Belgium and the United Nations

Belgium is one of the 51 founding members of the United Nations having signed the United Nations Conference on International Organization in 1945.

Belgium has been a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for six terms (a total of 12 years), with the most recent being the 2019–20 term.

Belgium is a charter member of the United Nations and participates in all of its specialised agencies, except for the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and UN Tourism. Belgium has contributed 2 troops to United Nations peacekeeping efforts .

Classification

Belgium participates in the Western European and Others Group regional grouping. It is also part of the Western Europe geographical subregion.

Activities Funding The regular budget of the United Nations is financed through compulsory contributions from its member states. From 2022 to 2024, Belgium contributed 0.828% of the UN regular budget. This placed Belgium as the 22nd nation by contribution amount.

Security Council Belgium has held a non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council six times since its entry in 1945.

+ Security Council terms Election Votes (-) Term November 1946 43/54 (3rd-R1) 1947–48 1954 52/58 (3rd-R1) 1955–56 1970 104/113 (3rd-R1) 1971–72 1990 142/154 (4th-R1) 1991–92 2006 180/192 (2nd-GR1) 2007–08 2018 181/188 (2nd-GR1) 2019–20

Peacekeeping , Belgium participates in one peacekeeping mission led by the UN. + Peacekeeping missions Region Mission Personnel United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) 1

Positions held Belgium has had one President of the United Nations General Assembly in Paul-Henri Spaak, who served in 1946 as the inaugural title-holder. Seven Belgian representatives have served as President of the United Nations Security Council and one Belgian representative has headed the Economic and Social Council. The nation has served on the United Nations Credentials Committee ten times.

There has been one Belgian permanent judge of the International Court of Justice. Additionally, eight Belgian judges have served on the court on an ad hoc basis.

Belgium has never held the Secretary-General of the United Nations or Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations positions.

+ United Nations positions held Position Person Term President of the United Nations General Assembly Paul-Henri Spaak 1946 Presidency of the United Nations Security Council Fernand van Langenhove February 1947, January 1948, December 1948, July 1955 Josef Nisot July 1956 Edouard Longerstaey April 1971, August 1972 Paul Noterdaeme April 1991, June 1992 Johan Verbeke June 2007 Jan Grauls August 2008 Marc Pecsteen de Buytswerve February 2020 President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council Raymond Scheyven 1953, 1969 Permanent judges of the International Court of Justice Charles de Visscher 1946-1952 Judges sitting ad hoc on the International Court of Justice Philippe Couvreur 2018-present Patrick Ferdinand Duinslaeger 1999-2004 W. J. Ganshof v.d. Meersch 1958-1970 Philippe Kirsch 2009-2012 François Rigaux 1989-2003 Jean Salmon 1999-2001 Joe Verhoeven 1999-2022 Christine van den Wyngaert 2000-2002 United Nations Credentials Committee 1950, 1952, 1963, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1979, 1991, 2002, 2013

Permanent representative

Belgium has a mission to the UN led by a permanent representative, also known as a UN Ambassador. The position is currently held by Sophie Jang de Smedt, who presented credentials in January 2025.

Belgium and the United Nations

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