By Jhr. Alexander W. Beelaerts van Blokland LL.M.
The Hague is well known as the international city that hosts not only about one hundred embassies but also very many international tribunals and Intergovernmental Organisations (IGO’s) like the International Court of Justice (ICJ), The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), the International Criminal Court (ICC), OPCW, Yougoslavia Tribunal, Iran-US Claims Tribunal, the Lebanon Tribunal, the Kosovo Tribunal etcetera.
Less well known is that over a hundred (!) of Non Governmental Organisations (NGO’s) are settled in The Hague as well. They are the results of private initiatives and act independently from governments. The NGO’s are active in many fields. They are very divers, in their aim as well as in their size. Most NGO’s in The Hague are active in one of the fields The Hagues is well known for: law, peace, security but also water and sustainability. Especially for the very many small NGO’s the city of The Hague opened some years ago two buildings where these organisations can open their office (at Laan van Meerdervoort 70 and at Zeestraat 100).
One of the new NGO’s that The Hague welcomes is Mediators Beyond Borders International (MBBI). The headquaters of MBBI are nearby Washington D.C. in the USA, but MBBI decided to open an office in The Hague as well. MBBI will settle at Laan van Meerdervoort 70.
MBBI’s device is: people building peace. The only lasting peace is the one built by the disputants themselves. MBBI works to bring mediation and peace skills to communities around the globe so they can, in turn, build a more peace ‘able’ world. To this end, MBBI organizes initiatives to address three essential objectives: capacity building, promoting mediation through advocacy and delivering consultancy services.
MBBI builds local capacities of peace and promotes mediation worldwide. MBBI does that by enhancing local capacity upon invitation, advocating for mediation in all arenas and providing consultancy services that promote peaceful conflict solution. MBBI is member of and connected to many international institutions and organisations (ECOSOC, UNFCCC etc.).
MBBI is hosting its 8th Conference in The Hague in the Peace Palace 4 – 6 October 2017, also celebrating its 10th anniversary. You are welcome.
See www.mediatorsbeyondborders.org.
About the author:
Jhr. Alexander W. Beelaerts van Blokland LL.M. is Justice (Judge) in the (Dutch) Court of Appeal and Special Advisor International Affairs, appointed by the Mayor and Aldermen of The Hague. a.beelaerts@planet.nl
