Toespraak van Commandant der Strijdkrachten Generaal Onno Eichelsheim bij ontvangst Carnegie Wateler Vredesprijs

Toespraak | 26-11-2024

De ontvangst vond plaats in het Vredespaleis in Den Haag op 26 november 2024. De tekst is alleen in het Engels beschikbaar.

Thank you so much, I am honoured to receive the Carnegie Wateler Peace prize on behalf of the Netherlands Armed Forces. The award of this prize gives me the opportunity to showcase the many sides of our Armed Forces: not just the strong muscle and the resilient mindset but also the human heart that beats at the centre of our Armed Forces.

But first, let me go back in time. In 1913, the Peace Palace opened its doors.
Many nations had donated outstanding works of art, so that future generations could bask in the beauty of this Palace. A palace dedicated to peace - the most priceless gift to pass on to future generations.

Tsarist Russia donated an impressive vase that weighs over 3,000 kilos.
France donated a painting called 'The Glorification of Peace', with the Goddess of Peace keeping the God of War firmly subdued beneath her feet.

In the same year that the Peace Palace opened its doors, 17 Dutch servicemen set foot in the newly formed state of Albania – just after the First Balkan War had ended. Their assignment was to train the recently established gendarmerie, and thus contribute to restoring order and stability. This would be the Netherlands’ first peace mission.

Alas: the 17 Dutch peacekeepers were soon sucked into conflict. Major Lodewijk Thomson was the first Dutch soldier to be killed during a peace mission – on June 15^th, 1914. To this day, you will find Albanians who remember him as the man who fought for their freedom. And soon after his death, the First World War started – the ultimate escalation of the rising tensions between the states of Europe.

The peace mission in Albania encapsulated what we would see in the missions yet to come:

the military is tasked with accomplishing a political vision;
arrives in a post-conflict situation;
with escalation looming;
caused by the parties already present, but also created purely by the presence of peacekeepers;
who are working on the tipping point between war and peace;
balancing between power and powerlessness;
and yet, the civilians feel immense gratitude because you are there to help them out.

Complexity is inherent to peace missions. During the first Dutch peace mission, an officer died during the fighting that took place. But in peace missions today, the presence of our military – of soldiers trained to fight – can keep fighting at bay. We use hard power to keep soft power in place.

The Netherlands Armed Forces have participated in multiple peace missions, and still do. I am incredibly proud of what they are accomplishing – and have accomplished in these complex situations.

You already mentioned MINUSMA, where 6,000 of our men and women served. Let me give a few other examples:

The cooling effect that our infantry company of Marines achieved in Bosnia and Herzegovina recently;
Training the Peshmerga in Iraq;
Participation in EU-missions to secure the waters off the coast of Somalia, as you mentioned;
The Netherlands School for Peace Operations, which provides training courses for international United Nations military observers and courses for civilians who will be deployed to high risk areas, such as personnel from the International Criminal Court, and the Dutch Association of Journalists.

I am also proud of what our servicemen and women manage to accomplish outside of peace missions, in the name of a stable and peaceful future:

The Defence Explosive Ordnance Disposal Service, which is deployed about 2,500 times a year to dismantle the silent but deadly leftovers of war and criminal activities. They put themselves at risk to prevent explosions that would have affected a great many people.
Our gender advisor, contributing to UNIFIL in Lebanon, who is striving to get more female soldiers involved in operations.
In Togo, four Dutch service members contributed to the Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI) training mission.
Recently, men and women from the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee were sent to Ukraine to investigate alleged war crimes – in close proximity to unpredictable turmoil, hybrid intrigue and devastating violence.
I also think of the many times I see servicemen and women rolling up their sleeves to help civilians in dealing with the effects of the climate crisis, whether it’s floods in Limburg; hurricanes in the Caribbean; the earthquake in Turkey; or forest fires in Albania.
Often, they are joined by reservists, who contribute to the Armed Forces on a part-time basis.

And I would also like to mention a few other missions and operations, that illustrate the diversity of our effort:

The almost 29,000 Dutch servicemen and women who served in Afghanistan, until 2021; I was pleased to hear you mention their efforts just now.
Let me also mention the ongoing efforts of our Marines, Commandos and Marechaussee as part of the Special Intervention Service, dealing with terrorist incidents and other violent public order disruptions – such as the shooting at a hospital in Rotterdam last year.
Our contribution to the EU's Operation Aspides, which aims to ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.
The 280 Dutch military personnel who are posted to a multinational battlegroup in Lithuania, as part of a reassurance measures for the Eastern European Allies of NATO.
The recurrent military escort of Russian ships when they enter the North Sea.
And the ongoing training that we provide to Ukrainian military personnel. I see how far our servicemen and women go to provide them with the best training possible, knowing that they will have to go back to Ukraine to fight in a war their country never asked for.

