The Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a two-day conference on fighting impunity in peacebuilding contexts this week. If we want to achieve a stable and just peace, we have to fight impunity. That was the key message of Dutch Foreign Minister Verhagen in his opening address.

The conference was opened by foreign minister Maxime Verhagen, who observed that lasting peace and justice can only be achieved if past crimes do not go unpunished. Justice in the aftermath of conflict is an important means to this end. ‘We do not disagree on the need for justice, even if we may have different views on the exact road that will lead to justice,’ Mr Verhagen said. Discussions often arise after a conflict has ended. ‘What should be our priority, peace or justice? Personally I find this question misleading. Peace and justice go hand-in-hand. Without justice there simply cannot be lasting peace.’

Mr Verhagen listed the many different legal and traditional mechanisms of transitional justice: ‘Prosecution by either a domestic court or an international legal tribunal, truth commissions, amnesties, reconciliation programmes, local forms of justice, reparations, and the reconstruction of judicial systems. It’s not a matter of choosing between one and the other. The question concerns the right sequence.’

Development minister Bert Koenders emphasised the importance of fighting impunity and promoting reconciliation. ‘The international community cannot focus narrowly on the crimes that conflicts lead to; it needs to tackle the root causes of these conflicts. If the root causes are ignored, the country in question is likely to fall back into the same situation,’ he said. He presented Burundi as an example of a country where the Netherlands is investing in economic development, but also finances a programme which helps former rebels reintegrate in society.

Mr Verhagen noted that the Netherlands promotes the international legal order in many ways: ‘A large number of international organisations for peace and justice are based in our country. We fully support the International Criminal Court and other international tribunals and we urge others to cooperate with these international legal institutions as well. Through the Human Rights Fund we support projects that aim to strengthen the rule of law and to foster respect for human rights.’

Speech by Maxime Verhagen