Ministerial meeting of the Coalition for the Sahel: intervention

Only the spoken word shall count

Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

First of all, I would like to thank the High Representative of the Coalition, Mr Adoum, for organising this exchange of views on the situation in the Sahel and on the future of our Coalition’s action.

I agree with the High Representative that the context in the Sahel has changed since the roadmap was approved last year. For example, three weeks ago, given the circumstances, we made the important decision to reorganise the Takuba mechanism under the Coalition’s first pillar.

Given the profound change in the situation, it is now essential to extend the discussion to the other pillars and update the roadmap.

Despite our efforts, the Sahelis’ overall situation has deteriorated. Many residents of the Sahel are also rebelling, either by supporting coups or by joining jihadist groups.

The European Union’s Sahel Strategy provides some solutions: in addition to the Coalition’s four pillars, the battle against terrorism can only be won if greater account is taken of the local population’s aspirations to bring about change. We must accommodate this reality and cooperate to meet this expectation.

The responsibility for addressing this lies primarily with the authorities in Sahel countries. But it is our responsibility to continue to further encourage and support reform in the Sahel, and to denounce the lack of this.

These bold reforms will need to restore the legitimacy of the state and democracy, which are regularly undermined. In this regard, I welcome the progress in the battle against impunity noted in the Coalition’s progress report.

In Mali, the return to democratic and constitutional order remains the main short-term objective. We also need to answer the questions raised by the presence of the Wagner group, which is very troubling. It is in this context that Belgium supports the sanctions against Malian officials that extend the duration of the transition.

This should not prevent us from maintaining a channel of communication with the transition authorities. Indeed, Belgium believes it is important that our collective commitment to Mali in pillars 2 and 3 be maintained, albeit adjusted. This should enable us to continue the work of reform and modernisation, which is essential for the sustainable stabilisation of the country.

The security situation in the coastal states of the Gulf of Guinea is threatening to deteriorate. We will need to give them more support in the near future. This must be based on the Coalition’s four pillars. We will need to work with our West African partners to determine the best practical way to do this.

Belgium intends to continue its commitment to the Sahel. Poverty, climate change, illegal migration, insecurity, violence and better governance are all challenges that require our collective action in support of the countries in the region.

Thank you.

International Women’s Day: “Respect for women’s rights even more fundamental in wartime”

For more than a century, 8 March – International Women’s Rights Day – has been used to highlight women’s social, political, economic and cultural achievements, while promoting gender equality and the human rights of women and girls. This last point is particularly relevant in the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine. Human rights are all too often violated during wartime. In this context, women and girls are particularly vulnerable. History shows that wars and conflicts very often increase their risk of becoming victims of war crimes, including many forms of violence, arbitrary executions, rape and human trafficking.

Sophie Wilmès: “International Women’s Day is an opportunity to draw attention to the precarious situation of women and children fleeing Ukraine, which is of great concern to us. The vast majority of people fleeing this war are women and children – I was able to see this for myself yesterday on the border between Poland and Ukraine. Their situation is very difficult, and as the conflict continues and more and more people are forced to leave, the risk of violence against them will only increase. Belgium supports the solidarity actions by Ukraine’s neighbours and will continue to provide support.”

In a context of conflict and war, it should also not be forgotten that women and girls are not only at increased risk of sexual and gender-based violence, but that they can also be used as combatants. In addition, they often have little to no involvement in peace talks and reconstruction preparations. As a result, their specific needs are neither heard nor taken into account.

Ludivine Dedonder: “As Minister of Defence, I am delighted that there is a framework within my department where gender equality is evident. The Ministry of Defence is already committed to continuing to apply gender equality structurally, both in its internal and external policies and in the performance of its missions at home and abroad. But unfortunately, this is not the case everywhere. In uncertain times, with a war on the European continent, we must have more regard to respect for women than ever. The focus on violence against women – even during this terrible conflict – must never, ever slacken. Women who flee in the hope of a better life, or women who have not had the chance to flee yet: they must be left in peace, just like all the other women who are all too often victims of treacherous acts during conflicts. We must therefore work flat out to raise awareness of the real threat posed to women, and continue to lead by example ourselves with women in key positions within our own society and structures.”

