The Italian Embassy honors International Holocaust Remembrance Day

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The Italian Embassy honors International Holocaust Remembrance Day

By John Dunkelgrün

On January 27th, H.E. Sr. Giorgio Novello invited fellow ambassadors, heads of international organizations, rabbis, and others to a gathering in the Pacifico Marchesini Library at the Embassy of Italy to mark the International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

The library was named after Mr. Marchesini, an embassy Employee who in July 1942 helped fifteen people from two families escape the Nazis. Sr. Novello gave an impassioned speech stressing the importance of helping your fellow human beings in their hour of need.

He then asked a handful of the invitees to speak. Mr. Libero (Bino) Marchesini told of a recent visit in Montreal to an 85-year-old survivor of the escape that his father had made possible. He was deeply touched by meeting a woman who would not have been alive but for his father’s bravery.

He also spoke, as did several others, of the recent poll that indicates that for teenagers and young adults in the Netherlands, knowledge about the Holocaust is sketchy, and 23% even deny that it has even happened or consider it way exaggerated. That this is happening while after decades of peace, a totally unexpected war is raging in Europe, is startling and dangerous. Lessons unlearned.

H.E. Mr. Giorgio Novello, Ambassador of Italy. Photography by Hans Linsen.

The ambassadors of Canada and Colombia, H.E. Ms. Lisa Helfand and H.E. Ms. Carolina Olarte Bácares, both grandchildren of Holocaust survivors, testified with barely controlled tears, that without people with compassion and bravery, similar to that shown by Mr. Marchesini, they would not have been there.

Rabbi Marianne van Praag. Photography by Hans Linsen.

To conclude Sr. Novello took the opportunity to introduce more than half a dozen new members of his diplomatic staff.

He announced that the importance of keeping the memory of the Holocaust alive was such, that the Embassy of Italy would make this ceremony an annual occurrence.

Criminal network suspected of tax fraud in workforce rental in Norway and Lithuania dismantled   

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Criminal network suspected of tax fraud in workforce rental in Norway and Lithuania dismantled   

  

The Hague, 26 January 2023

With the support of Eurojust, judicial and law enforcement authorities in Norway and Lithuania have taken action against a staffing network suspected of extensive tax fraud in workforce rental for fish farms in Norway. During a joint action day, five suspects were detained and nine locations were searched. Eurojust supported the judicial cooperation and assisted the authorities in setting up and funding a joint investigation team (JIT) into the case.

After a wide investigation carried out in the fishing industry in northern Norway in 2019, the Norwegian authorities responsible for combating work-related crime identified ten Lithuanian companies and one Norwegian company that they believe are part of the criminal network. The estimated damage caused by the tax fraud amounts to approximately NOK 8 million (EUR 800 000).

The case was opened at Eurojust at the request of the Norwegian authorities in July 2021. In addition to supporting the establishment of the JIT and providing it with funding, Eurojust actively facilitated the cross-border judicial cooperation between the national authorities involved. The Agency organised four coordination meetings and facilitated the execution of several requests for mutual legal assistance.

In a coordinated action carried out in Lithuania and Norway on 13 December 2022, five suspects were arrested. They are charged with extensive tax fraud or complicity in this crime. Nine locations were searched and fifteen people involved were interrogated.

The following authorities took part in the investigation:

Norway: Norwegian National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime (Økokrim); Nordland police district; Finnmark police district

Lithuania: Vilnius Regional Public Prosecutor’s Office; Lithuanian Financial Crime Investigation Service (FCIS/FNTT)

ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I authorises Prosecutor to resume investigation in the Philippines

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ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I authorises Prosecutor to resume investigation in the Philippines

Today, 26 January 2023, Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court granted the Prosecutor’s request to resume investigation into the Situation of the Republic of the Philippines. Following a careful analysis of the materials provided by the Philippines, the Chamber is not satisfied that the Philippines is undertaking relevant investigations that would warrant a deferral of the Court’s investigations on the basis of the complementarity principle.

After having examined the submissions and materials of the Philippines Government, and of the ICC Prosecutor, as well as the victims’ observations, the Chamber concluded that the various domestic initiatives and proceedings, assessed collectively, do not amount to tangible, concrete and progressive investigative steps in a way that would sufficiently mirror the Court’s investigation.

This conclusion does not preclude the Philippines from providing material in the future in order for the Prosecution, or the Chamber, to determine inadmissibility of the investigation or of any actual case, if and when needed.

