Topic:
Country: Belgium
Delegate Name: Ellie Thorburn
Genocide is a vast topic in many countries, and many countries a known for their past actions of genocide. It is the killing of a large number of people, specifically national or ethnic groups, with the main goal of destroying them. For example, WWll is known for the mass killings of Jews. The Natzis were the impostors that caused serious harm to the group members and destruction. Many countries saw the struggle Jews were having and decided to fight back against the Natzies creating even more destruction. The genocide convention is a crucial racial step toward the development of international human rights and international criminal law. It was the first human rights treaty adopted by the General Assembly and signified the international community’s commitment to ‘never again’ after the genocide during WWII. Belgium has ratified the Genocide Convention. The topic of genocide is very political and very complex at the moment because there are a lot of killings all over the world. Many countries would call it genocide but many wouldn’t.
Belgium has stirred up controversy regarding implementing the EU ban on genocide denial, and it is stirring up controversy. There was a proposed ban on denying mass crimes at the commemorations on April 24th. The draft included the denial of genocides, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. Members of the Belgians protested the draft law. One of the members Christian Democrat Georges Dallemagene said “We can either allow the freedom to deny all genocides, or ban their denial, but we must put all these crimes on the same footing”. This means Belgium fulling disagrees with the genocide denial draft. like countries Armenia, Aramean/Assyrian, and Pontic Greek organizations was the proposal to be amended before adoption.
Belgium’s law on Genocide Article 136 (a) is a crime under international law and shall be punished in accordance with the provisions of the Act. The accordance with the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide of December 9th, 1848. Without prejudice of the penal rules applicable to breaches committed by negligence the crime of genocide means the following acts were intended to destroy a whole nation, ethnical, racial, or religious group. The following also include killing members of the group, causing serious bodily/mental harm to members, and deliberately inflicting group conditions. Like life calculated to bring out physical destruction, imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group, and forcibly transferring children from one group to another. Belgium has a complex history of genocide. Belgium’s past genocide was part of the Tutsi genocide in Rwanda in 1994. This genocide is often overlooked today. The League of Nations gave the country administrative control of two former German colonies of Rwanda and Burundi. Belgium didn’t know anything about the countries and administered them indirectly. The Belgians were influenced by anthropometry and obsessed with the classification of differentiation of races.
Works Cited
“ABOUT THE GENOCIDE CONVENTION THE CONVENTION ON THE PREVENTION AND PUNISHMENT OF THE CRIME OF GENOCIDE (1948).” the United Nations, https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/documents/Genocide%20Convention-FactSheet-ENG.pdf. Accessed 21 November 2023.
“Belgium implements EU Ban on Genocide Denial; Stirs up Controversy.” AGBU Europe, https://agbueurope.org/controversy-over-belgiums-implementation-of-eu-ban-on-genocide-denial/. Accessed 21 November 2023.
“Belgium, Law on Universal Jurisdiction.” How does law protect in war?, https://casebook.icrc.org/case-study/belgium-law-universal-jurisdiction. Accessed 21 November 2023.
Braeckman, Colette, and Charles Goulden. “Belgium’s role in Rwandan genocide, by Colette Braeckman.” Le Monde diplomatique – English edition, https://mondediplo.com/2021/06/11rwanda. Accessed 21 November 2023.
“Doc.1_Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.pdf.” the United Nations, https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/documents/atrocity-crimes/Doc.1_Convention%20on%20the%20Prevention%20and%20Punishment%20of%20the%20Crime%20of%20Genocide.pdf. Accessed 21 November 2023.