Meryame Kitir: “Girls and women face enormous challenges today. Women make sacrifices to give their families a better future. Young girls are denied opportunities to grow up the way they want to. We see this today both close by, in Ukraine, and in our partner countries. I will continue to fight for girls and women to have equal opportunities. I will do so together with other women, as well as men. For if we are to effectively pursue greater equality, we must also ensure that more men become our allies. We will work on this along with our local and international partners. Only then can everyone, anywhere in the world, have the opportunity to be who they want to be.“

In this context, Deputy Prime Minister Sophie Wilmès and Ministers Ludivine Dedonder and Meryame Kitir want to promote the fourth Belgian National Action Plan “Women, Peace and Security,” which the federal government approved on 25 February. This plan will consistently implement UN Security Council Resolution 1325, with the goal of improving the situation of women and girls in (post-)conflict situations.

Specifically, the Plan of Action envisages continuing to push for increased participation of women in diplomacy, development cooperation and defence, as well as the presence of women at the negotiating table. The Action Plan also implies that conventions that improve the situation of women and empower them must be observed. Initiatives that facilitate access to justice for women and girls must be supported.

An important role in the implementation of this Action Plan is reserved for Belgian embassies and diplomatic missions, which are already internationally known as strong advocates for women’s rights. On International Women’s Day – but also throughout the year – they will continue to actively promote the Belgian policy on gender equality, including through various events such as conferences, meetings with students, webinars and so on.

Extraordinary Council of EU Foreign Ministers meeting on 4 March: conclusions

Today, Friday 4 March, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilmès participated with her European counterparts in an Extraordinary Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) meeting to monitor the situation in Ukraine. This meeting was expanded to include the American, British and Canadian partners, represented by Mr Antony Blinken, Ms Liz Truss and Ms Melanie Joly. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was also present. During the exchange of views, Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Dmytro Kuleba, spoke via videoconference.

The meeting provided an opportunity for a majority of participants to continue the exchange of views that had been organised at a NATO level this morning. Belgium had the opportunity to reiterate its main messages regarding unity and the important coordination of partners in this crisis, the great solidarity with Ukraine and the need to keep maximum pressure on Russia. On this last point, Belgium welcomes the strong sanctions against Russia and its ally Belarus that had already been taken very quickly by the European partners. This country is open to new measures to further tighten sanctions.

A point of interest is the announcement of an agreement between Russia and Ukraine on organising humanitarian corridors. The details of the implementation are not known at this stage. Sophie Wilmès: “The humanitarian corridors must allow for the delivery of food to Ukrainians, but must also help create a safe passage for compatriots who wish to leave Ukraine. The corridors need to be implemented as soon as possible. Once that is the case, we will need to coordinate among European partners as best we can so that it runs efficiently.”

The Deputy Prime Minister also emphasised that besides the conflict, we are witnessing a confrontation of values and societal models. In this regard, permanent contact needs to be maintained among the 141 countries that supported the UN resolution (ES/11/1) on Wednesday. She also called for a specific plan, developed by the European Commission, to counter the Russian propaganda strategy – not only here but especially among the Russian people.

NATO’s Extraordinary Ministerial Meeting: conclusions

Today, Friday 4 March, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilmès participated in an extraordinary NATO ministerial meeting. This meeting was extended to include the Foreign Ministers of Finland and Sweden, as well as the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell. The goal was to take stock of Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine.

In her intervention, the Deputy Prime Minister emphasised several points. First, she expressed satisfaction with the unity and determination of the allies in the face of Russian aggression. She also reiterated the need to maintain maximum pressure on Russia and Belarus to immediately cease hostilities and withdraw Russian troops.

Sophie Wilmès once again pleaded with allies and partners outside the Alliance for continued, close collaboration. “We must coordinate our bilateral initiatives very well to provide the necessary assistance to the Ukrainians in their legitimate right to defend themselves without risking the conflict spilling over to the rest of Europe,” the Deputy Prime Minister said, adding in passing that NATO is not a party to the conflict and remains a defensive alliance.

