International

The Grand-Place celebrates 20 years as a UNESCO World Heritage site

05 November 2018

In 1998, the Grand-Place in Brussels was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites.

International recognition for Rivierenhof park in Deurne

30 October 2018

Urban populations around the world are expected to double in the coming 40 years, from 3.5 to over 7 billion. That is why it's important to construct sufficient green spaces and parks.

Belgium ranks sixth worldwide in the fight against inequality

23 October 2018

According to Oxfam International and the British NGO Development Finance International, Belgium occupies sixth place worldwide in the fight against inequality.

Walloon Brabant, the third highest concentration of graduates in Europe

18 October 2018

According to the latest Eurostat barometer, Walloon Brabant is ranked third in Europe for the highest number of inhabitants with a higher education diploma.

Spirou: Human Rights Defender

15 October 2018

Spirou, a comic strip character created in Belgium in 1938, dedicated to the mission of fighting injustice, has just been named Human Rights Defender by the UN.

A small country with big ambitions!

Covering some 30,000 km², Belgium is not a big country but through its history and its geographic location it has always held an important place in the world, aware that without bridges to others, it would be unrealistic to want to build a fairer and more prosperous world.

For Belgium, effective action on crucial issues such as peace and security, human rights and the promotion of the rule of law, can only be carried out in a multilateral context. Belgium is therefore a founding Member State of many of the great international institutions such as the United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU), the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and the Council of Europe.

Belgium makes a significant contribution to the work of these institutions, while Brussels is home to the headquarters of several of them and many Belgian politicians have assumed important responsibilities while heading up such organisations.

Based on the open and pragmatic Belgian character, Belgian foreign policy covers universal values, focused on democracy, dialogue and regional integration between countries that may have been in conflict. So as human rights improve and poverty declines and a country opens up to a democratic process, if the economy picks up, development cooperation and economic action can be complementary!