Queen Mathilde in Washington

Queen Mathilde was in the United States for a brief visit starting on Thursday, when she arrived at the Embassy of Belgium in Washington where the Queen was welcomed by the Belgian Ambassador, Johan Verbeke.

The following day, Friday March 6, was quite busy for the Queen. The first event was a meeting with Dr. Jim Yong Kim, the President of the World Bank Group. The theme of the meeting was “Women play a major role in development.” The Queen was accompanied by Ambassador Verbeke.

Later Queen Mathilde attended the symposium about “Girls Impacted by Conflict and Civil Unrest.” This symposium was organized by the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) and it was held at the Embassy of Belgium.

In her speech, Queen Mathilde remembered all the girls and women that live in conflict zones and are a target of violence and exploitation saying, “It is vital to protect the rights and well-being of adolescent girls all over the world. It is even more essential to protect those whose health, education and human rights are impacted by conflict and civil unrest.” She also said that due to the conflicts “girls’ prospects for the future are reduced” because there’s no education.

The Queen stressed that the purpose of the symposium was to examine the current situation of girls involved in conflicts and to find how to improve their lives. She also praised the great work that organizations, both governmental and non-governmental are doing in the conflict zones.

The last event in Washington for the Queen was a meeting with Christine Lagarde, the Director of the International Monetary Fund. They spoke about helping women to fully participate in economic life.

Filed under Belgium
Tagged Ambassador, Queen Mathilde of the Belgians, United States of America, Working Visit.

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