ALEXANDER DE CROO, Prime Minister of Belgium, recalled that just after Andrei Sakharov developed the first Soviet hydrogen bomb in 1955, the nuclear arms race and Soviet doctrine seriously troubled him.  The fight for human rights turned him into an international advocate, culminating in him being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 20 years later.  “Looking at the world today, it is crucial to remember Sakharov’s legacy,” he said.

Meanwhile, in the Middle East, decades of dehumanizing the enemy have led to a vicious cycle of violence, resulting in the killing of over 40,000 people in less than a year.  On 7 October 2023, Belgium immediately acknowledged Israel’s right to defend itself and called for the unconditional release of all hostages.  His Government has called for an immediate and lasting ceasefire for many months, and imposed a weapons embargo.  Further, it has never ceased support to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), and has imposed sanctions on Hamas, as well as extremist settler organizations.  With every innocent life lost in Gaza and every discovery of a dead hostage, the prospects of future peace seem more distant than ever.  Asking “where is the human dignity in all this?”, he nonetheless said “there is a way out,” urging for engagement with Palestinian and Israeli leaders and articulating a viable pathway to a two-State solution.

With Russian Federation President Putin waging war in Europe for more than two years, “his madness continues to have devastating consequences for the Ukrainian people,” he stated, adding:  “One man alone can stop the killing of thousands of civilians.” Citing widespread disturbing brutality established by various independent international inquiries, he recalled that over the past year the Belgian Ukraine Fund has spent €1.7 billion on military equipment, humanitarian aid and reconstruction, while the country’s development agency is helping Ukraine prepare for joining the European Union. With Ukrainians facing another cold winter soon, Belgium is winterizing energy provision in hundreds of hospitals.  As the Russian Federation continues to bomb cities, Ukraine’s call for more air defence is pure self-protection, and in response, the Belgian Air Force will transfer all of its fighter jets — at least 30 over the coming years.

While a polarized and deeply divided world may “lead us to believe that multilateralism has failed on all fronts, this would be a mistake”, he stated — pointing to the United Nations agreement on biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction, the global response to mpox and the response of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention to the outbreak as examples of progress.  Extreme weather events are increasing all over the world, including recent flooding in large parts of Eastern and Central Europe — but human ingenuity, sustainable competition and deeply entrenched behaviour changes can mitigate the impacts of climate change.  Recalling the lessons of Andrei Sakharov, he noted that in the absence of human rights and human dignity, conflicts loom large and the most vulnerable bear the brunt.  A new beginning, with the Pact for the Future, must therefore start with recommitment to the UN Charter, the rule of law and respect for human dignity.