Belgium and Me
Belgium and me
Mr. Kunio Mikuriya
Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO)October 2014
Although it has been nearly 13 years since I moved with my family to Brussels to work at the Secretariat of the World Customs Organization, I must confess that I do not have too many stories to share about Brussels or even Belgium, given my frequent missions abroad to visit my 179 Member Customs Administrations. Even when I am back in the office in Brussels, I am surrounded by staffers from 50 different nationalities, and I am not sure that my office represents a typical working environment in Belgium. Additionally, after our children graduated from the French Lycée in Brussels and moved on to study in the UK, I lost contact with other parents at school.
In fact, I have been so busy visiting ports and customs offices around the world that it was only this year that I finally visited the Port of Antwerp, the major port in Belgium. The Port Authority of Antwerp had been waiting for my visit since the recent development of their port, and I was struck by the patience and consideration they displayed in arranging this. This is nothing unusual, as patience is a virtue I have observed widely across Belgium. For instance, I have witnessed a great amount of forbearance towards public works that seem to never end, and although people can grow understandably impatient when driving in town, they become, conversely, patient and generous when others try to park their cars in the street.
While Belgium gained independence in 1830 under the banner of the Catholic faith against the Protestant Netherlands, explaining the foundations of a Japanese ‘spirit’ through religion has never been as straightforward. This contrast was particularly evident when, around 1890, the distinguished Belgian jurist, Professor Emile Louis Victor de Laveleye, asked Japanese academic Inazo Nitobe (who later went on to serve as one of the Under-Secretaries General of the League of Nations, a precursor to the United Nations) how moral education could be imparted in Japanese schools without religious instruction. With Nitobe being unable to provide an immediate answer, the question led to much soul-searching, which culminated in the writing of “Bushido: The Soul of Japan”, a ground-breaking work on Samurai ethics and Japanese culture, published in 1900 and written in English for an international readership. It therefore struck me that it was thanks to the query of a Belgian academic that this book, which played a crucial role in illuminating Japanese ethics, was born, a testament to the fruits which intercultural dialogue can bear.
Furthermore, Professor de Laveleye’s question is best understood in a historical context. The end of the 19th century was a time of educational reform in France, with the famous three principles for primary education – compulsory, free of charge and secular (i.e. no religious education at school) – was established in 1882 (for comparison – in Japan, compulsory education was introduced in 1886 and made free of charge in 1900, whereas in Belgium, compulsory education was introduced in 1914). Such issues proved somewhat more problematic in Belgium, however, with the question of secular education triggering a huge political struggle between the Catholic and liberal camps. Subsequently, the Catholic party won the elections in 1884, and religious education (mostly Catholic) became compulsory in all schools in 1895. Professor de Laveleye’s question thus underlines the Belgian academic’s pride in defending the Catholic faith. Another such political struggle arose in the 1950s, which resulted in the introduction in Belgium of an education system in 1959 that allowed pupils to choose between religious education of their faith and moral education.
Such questions of religious education that divided the nation in the 1880s and again in the 1950s would be hard to imagine in the current climate, with the number of Catholic churchgoers on Sundays having steadily diminished to around 5%, this number consisting mainly of senior citizens. I have occasionally attended services in various churches across Brussels, including Catholic churches that are often grand and beautifully built. It is rather sad, therefore, to witness congregations that are significantly smaller than the number for which these churches had been planned, with some churches having been closed, all recalling Larkin’s poem ‘Church Going ‘ – ‘A shape less recognisable each week, A purpose more obscure.’ Along with the weakening influence of Catholicism as the integration power of Belgium, the language question has surfaced as a dividing force. The separation of the prestigious Catholic University of Leuven, which was then over 500 years old, into French-speaking and Flemish-speaking parts in 1968, was often said to be one of the consequences of the diminished authority of the Catholic Church in Belgium. Coming from Japan where land space is limited, I nonetheless experienced a certain awe upon finding the construction site of the new campus for the French-speaking university, situated within only 30 km of both Brussels and Leuven.
