Opening ceremony of the United Nations International Student Conference of Amsterdam (Engels)

Toespraak | 15-08-2012

Mr. Secretary General, Madam President, Rector Magnificus Van de Boom, ladies and gentlemen, thanks very much for the warm welcome. I spent many hours here as a student.

Imagine we would have the Olympic Games every day during the year. How wonderful the world would be!

The famous author Parag Khanna writes that ‘everyone has a role to play in running the world’. Today, all you need is a smartphone and an internet connection, and you can be your own ambassador. You don’t need anybody else. Khanna calls it ‘Mega- or e-diplomacy’.

Dear participants. How difficult it must be to bring your concerns into the spotlight – especially today, in the age of mega- and e-diplomacy. Taking part in this model UN will learn you how to proceed in order to get diplomats’ attention. But during the simulation, I ask you not only to play the part of the smooth diplomat, but also to be critical. Take a critical look at the way we conduct diplomacy today and the way the UN operates. This simulation will reveal UN’s real-life limitations.

Let’s take an illustration, which is on the frontpage of the newspapers every day, the situation in Syria. It is the latest example of the UN’s shortcomings. It is unfortunate that Kofi Annan was not able to fulfill his mission as the UN’s envoy. He did everything he could to make his mission a success, but he didn’t get the support he needed. He said: ‘At a time when we need ̶ when the Syrian people desperately need action ̶ there continues to be finger-pointing and name-calling in the Security Council.’ If Kofi-Annan could not, who would be able to do so?

I don’t need to commemorate on that. You all know that in the so called ‘emergency room of the UN’ Russia and China have a growing responsibility. Both should contribute to make Assad step down. The Netherlands continues to favor a Security Council resolution condemning Syria. That is the clearest signal we can send. The violence, the killing and the torture of men, women and children have to stop. I too feel the increasing public frustration that we have so far been unable to stop the violence in Syria.

Here we are at the heart of the matter; the UN is confronted with ever-increasing expectations. But in practice the UN lacks the capacity to deliver.

This discrepancy between ever increasing expectations and the capacity to deliver will become even more complex in the future. The middle class is growing; in 2030 the world counts three billion more consumers than today. And, more than ever before, people communicate with each other around the world. Out of the 7 billion people on earth, 6 billion have a mobile phone. This leads to new challenges, on a truly global scale. The global financial crisis and the global war on terror. These challenges will be met if countries work together.

International cooperation has become more complex. The world order has changed dramatically since the UN was founded in 1945. The number of member states has grown from 51 to nearly 200. So more countries are joining the global debate at the highest level. And they want to get something out of it. And private corporations, NGOs and individuals with internet connections also have a say in decision-making on international issues.

The United Nations International Student Conference of Amsterdam, now in its fifteenth edition, gives young people from all over the world the chance to debate some of the most challenging issues in world politics. For the simulation, each delegation will prepare a position paper for the country it represents. You then negotiate your priorities. Let us look for a moment at the priority of the Dutch government.

The first category is prosperity. The Dutch have a long tradition of free trade, and actively opposes protectionism. For us, the WTO is and remains a crucial actor. The only way to increase prosperity is by fostering free trade and guaranteeing a fair level-playing field.

Security is the second priority on our list. We cannot effectively protect our security by ourselves. Global security issues such as international terrorism, nuclear proliferation and cyberwar threaten us at home. Internal and external security are intertwined. That is why it is so important to invest in the stabilization, mediation and conflict resolution throughout the hotspots in the world and we should fight impunity at the international courts and tribunals, especially here in The Hague.

Freedom is the third heading. The Netherlands wants to improve conditions in countries where serious human rights violations take place, like Iran and North Korea. Here, the focus is on internet freedom and the rights of women and religious minorities.

Prosperity, security and freedom. These are our negotiation priorities. We want to work all those concerned in these areas. And the UN is still the best forum for joint action. Do not forget that the UN is more than just the headquarters in New York. It’s a multi-agency institution that takes care of casualties of war, disaster and famine. Take the work of UNHCR and UNICEF. And the UN has a role to play in peace-keeping and peace-endorsing missions.

In the UN, we don’t always have to agree with each other. That’s logical in an organization with so many members at the table. But we have to keep talking to each other. I quote the American political scientist Joseph Nye: ‘Seduction is always more effective than coercion, and many values like democracy, human rights, and individual opportunities are deeply seductive.’

With 193 member states addressing so many issues, effectivity and efficiency are vital. For that matter, the first step towards building a stronger UN is reforming the Security Council. Its structure still reflects the balance of power from right after the Second World War. Emerging powers have no voice. Countries like Brazil, Germany, India and Japan need to get permanent seats. But decisions should be made quickly and efficiently. So we should not grant veto power to newcomers in the Security Council.

The Netherlands also wants the UN as a whole to be more efficient. The many UN agencies are part of one organization. With one leader, one budget, one program and one office. Bureaucratic rivalry between UN agencies is unacceptable.

The Netherlands also seeks to improve cooperation between the UN and other multilateral organizations. In solving the conflicts in Libya and Syria, for example, the Arab League plays a key role. These internal conflicts are regional in nature, and therefore require a regional approach. By working with local players, like the African Union and the EU, the UN becomes more legitimate, effective and efficient.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The UN is first and foremost about the power of diplomacy and negotiation. In the next two weeks, you will have a chance to develop your diplomatic and negotiating talents. And learn to exercise soft power.

Negotiating is important in the age of Khanna’s megadiplomacy. So I want to give you some advice. First, always listen carefully before you speak and treat your discussion partner with respect. Reflect before you act. Second, do understand that diplomacy can be a win-win game. In other words, make sure that every delegation goes home with something. And third, hold your ground, but remember that you can’t have everything your own way.

And finally, allow me to welcome you to the world of diplomacy. I wish you every success in the coming two weeks.

Thank you.