Speech by King Willem-Alexander at the dinner for the Diplomatic Corps, Royal Palace Amsterdam
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is with great pleasure that the Queen and I open the doors of the Royal Palace to you, the members of the Diplomatic Corps. And we wish you all a warm welcome.
This evening with you is a wonderful tradition and an occasion for us to express our appreciation for the work that you do.
But it is also – and perhaps above all – an opportunity to speak with one another about everything that unites us as an international community. And everything on which opinions may differ.
I invite you all to make the most of this opportunity.
Interest in and empathy for others are the foundation on which a better world can be built.
All too often we think we know others and think we have all the relevant facts.
We believe that from our own valley we can see the entire landscape, without knowing what lies beyond the hills.
The world is always bigger than you realise. In the conversations and contacts that the Queen and I have with many of you, we continually gain new insights that expand our understanding. We are grateful to you for that.
We are deeply affected by the concerns that trouble you. Our hearts go out to the victims of violence and to those in need in so many places around the world.
We’re thinking of the people in Israel and the Palestinian territories, and the bitter conflict that has inflicted horrific wounds.
We’re thinking of the people in Ukraine who are having to defend themselves against Russia’s brutal and wholly unjustified imperialism.
And we’re thinking of all those affected in Sudan and the wider region, where cynical violence between rival groups has caused millions to flee their homes. And there are many more conflicts besides these.
As diplomats, you contribute to a stabler and safer world by seeking opportunities for international cooperation, engaging in dialogue and making agreements. Your role is vital, not only in preventing and managing conflicts, but in many other areas as well, such as climate, human rights, prosperity and sustainable development.
Diplomacy has great and positive powers of connection that help us achieve progress, as do trade, development cooperation, civil society partnerships and knowledge institutions.
It’s important to talk about problems honestly. But it is equally important to acknowledge humanity’s positive developments and achievements. Innovation, investments in knowledge and infrastructure and international cooperation all help to address humanitarian crises, such as hunger.
Over the past 25 years, the global population has grown by two billion, but during that time the number of people living with hunger has remained the same.
Of course, progress is not happening fast enough. But together, we’ve managed to feed two billion extra people in 25 years.
As diplomats, you are committed to sustainable development and international cooperation. And that’s excellent. You bring people together and that’s what we need.
Fortunately you don’t have to do this alone. There is help. From researchers, business people, NGOs and the public.
To give you some inspiration, the Queen and I have invited more than 60 innovative entrepreneurs to join us here this evening. To these entrepreneurs I’d like to say: we’re delighted that you accepted our invitation.
Some of you have developed ways of saving energy and water. Others are using processes that are fully circular. Others still are providing solutions for agriculture in times of drought. Or using technology to improve healthcare. Or breaking new ground in the field of cybersecurity.
So there are plenty of interesting topics for you to discuss.
The Queen and I wish you all a wonderful evening. And every success in the important work you are doing in the Kingdom of the Netherlands and elsewhere.
Let us raise our glasses to international cooperation for peace, justice and sustainable development!