Dr. Imomudin Sattorov pays call on Bodo Ramelow

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<strong>Dr. Imomudin Sattorov pays call on Bodo Ramelow</strong>

Wednesday, 25 January 2022, Erfurt, Free State of Thuringia: Premier Bodo Ramelow received for his inaugural visit, to the only federal state ruled by the Left Party, the Ambassador of the Republic of Tajikistan, H.E. Dr. Imomudin Sattorov, at the State Chancellery. 

The visit served for the two dignitaries to become acquainted to each other, and identifying areas wherein to intensify the bilateral relations between Thuringia and Tajikistan.

Dr. Sattorov serves in the capacity as Tajik ambassador in Germany since Thursday, 17 February 2022, when he presented his credentials to German Federal President Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier. He is also non-resident head of mission to the Czech Republic and Poland. Ambassador Sattorov is no stranger to Germany, and as a matter of fact, he already led the Tajik embassy in Berlin between 2007 and 2014. His first two diplomatic positions were likewise spent in Germany between 1995 and 2003. Subsequently he switched to the private sector, and served in the capacity as Deputy Chairman of the office of Orienbank in Frankfurt am Main. 

Previous to his arrival in Germany, Dr. Sattorov was his country’s ambassador in the Russian Federation with a concurrency to Armenia between 2014 and 2021. 

Ambassador Sattorov holds degrees from Lomonosov Moscow State University as well as the Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn. He speaks fluent Tajik (Farsi), English, Russian and German. 

For further information 

Government of the Free State of Thuringia: https://www.staatskanzlei-thueringen.de/medienservice/veranstaltungsberichte/detailseite/ministerpraesident-bodo-ramelow-675a78136f

New action against ‘Ndrangheta in Italy and Hungary       

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New action against ‘Ndrangheta in Italy and Hungary       

The Hague, 25 January  2023

With the help of Eurojust, the Italian and Hungarian judicial and law enforcement authorities have carried out an operation against the ‘Ndrangheta criminal organisation. During a joint action day, eight persons were arrested. They are suspected of mafia-type criminal association, international money laundering and fraudulent transfer of values.

The operation is a follow-up to a wider investigation concluded in 2019 against the same criminal organisation. Today’s action day focused on the group’s money laundering activities, which were facilitated by a number of companies that had previously been fictitiously registered in the name of third parties under Italian, Hungarian and Cypriot law.

In addition to the eight arrests, investigators seized assets worth approximately EUR 3 million, including bank accounts, real estate, vehicles and a yacht. Four real estate companies were also seized, three of which in Budapest and one in Milan.

The case was opened at Eurojust in March 2019. The Agency organised two coordination meetings and facilitated the execution of a European Arrest Warrant.

The following authorities took part in the investigation:

Italy: Public Prosecutor’s Office of Catanzaro, Special Operations Group of the Carabinieri

Hungary: Metropolitan Chief Prosecution Office of Budapest, National Bureau of Investigation

The Ambassador of Colombia, H.E. Ms. Carolina Olarte Bácares

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The Ambassador of Colombia, H.E. Ms. Carolina Olarte Bácares

H.E. Ms. Carolina Olarte Bácares is the newly appointed Ambassador of the Republic of Colombia to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. She presented her credentials to His Majesty King Willem-Alexander on January 25, 2023. She is coming to The Hague with decades of experience in law. 

Ms. Olarte Bácares’ extensive path in international law began with a Bachelor of Laws, which she attained from The Pontifical Xavierian University in Bogota in 2001. Her specialization was Public Law, International Law, and Human Rights. After graduating, Ms. Olarte Bácares briefly worked as a Legal Advisor at Alberto Preciado Asociados, but quickly resumed her studies. She completed a Master of Research in International Law in 2003, earning her degree with distinction from Robert Schuman University in France. 

Over the next decade, Ms.  Olarte Bácares followed an academic career in international law, investment arbitration, and business and human rights. She has taught and conducted research at various universities, including University Autónoma De Colombia (2006-2009), Sciences Po Paris (2008-2009), University of La Sabana (2013-2020), and her alma mater, The Pontifical Xavierian University (2004-2023). In addition, she has been a guest lecturer at various universities around the globe, including the University of British Columbia in Canada. In 2015, Ms. Olarte Bácares completed her PhD in International Law at University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, receiving a degree of distinction. 

The King of the Netherlands and the Ambassador of Colombia, H.E. Carolina Olarte Bácares. Photography Jeroen van der Meyde.

