Toespraak bij de bijeenkomst 'De Haagse Conventie van 1907, verleden, heden en toekomst' (Engels)
Gelegenheid: bijeenkomst 'De Haagse Conventie van 1907Openingstoespraak bij de bijeenkomst 'De Haagse Conventie van 1907, verleden, heden en toekomst' van de Stichting Japanse Ereschulden. Bij afwezigheid van minister Verhagen uitgesproken door de Secretaris-generaal van het ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken, de heer Ed Kronenburg.
Kurhaus, 2 October 2008
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is a great pleasure for me to be speaking on behalf of Maxime Verhagen, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, at the opening of your Conference on the Hague Convention of 1907. I would like to thank the Stichting Japanse Ereschulden for this opportunity and for organising this conference.
The Hague Convention of 1907 banned the use of certain forms of modern technology in warfare, such as chemical weapons and dum-dum bullets. But more importantly, the Convention laid down a legal basis for the recognition of human rights in time of war. For the first time ever, human rights in wartime became the focus of serious attention. And they still are. I will come back to this point in a moment.
As we look back on more than 100 years of the Hague Convention, we inevitably talk about the past. But we cannot turn back the clock, because we cannot ‘undo’ history. We must therefore recognise the past, address it where possible and draw lessons from it for the benefit of future generations. This is what the Netherlands believes in and wants to do. I also hope that it is the spirit in which your conference will be conducted.
The Hague Convention was part of a series of international developments that ultimately established The Hague as the legal capital of the world. As a centre for international law, the Netherlands is not a passive host. We have always been at the forefront of human rights and of international law in this field and we will continue to be so. Our human rights strategy clearly reflects our modus operandi – grounded on moral principles, but with a keen eye for political realities.
Human rights are a key element of Dutch foreign policy in every respect. Human rights should always be respected, over and above cultural or religious differences, in both war and peace. As the Minister of Foreign Affairs has stated: we stand for pro-active promotion of human rights, on moral grounds and out of conviction, for all people at all times. We stand for human rights in war and in peace. We stand for human rights in the past, the here-and-now, and the future. And we stand for human rights in our relations with all countries; not only developing countries but also the US and Japan.
Of course, the background to the Stichting Japanse Ereschulden is the Second World War in the Pacific. Let me say something on specific issues related to that tragic period. During the trials of war criminals in the former Dutch East Indies after the war, several of the convictions of Japanese military personnel and Japanese citizens were related to forced prostitution. But apart from these convictions, woefully little attention was paid to the plight of the victims. It took many, many years before they were able to speak out about the crimes that had caused them such suffering. We owe them lasting respect and admiration for doing so.
The Netherlands deplores any attempt to deny what happened. We took a clear stand in the recent past, when such a denial appeared to have been made. The Japanese Government has confirmed that it stands by the Kono Declaration, its apology of 1993 and the subsequent apologies by Prime Minister Hashimoto. Efforts have been made by the Japanese side to address the matter of compensation through the Asian Women’s Fund. At the same time, the Netherlands continues to stress the sensitivity of the forced prostitution issue and the need for an additional gesture. The question is always: what is possible, and what is enough. Japan is in a state of flux at the moment, so we cannot expect a clear answer immediately. Although we must look to the future, the dialogue about our war past is part and parcel of our bilateral relations with Japan.
The violations of human rights in wartime and the war crimes that took place are tragic and indelible facts of history. Even more tragic and indelible are the emotional scars that they have left on the victims. The involvement of active citizens, academics and war victims’ organisations are essential. That is where all of you come in. The motto must be ‘never again.’ War victims know better than anyone what this means. Future generations should not have to suffer the same terrible experiences: they should be protected from such horrors.
It is therefore absolutely necessary that we continue to focus on the violations of human rights in wartime. Even in this day and age, human rights and security remain strongly interdependent. Not until the security of a state and its people are guaranteed and human rights are respected, can there be true peace. But today’s world is plagued by wars and the world’s worst human rights and humanitarian crises are taking place in these very war zones, including Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In these and other conflicts women and young girls are still particularly vulnerable. Sexual violence, systematic rape and discrimination against women and young girls are still a horrific reality in most conflict zones. Harrowing images and reports continue to reach us through the media, and far faster than ever before We want to put a stop to the atrocities and that is our moral duty.
The campaign to prevent impunity for war crimes, oppose human rights abuses in conflict and to bring human rights violators to justice is not an easy one. But progress is being made. There is a growing international focus on protecting human rights in conflict situations. It’s a subject that more and more NGOs and independent think-tanks are getting involved with. Knowledge and understanding of the complex connection between human rights abuses and conflict is improving. In addition to initiatives by independent organisations, we are seeing greater input from the UN, EU, OSCE, individual states and other international bodies. They are all joining forces against impunity.
Progress can be seen on the national and international scene. Take Security Council resolution 1325 – focusing on women, peace and security – and all the national action plans it has generated. Or consider the fact that now – more than ever – human rights atrocities are receiving attention in the international arena. We have afforded potential victims redress, but we must make sure that they have effective access to it. Modern media are a weapon: reports reach us quicker than ever.
Another example is the establishment of several international courts which address human rights abuses as well as other crimes, such as the ICC and the ICTY. At the same time, simply ensuring the punishment of those who violate human rights is not enough. Justice can only be served if the victims feel that they have been treated appropriately − that justice has indeed been seen to be done and they can rebuild their lives. With our development aid we have helped victims in countries like Bosnia and Sudan. Because they need it, because they deserve it and because we have learnt from the past. We will continue to do so, and we hope that other countries will, too.
I hope that what I have said clarifies the Dutch point of view on human rights in conflict situations. Our goal is human dignity for all.
I wish you every success with your conference.
Thank you.