As the Catholic faith has lost its unifying cause in a national context, I often feel that football has become a strong binding power for Belgian people in an increasingly secular society. I have never seen the people of this country so proud or excited about their country as I did during the recent World Cup held in Brazil. Belgian flags hung from many windows, whilst the national anthem, the Brabançonne, reverberated across our street before each game. In addition to the excellent performances on the pitch, the team coach Marc Wilmots and captain Vincent Kompany contributed to a team spirit inspiring unity off the pitch, with the noticeable fact that they both gave interviews in French as well as Flemish (and even German) without any difficulties. Another integration symbol at work seems to be the royal family, headed by HM King Philippe, whose popularity continues to grow across different language groups. He gave us an honor by his presence at the WCO's 60 year anniversary in 2012. It is remarkable to see his young family’s effort to practice the country’s different national languages and addressing the people from different regions in a balanced manner from a very early age. Belgian political leaders’ multilingual abilities have opened the door for them to play a big role in the diplomatic scene, particularly in Europe, with European President Herman Van Rompuy being a notable example. When it comes to learning languages, it often strikes me that Japanese people, who generally only speak their native language, are rather lazy compared to Belgians.
In addition to helping shape national identity, I’ve been told that the Catholic faith used to provide personal values to the people of Belgium. With the influence of this faith waning, the family appears to have become the institution in which they place values and find comfort. Over the holidays and weekends, family gatherings – which include the extended family – are very common. From what I have observed, family bonds are maintained with remarkable strength, irrespective of the social position each member has achieved. Moreover, public assistance in Belgium is relatively generous, allowing individuals who are in any way disadvantaged to benefit from this without necessarily sacrificing other family members’ welfare. This is often in contrast to Japan, where many families are exhausted from providing assistance to those in need within their relatives. Furthermore, the forests and other natural reserves in the vicinity of big cities are plenty, giving city people a space to unwind.
The Social security system has therefore played a vital role in supporting Belgian families, but its costliness means that its future sustainability has been under discussion. From what I understand, the disputes between the language groups were exacerbated by the distribution of cost for the public assistance program. Of course, it was the nation’s wealth that enabled the establishment of the welfare system. It is worth noting that the GNP per capita in Belgium (45 thousand USD) is higher than that of Japan (38 thousand USD), as of 2013.
I believe the wealth of this country has been accumulated from the Middle Ages by the production and trade of high-quality products, by skilled artisans and professionals. For example, when I visit churches across Europe and admire beautifully decorated pulpits, tapestries and other fine arts and crafts, I often end up finding out that they are the products of towns that are now part of Belgium. There is much to appreciate in this Belgian tradition of nurturing an impressive attention to detail, combined with artistic talent, as reflected in their architecture, cuisine and lacework, which are internationally renowned. Whenever I visit the local markets, I am always amazed by how passionate and attentive they are in their selection of food material for everyday use.
I am aware that I have dedicated a large part of this article to this country’s history, but it is something that is inescapable on a day-to-day basis when living in Belgium. History is reflected in everyday life, in all things large and small. Though Brussels in particular has become increasingly international, Belgium nonetheless retains a very strong and unmistakable character. Despite having to spend much time away from the country because of my work, this character has left a mark on me over the years, and continues to fascinate.
Kunio Mikuriya
Mr. Mikuriya has been Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO) since 1 January 2009. He provides leadership and executive management for the global Customs community’s priorities, including developing global Customs instruments, standards, and tools; securing and facilitating global trade; realizing revenues; building Customs-business partnerships; and delivering capacity building in support of Customs reform and modernization. In addition, Mr. Mikuriya is leading efforts in support of implementation of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement.
Prior to joining the WCO, he worked for Japan's Ministry of Finance for 25 years. During his career with the Ministry, Mr. Mikuriya occupied a variety of senior posts, which have given him broad experience and knowledge in Customs, trade, development, budget, and financial policies. He served as Director of Enforcement where he led efforts to fight illicit trade, then as Director of Research and International Affairs paving the way for the conclusion of the first regional trade agreement for Japan, and then as a Counsellor in the Tariff and Customs Bureau. He also served as Director of Salaries and Allowances to coordinate remuneration levels for the entire government workforce, and as the Budget Controller for Foreign Affairs, Official Aid, International Trade and Industry, in the Budget Bureau. In addition, he spent time as a Counsellor at the Japanese Mission to the WTO in Geneva and participated in the GATT Uruguay Round trade negotiations.
Mr. Mikuriya has a degree in law from the University of Tokyo and a Ph.D in international relations from the University of Kent.