In all of these missions, operations and training activities, I see immense discipline and perseverance – combined with a limitless loyalty to one’s brothers and sisters in arms.

I see how our men and women in uniform choose to push themselves as individuals – and contribute to a greater good. This is the human heart beating at the centre of the Armed Forces. It’s the heart that starts beating louder when we’re able to use our strength to help others. To use our force for good. To be extremely demanding of yourself, becoming the toughest, strongest and bravest version of yourself – not for your own good, but for the protection of humanity.

That’s why it can be so detrimental to soldiers when they can’t be as effective as they would want.

I have therefore chosen the ARQ National Psychotrauma Centre as the recipient for the Carnegie Wateler Peace Prize money. The centre does incredibly meaningful work to help those affected by war and humanitarian disasters; including refugees, journalists, ambulance workers, police, and veterans.

Let me go into more a bit more detail about these veterans.

Dr. Molendijk told us about the moral challenges that our men and women in uniform sometimes need to deal with. I applaud those who find the courage to talk about their physical or mental wounds. Especially because I find it hard to do, myself. Thirty years ago, I was sent to Bosnia as an Air Force pilot. I witnessed the violence people can inflict on each other when they see the other as inhuman. To this day, this is seared into my memory: the darkest corners of humanity. I still remember the smells, the sounds and the sights of that war. That’s why I try to avoid passing through Bosnia on land, if I have to visit Greece for example.

I know that many veterans who were active in Bosnia – and many other countries – feel the same.

Having seen war with my own eyes keeps me motivated every day to make sure that we are ready to defend ourselves. And seeing the darkness of war helped me to appreciate the light even more. Peace. Freedom. Democracy. Rule of law. Humanity towards each other.

These are elements that are also crucial to the modus operandi of the Netherlands Armed Forces. To all of us, as leaders, as teammates: always show humanity. In the way we fight: never use unnecessary force; uphold the rules of engagement and the rules of warfare; treat our enemy captives with humanity and respect.

We will never lose sight of what we aim to protect: a free democracy, international rule of law, the sovereignty of states. We will continue to participate in missions that seek to safeguard and promote these values. We are the only country in the world that has enshrined the development of the international legal order in its constitution. And the Dutch are immensely proud of this Peace Palace, home to the United Nations International Court of Justice and the Permanent Court of Arbitration.

I know that for some, it may be strange to see someone in a military uniform talking about peace. They may expect me to talk about warfighting, missiles and counter drones, trenches and ammunition. And I do talk about that. A lot. I have to.

The international rule of law is under pressure. The sovereignty of states is being disrespected by those who wish to gain influence by inflicting violence. War is inching closer to us day by day. So we need to stand ready to defend the light in which we have lived in freedom, for 80 years.

In order to keep our peace, it is up to us to prepare for war. It is our duty as servicemen and women to be able to mount a defence, with the use of force, if necessary, if and when diplomacy is exhausted. To be that big stick, when soft words are no longer heard. And to be diplomacy’s teammate, when it comes to peace talks. We know all too well that peace can be fought for, but must in the end be agreed to, by all parties involved. And meaningful peace talks can only take place when there is a balance of power.

I think all Dutch civilians hope that war won’t come close to us. But Dutch servicemen and women cannot only hope for the best; it is their duty to also prepare for the worst. We must be able to see and understand the darkest corners of our enemy’s minds. This is the unique combination within the Armed Forces: wanting to prevent war, but also needing to be ready to fight – and win.

Our aim is deterrence: scaring off any enemies because we are well trained, well equipped, well-staffed and well aware. Because in a way, we find ourselves close to 1913: basking in the beauty of peace, but also finding ourselves closer and closer to the heat of a much wider war in Europe.

The Armed Forces will stand ready, strong and stable in an unstable situation. Willing to fight, but striving for peace. Because peace must not become a mere pipe dream for the next generations.

Today, I am immensely proud that the Carnegie Wateler Peace Prize recognises that unique combination within the Armed Forces: strength and humanity. I am very pleased that our men and women in uniform are receiving appreciation for their hard work; their dedication to a greater good. In the near future, they will be asked to show it more and more

And I think of that painting again: ‘The Glorification of Peace’. Its colours are monochrome, and to me, this is a reminder that every generation has a chance to fill in the colours: to keep peace alive, to stand up against aggression and lawlessness; to make sure that the God of War is firmly held down under the feet of the Goddess of Peace.

Thank you, for recognising the enormous effort that Dutch servicemen and women put into ensuring peace.