Statsbesøk fra Belgia: H.K.H. Kronprinsens tale på Nobels Fredssenter

Your Majesties, 
Your Excellencies,
Distinguished guests

Across our world today, we are witnessing immense human suffering caused by armed conflicts. 

Children are losing their homes. Families are being cut off from food, water, and medical care. Hospitals and schools — places that should offer safety and refuge — are being reduced to rubble.

This is not inevitable. It is not acceptable. And it is not lawful.

The protection of civilians is not only a moral duty. It is a legal obligation under international humanitarian law. The rules of war exist to preserve human dignity even in the darkest of times.

Belgium and Norway share a strong commitment to upholding an international order based on international law, with respect for international humanitarian law as a fundamental framework for protecting human life and dignity. 

Working together to ensure respect for international law can prevent and reduce humanitarian suffering.

Protecting civilians is also about building peace.

When civilians are protected, trust can take root.
When services function, communities endure.
When humanitarian aid reaches those in need, hope survives.

Effective protection creates space for dialogue, reconciliation, and ultimately lasting peace. 

Every civilian life carries equal value. Every action to protect civilians is an investment in peace.

Protecting civilians is, essentially, about protecting our common humanity — and our shared future. 

As Norway sees it, global cooperation in the United Nations, partnerships with humanitarian actors, and responsibility-sharing among states are the only ways to uphold the norms that protect us all.

Belgium is one of Norway’s closest partners in this work.

It is therefore my great pleasure to introduce His Majesty the King of the Belgians 

– who is known for his strong and long-standing commitment to the humanitarian principles.

Your Majesty, the stage is yours.