Speech by His Majesty the King at the Diplomatic Corps dinner, Royal Palace Amsterdam
Your Excellencies, distinguished guests,
A very warm welcome to Amsterdam's Royal Palace. My wife and I are delighted to see you all this evening.
I know that many of you are concerned about the situation in your home countries. Many places around the world are facing crises and tensions. Millions of people have been forced to flee, not only from violence and oppression but also from the effects of climate change. Often they have nowhere left to go.
Several countries are bearing the heaviest burden, and they are rightly calling for international solidarity.
I also know how hard many people are working to bring about solutions. I know how difficult this process is, and how much sacrifice it takes.
This is a challenging time for us all. We are being asked to find the courage to look beyond just our own interests. The courage to listen to each other. The courage to reach out to each other and bridge the gaps that divide people.
As diplomats and representatives of international organisations, you face these kinds of challenges every day.
One of the most important tools we have is the international legal order. As we all know, it is far from perfect and far from complete. But it is a crucial foundation. We need it in order to make our world more peaceful, secure and just.
As UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said here in The Hague at last month's seventieth anniversary of the International Court of Justice, 'The importance of resolving disputes peacefully and in accordance with international law has never been more urgent.'
The international legal order is not static. Together we must work to nurture and develop it. Legal issues are becoming increasingly complex and multi-faceted. They require evolving expertise and collaboration between disciplines.
This in turn requires that international law and national law be properly aligned. Hopefully, this evening's event will facilitate that. Besides international organisations, we also have with us Dutch organisations working in the area of justice and security. My wife and I hope that your discussions this evening will prove to be inspiring.
The Netherlands is one of the few countries that has enshrined promoting the international legal order in its Constitution. We realise that this entails obligations, and seek to fulfil them to the best of our ability. Not only as the host country of many international organisations, but also as a bridge-builder and partner at both multilateral and bilateral level.
As the current holder of the EU Council Presidency, the Netherlands wishes to serve the interest of the international community as a whole.
This is also the driving force behind our candidacy for a seat on the UN Security Council for the 2017-2018 term. As a UN member state rooted in both Europe and the Caribbean, we want to do our utmost to help achieve peace, justice and development for all.
In today's world everything is interconnected.
Development without peace is impossible.
Peace without justice is untenable.
And justice without development is no use to anyone
At a time when fear and differences seem to be growing in many places, it's more crucial than ever to build on the things that unite us. Each of you is working in your own way to achieve that goal. Often you may find yourselves swimming against the current, and often progress is slower than we'd like. But your work is no less important for that. I'd therefore like to thank you all for your efforts to resolve conflicts and strengthen the relations between the world's peoples and nations.
May I now ask you all to raise your glass with me.
To peace, justice and development.
To cooperation in all its many shapes and forms.
And to an evening that brings us even closer together.