Projet de loi portant assentiment à l'Arrangement entre le Royaume de Belgique et la République de l'Inde sur l'exercice d'activités à but lucratif par les conjoints du personnel de missions diplomatiques et de postes consulaires, conclu par échange des notes datées à New Delhi le 8 août 2012.
General information ¶
- Submitted by
-
The Senate
- Submission date
- Oct. 4, 2013
- Official page
- Visit
- Status
- Adopted
- Requirement
- Simple
- Subjects
- India diplomatic representation family international agreement diplomatic profession right to work
Voting ¶
- Voted to adopt
- Groen CD&V Vooruit Ecolo LE PS | SP Open Vld N-VA LDD MR VB
Contact form ¶
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Discussion ¶
March 13, 2014 | Plenary session (Chamber of representatives)
Full source
President André Flahaut ⚙
Corinne De Permentier, the rapporteur, is at the UN. Returns to the written report. In those circumstances, Ms Els Demol requested that she be able to intervene.
Els Demol N-VA ⚙
Mr. Speaker, Mrs. Minister, colleagues, I am pleased that the legal status of the spouses or partners of the diplomatic and consular staff is finally being improved to a level the circumstances of which correspond to the 21st century. So far, such agreements have been concluded with eighteen countries. Some have not yet been applied, while a dozen others are under negotiation.
Contact with diplomats in recent years and in recent diplomatic days has repeatedly demonstrated how heavily the Romanian life of diplomats presses on their family lives. Diplomats must be world citizens, but the multi-travel partners hardly manage to integrate in the receiving state, as they have not been allowed to do paid work so far, thus not being able to develop their own career or build their own pension rights.
I can speak from experience, because I myself have been a multi-travel partner. My husband is not a diplomat, but I have also several times in my passport the stamp “no permit to work”. I have also always had to look for activities to make me feel good locally and to get some sense of self-esteem.
The agreement is once again an important step, also in light of the desired increase in female diplomats.
I think women ministers should actually listen better at this moment.
I will continue. Apparently, the idea that a male partner should fill his days with “giving coffee to guests” is a catalyst to work on improving the status of the multi-travel partner.
Mr. Minister, many diplomats have been called, but after a while they find themselves placed for the choice between a successful career and family happiness, or a happy partner with a career of their own. Please turn an acceleration higher in updating the status of the diplomatic and consular staff and their partners.