, this food crisis forces us to look into the structural weaknesses of our agri-food systems. If we are to keep our promise and achieve zero hunger by 203 0 — our second Sustainable Development Goal — we must design sustainable and resilient food systems, systems that combine the traditional knowledge of local farmers with the scientific knowledge produced by research, and innovation.
Along with this food crisis, the Russian war is also causing a deep energy crisis with global fallout. People, also in Belgium, have difficulty paying their bills, small businesses are forced to pause because of spiking energy prices, and workers are losing their jobs. How should we deal with this?
First, we must continue to support our families and businesses. That is why the Belgian Government is releasing unprecedented support plans. After all we have done to cope with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, once again we stand ready to protect our people. We are not leaving anyone behind.
But that is only part of the answer. We should also be honest. We live in wartime and Governments by themselves will not be able to absorb the full weight of this war. I know that this is a tough message, but it is the only honest one. We will have to bear the weight of this war together, in solidarity.
Equally important is the action we take. We need to disconnect from unreliable energy suppliers. We must strengthen our energy independence, diversify energy supplies and transition faster to locally produced green and fossil-free energy. And that is what we are doing.
Belgium is one of the world leaders in offshore capacity and, with other European partners, we are investing to transform the North Sea into Europe’s biggest green power plant, quadrupling wind power in the North Sea. We are building a hydrogen hub in the heart of Europe for the import and transit of green hydrogen, and we are reaching out to partners in Africa and the Middle East to team up. Energy transition is a common challenge that needs common answers, from the North and the South. And we keep investing in nuclear energy, safer than today with less waste than today. If we want to bolster our energy independence and deliver on the promises of a green and sustainable world, we will need all of these.
Belgium brings innovative solutions and expertise to the table with universities and research centres that are world leading and that will help us to change and to adapt. It is this spirit, this can-do mentality, that we will take to twenty-seventh Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Last year in this Hall, I spoke about the deadly floods in my country (see A/76/PV.13). This year, along with many other countries, Belgium again suffered the effects of climate change and global warming, with persistent drought that endangered drinking water and destroyed crops.
War in Europe should not make us look away from the big challenges of our time — first and foremost, climate change. We cannot let one autocrat’s warmongering distract us from our common agenda, the Sustainable Development Goals — an agenda that has not become less relevant, but quite the opposite. Our generation faces a gigantic task, but I remain confident that with we will succeed.
To destroy progress, you only need one man. That is what we have learned this year. But to achieve progress, you need many hands. Never before, has cooperation — international cooperation — been so important. Regardless of all the obstacles, of all the pain and struggle, we have today perhaps the greatest opportunity humankind has ever had to create an inclusive community in which every citizen has a say and a stake — in which progress is attainable for all. Let us embrace this opportunity instead of destroying it with bombs and hatred.
This brings me to my final point, a fight close to my heart — the fight for human rights and liberal democracy.
On the eve of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we see human rights under increasing pressure. It is for that very reason that Belgium is running for a seat in the Human Rights Council for 2023-2025. Our candidacy reflects our commitment to multilateralism and our support for the international order based on the rule of law and on respect for human rights, without distinction.
A stronger focus on human rights is urgently needed. Let us take for example, women’s rights. After years of steady progress, we are fighting an uphill battle again. I am sickened to see the fate of women and girls in Afghanistan. What we all feared has become true. Despite all the promises, Afghan women and girls have been systematically excluded from public life over the past year. Girls are no longer allowed to go to school. They are forced to get married at an age when children should still be playing with their friends. Their mothers no longer allowed to go to work.
But as one young Afghan woman wrote, “I am heartbroken, but hopeful”. When this woman, whose rights are being crushed, does not give up then we too
must keep fighting, for going to school is not a privilege; it is a right of each and every child, of boys and girls. The Transforming Education Summit was a clear reminder that we must continue to fight for accessibility and quality of education for all, just as we must keep fighting for the right of women to equally participate in all domains of decision-making and public life. There will never be sustainable stability, let alone peace, when women are forced to take the back seat.
Not only human rights are under pressure; democracy itself is targeted. The Russian bombs and missiles directed towards the people of Ukraine are also aimed at causing conflicts in other countries. Just recently, it was exposed that Russia has spent $300 million to influence foreign officials; to replace their free will with Russia’s will; their own interests with Russia’s interests. This is a new form of colonization. In Africa, for example, ever more countries are becoming targets and victims, such as in the Sahel or in Central Africa. I want to make it clear to our partners that we will remain on their side. But is also happening also in Europe, where Putin is financing his puppets to carry out his agenda of division, mistrust and unrest, organizing disinformation campaigns, cyberattacks and illegal interference in free elections.
It should be clear — we will not back down on democratic principles and individual rights. We will not allow Russian trojan horses to undermine our democracies with disinformation and fear. When the fight for democracy is to be fought, we will and we shall stand up.
A founding Member of the United Nations, a permanent member of the Security Council, is waging a hybrid war on the international community. We cannot standby. We cannot look away. We must protect the people of Ukraine. We must do everything we can to help Ukraine win this war, and we will. We will also protect our own people, who are struggling to heat their homes and pay their bills. And we will work hand in hand with the Global South.
That is our mission today. For millions of people all over the world, the United Nations remains a beacon of hope, not least for the younger generations. Let us respond to their call and act. People are counting on us.