Category: INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

4.4. BELGIUM AND THE UN

The United Nations is a cooperation international organization created in 1945 to which Belgium joined since its creation date. It was created in San Francisco and nowadays is headquartered in New York City. Its main purposes are ‘peace and security, development, human rights, humanitarian assistance, disarmament and international law’. (United Nations, 1945)

1200px-Flag_of_the_United_Nations.svg       800px-Emblem_of_the_United_Nations.svg

           (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 2018)

               (United Nations flag and emblem)

One of the most powerful bodies within this organization is the Security Council, with ‘primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.’ This organ is composed by fifteen State members, being five of them permanent. Belgium has been one of the non-permanent members of the Security Council many times. Moreover, Belgium has had representatives in several committees of the General Assembly.  (United Nations, 1945)

As a sign of its commitment to the principles and values ​​of the organization, Belgium is very focused in everything which concerns human rights. For this reason, the State was elected on 2015 to occupy the position in the UN Human Rights Council for the period 2016-2018.

Regarding the economic part of the organization, Belgium is one of the main contributors to the budget of the United Nations with a contribution of 21,511,757 $ in 2018 representing the 0.998% of the whole budget, reaching the 18th position as largest contributor.

unSomething remarkable is the inactivity of Belgium in peacekeeping operations. After the intervention in Korea in 1950, it did not operate any more until 1990 in the former Yugoslavia and in Rwanda, where ten Belgian members of the blue helmets were killed.

 

(Boyle, 2014)

As a conclusion, Belgium is a quite responsible State which has always tried to fulfill with the main objectives of the United Nations and with its duties within the organization, as it has shown several times along History.

IMAGES

  1. Boyle, R. (2014, 11 25). Belgian peacekeepers to return home from Lebanon. Retrieved from The Bulletin: https://www.google.es/searchq=belgium+in+peacekeeping+operations&rlz=1C1WPZA_enES716ES718&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjorWI3pDfAhXJsqQKHRGuCtQQ_AUIDigB&biw=1366&bih=608#imgrc=9SBmgSWAXCHrAM
  2. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (2018, December 10). United Nations. Retrieved from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations

WEBGRAPHY

  1. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (2018, December 10). United Nations. Retrieved from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations
  2. New York UN. (n.d.). Belgium in the UN. Retrieved from Permanent Mission of Belgium to the UN: https://newyorkun.diplomatie.belgium.be/belgium-at-the-un/belgium-in-the-un

CITED WORKS

  1. United Nations. (1945). Chapter V: The Security Council. June: 26. Retreived from United Nations: http://www.un.org/en/sections/un-charter/chapter-v/index.html
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4.1. BENELUX

Before the Second World War, Belgium, Luxembourg and The Netherlands had thought about the creation of a common policy, but it did not crystallize. During the war, these three States took the idea of cooperation more seriously in order to rebuild the countries.

 

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– Logo and flag: (Public domain)// Map: ( Информационна агенция “КРОСС”, 2012)

          From left to right, the three members of the Benelux, the flag, and the logo

Benelux was created in 1944 in London, where the representatives of the three States were exiled, through the signature of the treaty of the London Customs Convention, which established the Benelux Customs Union.

Four years later, in 1948, Benelux entered into force. That year was the beginning of the period of European integration for the three States, which was the main purpose of the union, as well as fortifying the relations among them.

Benelux is an economic and customs union headquartered in Brussels. Additionally, Benelux constitutes a common social and financial policy among the three states.

As a result of the instruments with which the Ministers Committee which forms Benelux has been provided, each decision it takes binds States immediately. The Committee can take decisions in fields in which it has certain competences, and these competences are settled in the Union Treaty.

In 1958, the customs union led to a EU Benelux Treaty which dealt with more depth in the economic cooperation among its members. And in 2008, a new Treaty of Benelux, by which the current Benelux Union was created, was ratified.

This union among States has been considered as one of the predecessors of the European Union, along with the creation of the ECSC and the Euratom.

The video explains some relevant aspects of Benelux.

IMAGE:

  1. Информационна агенция “КРОСС”. (5 de September de 2012). Денят 5-ти СЕПТЕМВРИ в историята. Obtenido de InfoBulgaria: http://infobulgaria.info/news.php?itm=17350

WEBGRAPHY

  1. Canal Historia. (n.d.). TRATADO DEL BENELUX. Retrieved from Canal Historia: https://canalhistoria.es/hoy-en-la-historia/tratado-del-benelux/
  2. Santiago. (2008, Agosto 22). Benelux. Retrieved from Geografía la guía: https://geografia.laguia2000.com/geografia-regional/europa/union-europea/benelux
  3. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (2018, December 5). Benelux. Retrieved from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benelux