The relationship between NATO and Russia was also discussed. Belgium believes that we should reconsider our relations with Moscow, taking into account the long-term consequences of the current situation. Sophie Wilmès: “We must not give up the available mechanisms for dialogue, which we could use in the future. Even though Russia is making any dialogue impossible today by choosing war and persisting in it.” Russia and Ukraine nonetheless began talks, which led to an agreement on humanitarian corridors. The details of this agreement must now be made public to determine how it will translate on the ground.

Regardless of current events, the present conflict in Ukraine is an important issue for NATO’s future. Sophie Wilmès: “We must begin to integrate the current context into our reflection to determine how NATO acts on its territory and how it sees its future as an Alliance. This process is consistent with what is happening around the NATO 2030 strategic concept.”

NATO’s Extraordinary Ministerial Meeting: conclusions

Extraordinary Council of EU Foreign Ministers meeting on 27 February: conclusions

Today, Sunday 27 February, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilmès participated by videoconference with her European counterparts in an Extraordinary Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) meeting to monitor the situation in Ukraine and take a series of additional decisions.

During the meeting, EU ministers validated the political agreement on a set of new sanctions against Russia and Belarus. The agreement includes the withdrawal of Russia’s major banks from the SWIFT interbank system; a ban on transactions with the Russian Central Bank; a further expansion of the list of individuals subject to European sanctions, including prominent figures in Russia and Belarus; and a ban on media outlets with ties to the Russian government from broadcasting in the European Union. In addition, several European countries, such as Belgium, have decided to close their airspace to flights by Russian airlines.

Sophie Wilmès: “Belgium fully supports these tightened sanctions against the regime in Moscow, as well as its allies in Belarus – which was a focus for us. This shows that we are and will remain particularly determined not to let Moscow escape the severe consequences of the tragedy in Ukraine. During the meeting, I also pointed out the need for a counter-offensive against disinformation, which exists among us, but especially among the Russian population. We need a solid strategy for ensuring that the current situation in Ukraine is fairly reflected in Russia.”

Under the European Peace Facility, it was also decided to provide support for the supply of military equipment to the Ukrainians. Belgium has come out in favour of this proposal and has already made such commitments this weekend. Sophie Wilmès: “A taboo has been broken and this is a good thing. Our support for the Ukrainian people must go beyond declarations and economic sanctions. I am satisfied with the decisions taken in Belgium and at an EU level. I am convinced that an extra effort should also be made from a humanitarian point of view. Finally, solidarity must be organised with European Member States to deal with the influx of refugees resulting from the conflict.”

Extraordinary Council of EU Foreign Ministers meeting on 25 February: conclusions

Today, Friday 25 February, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sophie Wilmès, and her fellow ministers met in Brussels for a Foreign Affairs Council meeting following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

First, the Council formally adopted the second, massive sanctions package against Russia and, in part, Belarus. “This is a solid package of sanctions that meets our objectives of targeting those responsible for this unprovoked, illegal invasion of Ukraine and economically isolating the regime in Moscow,” said Sophie Wilmès. The new sanctions target financial institutions, certain exports in the energy sector, transport and dual-use goods. They also include visa restrictions and individual sanctions.

“Belgium argued that President Putin and Foreign Minister Lavrov should also be included in the list. The point here is to highlight the full responsibility for this aggression.” As it happens, Belgium believes that the sanctions could be strengthened further.

The EU Foreign Ministers were also in contact via videoconference with their Ukrainian counterpart Kuleba, who gave them an overview of the situation on the ground, indicated what the needs are and thanked them for their efforts and support.

At the bilateral meeting that followed, Deputy Prime Minister Wilmès assured her Ukrainian counterpart of Belgium’s support, of our solidarity with the suffering Ukrainian people, but also of our willingness to evaluate our capacity to meet their needs at any time.

Finally, the Council considered how to further isolate Russia economically at a multilateral level. Belgium co-sponsored a resolution at the United Nations in which the Council decided that Russia should withdraw immediately and unconditionally. “It is time to make an appeal to our partners and friends all across the world to exert maximum pressure on Russia in all conceivable forums to cease its intolerable aggression and withdraw. What is happening in Ukraine today could happen in another part of the world tomorrow.”