Keynote speech Dries van Agt

At the RiMUN 2010 Opening Ceremony, we were honored to welcome Dries van Agt, former Prime Minister of the Netherlands and member of the United Netherlands Board of Recommendation as our keynote speaker. In a very interesting keynote speech, Mr. Van Agt addressed some of the great challenges that the world faces in these Times of Trial. The former Dutch Prime Minister spoke among other things about climate change, arms control, reform of the United Nations and relations between the West and other societies.

With regard to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Mr. Van Agt addressed the non-compliance of NPT member Iran as well as the (assumed) nuclear capabilities of non-member of the NPT Israel. He noted in that regard that the most imminent threat is perhaps not Iran and its nuclear activities but nuclear security issues in Pakistan. According to Van Agt, an even bigger threat to global security is a destabalized situation in nuclear-armed states, such as Pakistan, as that could give terrorists the opportunity to get hold on nuclear weapons. On the clash of civilizations between the West and Islam, a concept that is widely believed to exist, Mr. Van Agt noted that this concept is “nonsense.” Mentioning various examples of Muslim groupings fighting each other as well as Muslim countries that do not pose a threat to global security, Van Agt underlined the danger of the lack of differentiating by Western people between different states and groupings. The former Dutch Prime Minister, who is a jurist in heart and soul, concluded his keynote speech by referring to the international tribunals, established in the Hague as well as the International Criminal Court. According to Van Agt, the existence of these institutions are a leap forward as it shows that “a tormented world does not turn its back to horrible crimes.”

RiMun 2010 Kicks Off!

Thursday night, Director-General Jennifer Martin officially declared open the 6^th Radboud International Model United Nations (RiMUN). At De Vereeniging in Nijmegen, a wonderful Opening Ceremony took place in front of delegates, invitees, board members, chairs, volunteers and others.

The Opening Ceremony of RiMUN 2010 was attended by several dignitaries, including the Mayor of Nijmegen Thom de Graaf, Rector Magnificus of the Radboud University Bas Kortmann and former Dutch Prime Minister Dries van Agt. In their speeches, they all stimulated the participants of the conference in their own distinctive way. Mayor De Graaf argued that the past could inspire everybody to build a better future and create solutions for all the major challenges that the world currently faces. Furthermore, Mayor De Graaf encouraged the delegates to enjoy Nijmegen, the oldest city of the Netherlands, from an intellectual as well as from a cultural perspective. Rector Magnificus Kortmann spoke about getting to know other cultures and different world views. Mr. Kortmann encouraged all delegates, in his opinion the world leaders and diplomats of tomorrow, to take former President of the European Commission Jacques Delors, who was recently awarded the Treaties of Nijmegen Medal, as an example when problems are discussed.

At RiMUN 2010, delegates have to act in Times of Trial. They have to deal with pressing issues such as climate change, the financial crisis, disarmament matters and global security in general. Now it is up to the delegates to start their discussions and negotiations in order to solve the problems that the world currently faces. As Secretary-General Tom van Assendelft de Coningh said: “Making hard choices has been postponed for too long, now it is time for you as delegates to take action. Now it is time for you to deal with the trials of our time.”