Due to Ms. Olarte Bácares’ work in academia, she has published many academic papers, articles, and books. One of them is International Investment Law and Arbitration from a Latin American Perspective, which she co-wrote alongside Monebhurrun Nitish and Velasquez-Ruiz Marco. 

While teaching and researching, Ms. Olarte Bácares also took up other positions from time to time. She was an Assistant Legal Advisor at the UNHCR in Bogota from 2006 to 2007, where she designed refugee protection claims. In 2016, she became a member of the editorial board of the Brazilian Journal of International Law, a role she held for seven years. In 2019, she was briefly the External Consultant for the International Bar Association, designing an International Training Program and conducting training sessions. Since 2020, Ms. Olarte Bácares has been the Dean of the School of Law at The Pontifical Xavierian University. Additionally, she is also active as an independent consultant. These are a few of her past occupations. 

In between these roles, Ms. Olarte Bácares has participated in various training programs, earning certifications like a Trainer’s diploma in Themis Methodology, legal argumentation, and conventionality control (2019). She currently holds multiple professional memberships, including being a member of the Society for Business Ethics, a board member of the Global Business and Human Rights Scholars Association, and a founding member of the Colombian Academy of International Law (ACCOLDI). 

Presentation of letter of credentials, Ambassador of Colombia H.E. Carolina Olarte Bácares, January 25, 2023. Photography Jeroen van der Meyde.

Even before coming to the Netherlands as Ambassador of Colombia, Ms. Olarte Bácares already had several ties to The Hague. She has been a Member of the National Group in the Permanent Court of Arbitration, and a Co-Agent before the International Court of Justice since 2022. 

Aside from her mother tongue, Spanish, Ms. Olarte Bácares speaks many languages, which is unsurprising considering her time spent abroad. She is fluent in French, speaks English and Italian, and has some command of Portuguese. 

The diplomat community in The Hague sends a warm welcome to Ambassador Olarte Bácares and wishes her all the best in this new term. 

Senegalese accreditation for Dato’ Zainal Izran Zahari

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Senegalese accreditation for Dato’ Zainal Izran Zahari

Thursday, 19 January 2022, Dakar, Republic of Senegal: At the Palace of the Republic, HE President Macky Sall received for a stately accreditation ceremony the Ambassador of Malaysia, HE Dato’ Zainal Izran bin Zahari who conveyed President Sall the personal regards of both, His Majesty The XVI Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia as well as Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. 

For Dato’ Zainal his tenure in Senegal becomes a first ambassadorship since he entered the diplomatic service in 2002. From Senegal he shall likewise serve as non-resident head of mission for The Gambia, Mali, Cabo Verde as well as Burkina Faso. 

Ambassador Zahari previously served in the capacity as Deputy Permanent Representative at the Mission of Malaysia to the United Nations, and other international organizations based in Vienna, Austria from 2019 through the end of 2022. Between 2016 and 2018 he went back to headquarters, and served in the South Central Asia Division in his country’s foreign ministry (abbreviated as KLN for its initials in the Malay language). 

Picture by Presidency of Senegal.

Between 2013 and 2016 he was posted in Brussels wherein he was Deputy Head of Mission at the Permanent Mission of Malaysia to the European Union, and Embassy of Malaysia to the Kingdom of Belgium, and non-resident embassy to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. 

Throughout his career Dato’ Zainal has also served as a diplomat in Sweden as well as Papua New Guinea. 

Ambassador Zahari was knighted by the Regent and Crown Prince of Pahang Darul Makmur, HRH Tengku Hassanal, and is bears the honorific Dato’. 

For further information 

Presidency of Senegal: https://www.presidence.sn

Changing of the Guard ASEAN Committee The Hague

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Changing of the Guard ASEAN Committee The Hague

By Roy Lie Atjam

H.E. Ambassador Dato’ Nadzirah Binti Osman of Malaysia in the Netherlands
assumed the chairmanship of the “ASEAN Committee The Hague” (ACTH)on 20
January 2023. All five stakeholders witness the smooth transfer in a serene
ceremony.
Ambassador Osman’s stint will last for six months, commencing January 2023.
We wish Ambassador Osman every success and assure her of our perpetual
fidelity and support.

The Ambassador of the Philippines Jose Eduardo Malaya, presenting Ambassador Osman her instrument of authority.

