Sophie Wilmès meets her American counterpart Antony J. Blinken
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilmès received her American counterpart Antony Blinken at the Egmont Palace today for a first bilateral meeting. Both ministers participated in the NATO ministerial for the past two days. It is Secretary Blinken’s first visit to Europe since the Biden administration took office. The meeting took place in a cordial atmosphere and allowed to set out some lines for concrete transatlantic cooperation. President Biden already…
Sophie Wilmès highlights Belgian leadership in the fight against falsified medical products
The 14th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice was held in Kyoto (Japan) from March 7 to 11, partly virtually. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilmès participated in an event organized by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on the issue of falsified medical products. This is an issue of particular importance for Belgium: “Access to safe and effective quality medicines is a priority for Belgium, and we have…
Sophie Wilmès presents Belgian priorities in Human Rights Council
Today, February 22, the 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council started in Geneva and will continue until March 23. On this occasion, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sophie addressed the ministerial part of the session. She presented the priorities of the Belgian government and shared some reflections on the current challenges in the field of human rights. The promotion and protection of human rights is a cornerstone of Belgium’s foreign policy. This is…
Sophie Wilmès calls for further efforts towards nuclear disarmament
On Monday, 22 February, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilmès addressed the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva during its high-level segment. The Conference on Disarmament, of which Belgium is a permanent member, was established in 1979. To date, it is the only multilateral instrument dedicated to the negotiation of disarmament agreements. Disarmament and non-proliferation are crucial issues for international peace and security and as such constitute a priority…
Benelux Foreign Ministers host meeting with ICC Prosecutor and their EU colleagues
Today, February 22nd, in the context of the Belgian Presidency of the Benelux, Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilmès invited the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Ms. Fatou Bensouda, and her fellow EU Foreign Ministers for an informal meeting with the 27 EU Ministers ahead of the monthly Foreign Affairs Council. Ms. Bensouda started her mandate as Prosecutor in 2012 and will finish it in June this year. During the meeting, Ms. Bensouda has been invited to give a…
Sophie Wilmès emphasizes continued Belgian commitment to children's rights on International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers
On the occasion of the International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilmès reaffirms Belgium’s commitment to improving the protection of children in armed conflict. The United Nations aims to improve the situation of these children by addressing the six most serious violations of children’s rights: killing and maiming, sexual violence, abduction, attacks on schools or hospitals, denial of access to humanitarian aid…
International Human Rights Day: Belgium continues to advocate for the universality of human rights
Today is the International Human Rights Day. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilmès and Minister of Development Cooperation Meryame Kitir underline that Belgium remains committed to the protection and promotion of all human rights for all. This is more necessary than ever. The COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be a worldwide stress test for human rights. Unfortunately, the past year had a negative impact on economic and social rights as well as civil and political…
World Day against the #DeathPenalty
On the occasion of the World Day against the #DeathPenalty, I underline Belgium’s commitment to the universal abolition of the death penalty. Read more on why we call for #AbolitionNow
Congratulations to World Food Programme on winning the Nobel Peace Prize!
Congratulations to World Food Programme on winning the Nobel Peace Prize! You ensure millions of the world’s most vulnerable men, women and children don’t starve to death. Belgium is proud to support your relentless efforts for world food security. Read our press release
Launch of the Risk Management Strategy: Accountability of Citizens
The National Security Council, expanded to include the Minister-Presidents, met to discuss the work carried out by Celeval, which was asked to develop a longer-term approach to health risk management. The six golden rules are key to this approach. As a reminder, they are: Compliance with hygiene measures; Preferably organize activities in open air; Protect vulnerable people; Keep your distance (1m50); Limit your close contacts; Follow the rules on gatherings. Regarding social contacts,…