Toespraak van minister Koenders bij het film festival Movies that Matters

Toespraak | 23-03-2015

BURDEN OF PEACE

***

    [introduction: ambassador Guatemala, Gabriel Aquilera Peralta, present]

Guatemala is an enigmatic country. Most people in Western Europe, I dare to say, know little more about it than the information they’ve come across in their Lonely Planet guidebooks.

And this is a shame. Guatemala is not just a beautiful country, with incredible biodiversity, many natural wonders, a rich indigenous culture and lovely people. It was also the setting of one of the world’s longest-running civil wars. A conflict that lasted for 36 years and left a deep scar on society. Under the dictatorship of Efrain Rios Montt, violence reigned. More than 200.000 people were murdered. In 1986 democracy was restored and in 1996, the civil war came to a close with the signing of the Peace Treaty.

The impact of civil conflict persists long after peace agreements have been signed. When violence has been the norm for so long, and there has been no law and order, the burden of peace is the long road to justice that begins where conflict ends. Guatemala still suffers from its long history of civil war. And violence, abuse and impunity are part of the inheritance. Two weeks ago, two reporters were murdered, sparking protests and calls to protect journalists. Guatemala has one of the highest murder rates in the world. It also tops the list when it comes to femicide, or gender-motivated killing of women. And the median age there is only twenty years old – roughly the same as in Iraq.

I have strong personal bonds with Guatemala. Since 1989, I regularly visited and travelled in the country. In 2008, when I was Minister for Development Cooperation, I visited Guatemala too. A recurrent theme in my conversations then was impunity – a problem that has proved hard to stamp out. I spoke to president Colom, who said that improvement in the judicial system was necessary. Several NGO’s argued for a better cooperation between the police, the judiciary and the prosecution.

    [Claudia Paz y Paz]

To challenge the status quo under such conditions is an act of incredible bravery. In 1994, Claudia Paz y Paz set up the Instituto de Estudios Comparados en Ciencias Penales de Guatemala. This human rights organisation promotes the rights of groups that are marginalised and discriminated against in the judicial system. The Dutch Embassy has supported the institute financially, and though our embassy in Guatemala City closed in 2013, the Netherlands remains an ally in the uphill battle to improve the human rights situation.

Claudia Paz y Paz served as Guatemala’s first female attorney general from 2010 to 2014. She did impressive work, confronting the devastating problem of organised crime and seeking justice for crimes committed during the civil war. Not everyone was pleased with her activism and results. Her term as attorney general was cut short. And although she sought a new appointment, she was not given the chance to finish her work. For security reasons, she no longer lives in Guatemala. She is currently leading an investigation into the 43 missing students in Mexico.

Her nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013 was well deserved. Unfortunately, Claudia Paz y Paz could not be here today.

Lasting change – in any society –must come from within. That is why the Dutch government supports local human rights activists worldwide. Wonderful people like Claudia Paz y Paz, who took on impunity, lawlessness and the lack of accountability in Guatemala. Human rights defenders like her are on the frontline of social change, often risking their own lives. Human rights defenders are often severely hindered in their work. They are subjected to intimidation, surveillance and threats. They sometimes face imprisonment, torture, kidnapping and murder – these are the potential consequences of working peacefully for human rights.

These human rights defenders stand up for universal values. However, the times are grim. For human rights globally, we are at a historic low point. We need a reset and new activism. Though implementation of conventions might differ locally, it does not matter whether a rape occurs in Tripoli, The Hague, Tashkent or Timbuktu: the pain is the same.

We have to be vigilant and human rights deserve our daily attention. Supporting human rights should not be checklist diplomacy: not just good intentions without any achievements. Power and human rights can make an awkward combination. That is exactly why we should prevent human rights debates from being reduced to a ritual dance.

Human rights defenders worldwide prove daily that human rights are more than words on paper, more than treaties and conventions. The lack of observance of human rights is a daily reality a lot of people face, which human rights defenders address.

That is why it is one of the main priorities of the Dutch human rights policy is to make sure human rights defenders can do their work safely and unhindered. Why we stand up to prevent violations, protect civilians and prosecute perpetrators.

    [Movies that Matter]

We need stories: stories about human rights defenders who are examples of courage and perseverance and who inspire us. Movies that Matter provides those stories, and that is why the Ministry of Foreign Affairs supports the organization internationally – so the stories that need to be told can be heard around the world.

We are able to see this film today thanks in part to the determination of filmmakers like Joey Boink and Sander Wirken. They and their crew worked tirelessly to make it happen. They deserve praise for producing it against the odds.

They overcame many difficulties and crowdfunded the film to bring us the story of Claudia Paz y Paz today. I salute them for their commitment and persistence.

    [conclusion]

There is a moment in the film where Claudia Paz y Paz talks about her journey. She says:

I think it is a film that is happy because we reached so much. If they are going to tear down everything and serve impunity then it is not the end of the film, but the end of the country. Or maybe not even the country. It will just be the country.

It is this mixture of optimism and pessimism that captures the essence of the struggle.. Guatemala stands at a crossroads. It has two directions to choose from. It can choose to tear down what has been accomplished, or it can take the difficult road to a better future. I am happy that today’s film brings the incredible story of Claudia Paz y Paz’s work and life to a wider audience. The more people learn about Guatemala, the greater the chance that optimism will prevail.

Thank you.