Netherlands Embassy in South Sudan

Today, on the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, we recognise the dedication and sacrifice of peacekeepers serving around the world under the theme: “Invest in Peace”

Investing in peace saves lives, prevents wider conflict, and reduces far greater humanitarian and financial costs over time. However, peace does not happen by accident, it requires commitment, dialogue, and political will.

For the world and for South Sudan, now is the time to invest in peace.

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Image: © United Nations / Eric Kanalstein
UN peacekeepers in Juba, serving in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS)

Today, our Deputy Head of Mission, H.E. Floor Nuiten-Elzinga, received an Award of Honor from Dr. John Garang Memorial University of Science and Technology, alongside IOM Chief of Mission Ms. Vijaya Souri, in recognition of the support by their organizations for the development of a Diploma Programme in Disaster Risk Management at the University.

The diploma course, designed to provide sustainable skills for addressing floods in Bor, was an integral part of the Netherlands-funded Bor Flood Risk Mitigation Project (2021–2026), implemented by IOM South Sudan.

While presenting the awards at the IOM offices in Juba, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Abraham Matoc, commended IOM and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands for supporting the University in strengthening local knowledge and skills to respond to flooding. He noted that the first group of 45 students, who graduated on 16 September 2025, are already working with different institutions across South Sudan.

Prof. Matoc added that the University will continue offering the course in the years ahead.

The embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands supports this joint statement: dialogue among all parties also means including the head of the second largest party to the Peace Agreement.

Because unilateral changes to the Peace Agreement will not bring peace to South Sudan.

In the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights it was agreed all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. The Netherlands believes everyone should have the right to be themselves, and that it shouldn’t matter who you are or whom you love. Discrimination and violence should never be allowed on any grounds, including sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. This is why equal rights for LGBTIQ+ persons is a longstanding and core human rights priority for the Kingdom of the Netherlands. On IDAHOBIT, the Netherlands and its Embassies across the globe draw attention to the importance of equal rights – for everyone.

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Each year, on 5 May, the Netherlands celebrates Liberation Day. The day after Remembrance Day, we celebrate the freedom we have been enjoying since 1945. We commemorate both the absence of war and our life in a democratic constitutional state.

Across the country, people celebrate their freedom at liberation festivals, and people come together for “freedom meals” to reflect on both our liberation and the freedom we enjoy today. At the same time, we also reflect on the absence of freedom elsewhere in the world. After all, freedom is not a given for everyone.

May 4 is the day on which the Netherlands commemorates its victims of war. At 8pm, the entire country is silent for two minutes.

During the national commemoration of Remembrance Day we remember all – civilians and soldiers – who have been killed or murdered in the Kingdom of the Netherlands or anywhere else in the world in war situations or during peacekeeping operations since the outbreak of the Second World War.

On , the Kingdom of the Netherlands stands united in support of journalists who play a crucial role in upholding democracy and accountability. Journalists should never be silenced or targeted for speaking truth to power.

Today, the Kingdom of the Netherlands celebrates the 59th birthday of our King Willem-Alexander. To everyone celebrating, we wish you a happy King’s Day! 🇳🇱🎉🍊