On 17 July, in a summer
already marked by alarming reports from Syria,
Iraq and Gaza, our country was confronted with a
stark international reality. The 298 passengers of
Flight MH-17 would be alive today if not for the Crimea
conflict and the destabilization of eastern Ukraine. Of
those victims, 196 were Dutch nationals.
That tragedy has had an enormous impact on
our country — so many innocent men, women and
children, entire families ripped from neighbourhoods,
empty desks in offices and schools, teammates gone
forever. Everyone in the Netherlands knew someone in
that plane, directly or indirectly, and we will feel the
pain for years to come. Some of the victims still have
not been identified, and that must be done as soon as
possible. Nothing is more important to their loved ones,
wherever in the world they may be.
This summer we were reminded again of how
closely interwoven events at home and abroad can be
and how important a stable world order is to our national
interests. We saw again that when it comes to addressing
the major problems facing the global community, there
is simply no alternative to working together. That is the
firm conviction of the Dutch Government.
We are grateful for the wide support for Security
Council resolution 2166 (2014). All remains and personal
belongings must be repatriated. The cause of the Flight
MH-17 disaster must be brought to light, and those
responsible must be brought to justice. Unhindered
access to the crash site is therefore essential. The Dutch
Government is fully committed to achieving those
goals, working with all the countries and organizations
involved.
The Constitution of the Netherlands contains a
unique article that says, “The Government shall promote
the development of the international legal order”. That
self-imposed responsibility comes from a long tradition
of freedom, respect for the rule of law and our country’s
international orientation. In March, we put that principle
into practice once again when we hosted the Nuclear
Security Summit, a conference on an important topic
that must remain high on the international agenda. The
events of this summer have made us even more resolute
about promoting the international legal order and about
working to that end with everyone here in the General
Assembly, in the knowledge that peace, justice and
development are closely interconnected.
The year 2015 is an important one for the global
development agenda. We will be reviewing the
Millennium Development Goals and raising the
bar once again. In July this year, the Open Working
Group on Sustainable Development Goals laid a solid
foundation for the future that reflects the Netherlands’
priorities. The most important goal is to eradicate
extreme poverty within a generation in a way that
does not harm economic growth, social equality or the
environment. We must link short-term goals with long-
term goals.
Despite the progress made, we know that fragile
States, where the rule of law barely exists, had no
chance of achieving the Millennium Development
Goals. In 2013 there were more displaced people in
conflict regions than ever before. For those reasons,
the Netherlands applauds the Open Working Group’s
intention to include peace and the rule of law in the new
framework.
We also welcome the Secretary-General’s announced
intention to establish the United Nations Mission for
Ebola Emergency Response. The Netherlands will
substantially increase its humanitarian aid. Part of that
effort is a new contribution of €18 million to the fight
against Ebola.
In the same vein, the Netherlands will continue to
support and participate in United Nations peacekeeping
missions. We currently have military personnel and
relief workers serving in Mali, South Sudan and
elsewhere. The upcoming review of peacekeeping
missions is an opportunity to improve the instrument
and make it more effective. The Netherlands believes
that major progress can be made on that front by further
integrating the three Ds: defence, development and
diplomacy.
Our commitment to fulfilling Security Council
resolution 1325 (2000) remains firm too, because
women’s leadership is essential to achieving peace and
security. The important role that women play as change
agents in politics, economic development and society
cannot be emphasized enough.
As host country to many international legal
institutions, including the International Court of Justice
and the International Criminal Court, the Netherlands
feels a special responsibility with respect to international
law. When innocent people fall victim to impunity,
human rights violations and the violence of war, the
international community cannot and should not just
stand by and just watch. Perpetrators must be brought
to justice, however complex and time-consuming the
process may be. We owe this not only to the passengers
of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH-17, but also to the
victims of violence in Syria and in Iraq. The horrifying
images of mass executions and beheadings in the region
are burned into our memories. They impress upon
us how important it is for the Security Council and
international legal institutions to be able to act boldly
and decisively.
The Kingdom of the Netherlands, a partner for
peace, justice and development, is a candidate for a
non-permanent seat on the Security Council in 2017
and 2018. We want to help modernize and strengthen
that important United Nations body. Renewal is
needed to ensure its effectiveness and legitimacy. The
Security Council must be able to act in a crisis. When
mass atrocities are being committed somewhere in the
world, veto power should be exercised with greater
restraint. We salute the French initiative in that regard.
We also believe that the Security Council’s authority
and resolve would be enhanced if the United Nations
Member States were more broadly represented. That
is especially true of the African States which, in our
opinion, are underrepresented.
In closing, Dag Hammarskjöld once said that
“[t]he principles of the Charter are, by far, greater
than the Organization in which they are embodied,
and the aims which they are to safeguard are holier
than the policies of any single nation or people”
(S/PV.751, para. 4).
The Netherlands shares that conviction and remains
steadfast in its commitment to promoting the
international legal order, as our Constitution demands.