Speech by Human Rights Ambassador Wim Geerts at the Human Rights Tulip 2025 award ceremony

Speech | 10-12-2025

Good afternoon everyone,

We’re gathered here at an iconic place: the Great Hall of Justice.

An appropriate setting for this award ceremony on International Human Rights Day.

The stained glass windows and the large painting over there illustrate the mission of the International Court of Justice.

I invite you to direct your attention to that painting, titled ‘La Paix et la Justice’ (Peace and Justice).

Painted by Paul-Albert Besnard, it was gifted to the palace by France in 1926.

It features Eirene, the Greek goddess of peace, at the centre, flanked by two warriors on horseback, symbolising disputing parties. Eirene holds a baby, symbolising prosperity, in her arms.

Now, here’s a little challenge for you.

There are scales in the painting – the ultimate symbol of justice.

Who can spot them?
 

(…)

Yes, correct / Let me give you a hint.

They’re high up – in the sky – barely visible.

Why the artist concealed it so carefully, I don’t know, but it reads like a poignant comment on today’s world.

Because, for far too many people, justice is hard to find.
 

Human rights are under tremendous pressure worldwide.

Global freedom has declined for nineteen consecutive years, according to Freedom House.

Eighty per cent of the world’s population now lives with restricted freedoms and limited human rights.

More than 120 million people have been forcibly displaced – a number that has tripled since the year 2000, and is the highest level of displacement on record.

Armed conflicts, such as in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan and Yemen, continue to give rise to human rights violations, and vice versa.

Much of what happens in these conflicts remains underreported – or even unreported – as it is becoming increasingly dangerous for journalists and human rights defenders to do their job.

Last year, a record number of them paid the ultimate price for their work.

It was valuable to take a moment of silence to honour them.

This is the reality of our world.

But it is not our destiny.

There are always sparks of hope.

I draw hope from the students of the Johan de Witt school community in The Hague.

[To students:] Thank you for your contribution to this gathering and the excellent discussion on human rights that we had during my guest lecture at your school.

I also draw hope from the unwavering dedication of human rights defenders around the globe.

Despite very challenging circumstances, there are always individuals and organisations who have the courage to speak out.

And we’re greatly honoured to welcome several of them here this evening.

[To nominees:] You are the ones who restore prospects and give hope to journalists, women and girls, victims of war, LGBTQI+ people, political dissidents and their families, and many others.

You set an example for the students here, for future generations.

The scales of justice may be barely visible, but you keep them from disappearing.

Whether you do your work in Bangladesh, Chile, Colombia, Hungary, Indonesia, the Palestinian Territories, Somalia, Sudan, Ukraine, Yemen, or elsewhere…

…the Netherlands will continue to support you.

Human rights are a cornerstone of our foreign policy. This means we try to prioritise human rights in every part of the world where we are engaged.

It’s not easy. And yes, we do make mistakes, but it’s our moral duty, enshrined in our Constitution.

And it is also in our own interest. To quote former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

‘We will not enjoy security without development, we will not enjoy development without security, and we will not enjoy either without respect for human rights.’

[Pattern/Virus]

Please allow me to make a few personal observations.

Before my current job as Human Rights Ambassador, I served as Dutch ambassador to China. It was actually very good preparation for my current role.

After two years in this role, and many visits to countries around the world, I am starting to see a pattern.

We lived through the Covid-19 pandemic.

But another, even more dangerous virus is spreading.

It has the following symptoms:

• It erodes democracies and leads to autocracies, in various forms;
• It is led by small elites, who will do anything to hold on to power. These elites often look out for their own interests very well, rather than the interests of the people who voted for them – or allegedly voted for them in unfree and unfair elections;
• There is often corruption at play, sometimes exacerbated by drug-related or other crimes;
• The virus kills independent judiciaries, accepts impunity and weaponises legislation (a.k.a. Rule by Law). And it tries to instil fear in those who do not applaud the ruling elite;
• It leads to shrinking civic space, less media freedom, more online and offline disinformation, and fake news;
• It affects large numbers of people, but women and girls and LGBTQI+ people in particular.

Before this becomes a real pandemic, we need to act, and act decisively.

Fortunately, we know the ingredients for an effective antidote:

• Respect for and promotion of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 77 years young today, and the human rights treaties that followed;
• Adherence to the basic concepts of democracy: each person’s fundamental, intrinsic worth; equal treatment; majority rule with respect for minority rights; the necessity of compromise; and the protection of individual freedoms;
• Respect for the Rule of Law, and rejection of the Rule by Law;
• A vibrant civil society, with brave individuals and organisations like the nominees in our midst today;
• More effective multilateralism in the UN framework and other bodies;
• And more funding, not less. There is a lot of finance going to security these days – understandably so. But, as Kofi Annan pointed out, there is a very strong connection between security and human rights.

[Award presentation]
Let us now move to this year’s Human Rights Tulip award. 

Distinguished nominees,

Although the work of all human rights defenders is tremendously important, today we want to celebrate and honour the work of one person or organisation in particular.

An independent jury selected the following three finalists for this year’s Human Rights Tulip:

First: Ayin Network from Sudan. A media organisation that is described by the jury as ‘creating a real-time archive of truth in a country collapsing before our eyes.’

Second, Maeen Al-Abidi from Yemen. Her work for peace and her advocacy for Yemeni women are grounded in the daily needs of communities struggling to survive in an extremely volatile context.

Third, KUPI from Indonesia. Praised for ‘building a generation of female scholars challenging patriarchy from within the religious establishment.’ According to the jury, this approach makes KUPI’s advocacy ‘more than effective.’

On behalf of our Minister of Foreign Affairs, it is an honour and a pleasure for me to present the Human Rights Tulip 2025 to … Ayin Network from Sudan.
 

The minister was deeply impressed by Ayin’s crucial reporting from Sudan’s conflict zones, often under harsh circumstances.

Their work informs the Sudanese people and draws global attention to what has been called the worst humanitarian crisis of the 21st century.

This decision underscores the importance of press freedom and safety for journalists, particularly in a time of increasing disinformation.

Regrettably, the minister could not be here to personally present the Tulip today, due to a parliamentary debate on Sudan.

So it is my great privilege to award the Human Rights Tulip 2025 to the Ayin Network in his stead.

I would like to invite Zain, representing Ayin Network, to come and receive the Tulip!

[Presentation of the Tulip]