International Criminal Court Marks Opening of the Judicial Year 2023

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International Criminal Court Marks Opening of the Judicial Year 2023

On 20 January 2023, the International Criminal Court (“ICC” or “Court”) held a solemn hearing for the opening of its judicial year, featuring speeches of keynote speaker Mr Miguel de Serpa Soares, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and United Nations Legal Counsel, ICC Principals, and the President of the ICC Bar Association. ICC judges as well as the Vice-President of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP), Ambassador Kateřina Sequensová, Representatives from national jurisdictions, regional or international courts, the diplomatic corps, civil society and international organisations, also attended the event in ICC Courtroom 1 or through the online streaming. 

Opening the event, the President of the Court, Judge Piotr Hofmański, stated: “We are particularly honoured by the presence of many presidents of international and regional courts and chief justices of national jurisdictions of States Parties to the Rome Statute. As we pause for a moment to reflect on our mandate and renew our commitment to justice, it gives us strength to see so many esteemed colleagues by our side. … It is first and foremost the domestic courts that must be the vanguard against impunity, and only when they cannot or will not act, the ICC should intervene. And, domestic courts are also the ones that must carry on the torch of justice once the ICC’s intervention ends.” 

United Nations Legal Counsel Miguel de Serpa Soares delivers Keynote Address at the opening of the ICC judicial year 2023 on 20 January 2023 at the seat of the Court in The Hague ©ICC-CPI

The Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and the United Nations Legal Counsel, Mr Miguel de Serpa Soares, delivered the keynote address in which he recognized the central role of the Court in the international criminal justice system. “The abiding challenge for the Court remains to realize its full potential in its fight to end impunity and build a just and more peaceful world,” he said, noting that the attention of the international community focused on its work, and in particular its judicial decisions. The Legal Counsel emphasized the strong relationship and extensive cooperation between the United Nations and the Court. “The Court will always find in the United Nations a committed partner, a staunch ally and a firm friend,” he concluded.

Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan KC noted that in 2023 his Office would focus on “delivering increased results in the courtroom through a renewed approach to investigations and prosecutions, drawing on new technology.” He underlined that “this year should be one in which the bonds between victims and the Court is strengthened, by bringing justice closer to affected communities. Through new approaches, and by strengthening the bridge between survivors and the Office, this year can be one in which the impunity gap is finally narrowed through collective action.”

ICC Registrar Peter Lewis, whose term will end this year, said: “Above all else, we face 2023 with the knowledge, that for those victims and communities who thirst for justice and peace, what we do at the court matters.”

In addition, the President of the International Criminal Court Bar Association (ICCBA) Marie-Hélène Proulx stated: “As we enter into this new year, I want to pay tribute to the contribution of counsel, and of their support staff. The ICCBA is proud to represent them, and to voice their concerns and their demands before the organs of the Court, the ASP and the general public. There can be no justice without a strong defence, and without meaningful representation of participating victims. And there can be no fair trial without equality of arms.”

The solemn hearing was followed by the ICC’s Fifth Annual Judicial Seminar attended by ICC judges and ca. 35 judges from international, regional and national courts, including several chief justices of ICC States Parties. This year’s edition of the Judicial Seminar focused on the crucial role that national courts and jurisdictions play in the international criminal justice system aimed at closing the gap of impunity for the gravest crimes under international law.

The participants discussed the legal aspects of the principle of complementarity, the support of the United Nations for the capacity building of national jurisdictions as well as the concrete experiences of national and hybrid jurisdictions. A summary report of the Judicial Seminar, held under Chatham House rules, will be issued subsequently. The ICC is grateful to the European Commission for its financial support of the Judicial Seminar.

Statement of President Zhaparov on Kyrgyzstan’s green transition

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<strong>Statement of President Zhaparov on Kyrgyzstan’s green transition</strong>

Dear partner countries and international financial development institutions! We can all see how the problem of smog has become one of the most pressing problems in our country in the recent years. Smog is especially strong in the fall and winter period, since the use of coal for heating plays a significant role in this.

Undoubtedly, the solution to this issue requires a comprehensive approach. In my first year as the president, I identified environmental and green economy issues as one of the top priorities of the state policy.

On our initiative, the UN declared 2022 as the “International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development,” in Kyrgyzstan last year was also declared the «Year of protection of mountain ecosystems and climate sustainability». The issues of the negative effects of climate change concern all countries of the world, including Kyrgyzstan, which has thousand-years’ glaciers.

In November 2021, in my speech at the opening of the Summit of the World Leaders on Climate Change in Glasgow, I said that by 2030, