On the picture the Ambassadors of Bosnia – H.E. Mirsada Colakovic, Canada – H.E. Sabine Nölke, Tanzania – H.E. Ms. Irene Florence M. Kasyanju, Ambassador Marriët Schuurman, Austria – H.E. Dr Heidemaria Gürer, Pakistan – H.E. Mrs. Iffat Imran Gardezi, Kosovo – H.E. Vjosa Dobruna, Estonia – H.E. Ms Kaili Terras, Portugal – H.E. Mrs. Rosa Batoréu, Albania – H.E. Adia Sakiqi, Chile – H.E. Maria Teresa de Jesus Infante Caffi, Palestine – H.E. Rawan Sulaiman, Lebanon – Ms. Abir Ali, Romania – H.E. Brandusa Predescu, Brazil – H.E. Ms. Regina Maria Cordeiro Dunlop, Cameroon – H.E. Odette Melono, New Zealand – H.E. Ms. Lyndal Elizabeth Walker, Vietnam – H.E. Ngo Thi Hoa, Croatia – H.E. Andrea Gustovic Ercegovac, Germany to the OPCW – H.E. Christine Weil, Burundi – H.E. Vestine Nahimana.
By Diplomat Magazine.
The Ladies Ambassador group of The Hague composed by 34 ambassadors credited to the Netherlands met for a lunch hosted by H.E. Ambassador Heidemaria Guerer of Austria. The Guest of Honour was Ambassador Marriët Schuurman, Head of UN Security Council Task Force from The Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The host offered a traditional Austrian menu at the great salon of the official residence of the Austrian Ambassador. The wine served during the lunch came from Ambassador Guerer private vineyards in Austria.
Table conversation commenced with Ambassador Schuurman answering questions about the actions taken by the Netherlands in the Caribbean after hurricane Irma recently affected St Marteen. Further, she talked about the focus of the Netherlands in countries including Venezuela, Myanmar, Somalia and South Sudan. Additionally, she spoke about the Dutch peace keeping experience in Mali.
As Ambassador Schuurman explained, more than 90% of Dutch agenda focuses on the prevention and solving of situations involving the most suffering. This manifests as protection and peacekeeping among civilians. To further elaborate, she exposed that the new security challenges of contemporary society are extremism, migration and climate change, particularly in water conflicts.
According to Ambassador Schuurman, going forward the Netherlands will continue to lead the way in preventing extremism, combatting climate change, and aiding hurricane victims. Next year the Netherlands will be able to continue this leadership, as they will chair the UN Security Council in March 2018.
Ambassador Schuurman foresees the Netherlands will …’will look for larger coalitions, inclusion and making the accent in an agenda for equal participation working with all members with transparency’.
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Photography by Hester Djikstra for Diplomat Magazine.
