Toespraak nationale feestdag 200 jaar onafhankelijkheid Uruguay 28 augustus 2025

Sus Excelencias,

Distinguido público,

En primer lugar, muchísimas gracias por la invitación a esta celebración. Les deseo muchas felicidades para este día tan especial. Es todo un honor el poder acompañarles hoy. Permítanme que siga en inglés.

Ambassador Álvaro,
Staff, guests,
Good evening everyone,
As Mayor of The Hague, international city of peace, justice, and diplomacy, I am always honoured to speak at celebrations of national holidays.
And it is therefore with great pleasure that I join you for this special celebration marking 200 years of Uruguay’s independence.
The right of a people to determine its own political, social, economic, and cultural future is nowadays seen as a fundamental principle of international law, enshrined in the UN Charter and in various international treaties.
But it was very different in the past. Just like the Dutch people, the people of Uruguay had to fight to gain independence from their former ruler, Spain. For us in the 16th and 17th centuries, for you in the early 19th century.
Independence and self-determination of a people, the right to make one’s own choices and be selfreliant, for hundreds of years this certainly has not been a given in the world. Not even today, although self-determination is increasingly recognized as a human right. Look at the situation in the Middle East, in Ukraine, Sudan, and many other countries. Places experiencing a similar struggle to the one you and we too once faced.
It is important to cherish the independence and self-determination of a people as something of great value. It is important that a people, a country, knows where it comes from, and knows what it took to get there. Because that says something about who you are, about your identity. And I have been able to witness with my own eyes how well you do this.
In May of this year, as President of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) – a worldwide network representing over 75% of the world’s population – and as Mayor of The Hague, I visited your capital, Montevideo. I had the honour of opening the fifth World Forum on Cities and Territories of Peace. On that occasion, the fourth edition of the UCLG Peace Prize was launched. A prize honouring local governments’ initiatives to build peace from the ground up, which will be awarded next year in Tangier.
This prize is a follow up to The Hague Charter on Municipal Peace, which was prepared at the UCLG World Council in The Hague last year, in 2024. It is no coincidence that this charter came into being 125 years after the First Hague Peace Conference of 1899. It was one of the highlights of our anniversary year.
During my visit to Montevideo, I not only attended the conference but I also saw firsthand how important initiatives for local peace are. Developments that strengthen local communities and the position of women, and combat violence in neighbourhoods.
Projects that can make the difference between hopelessness and hope.
I also noticed how multicultural Uruguay is: a melting pot of cultures, with influences from various European countries as well as from the original inhabitants, the Charrúa.
And I became acquainted with the culture of the gaucho, the Uruguayan cowboy, with its emphasis on resilience and a self-sufficient lifestyle.
I believe that all these qualities are deeply rooted in Uruguayan society as a result of achieving independence 200 years ago.
I also saw how proud Uruguay is of this independence. I visited the magnificent Palacio Legislativo and had the opportunity to view the original Declaration of Independence of 1825 and the Constitution of 1830. These are documents whose signing we celebrate and commemorate.
Documents whose value continues to be evident every single day.
By treating historical symbols and dates as you do, the unique and vibrant national identity of the Uruguayan people, with its rich mix of influences, is preserved and strengthened. I therefore congratulate you on 200 years of independence for Uruguay, and I am honoured to celebrate this milestone with you.

Muchas Gracias,
Viva Uruguay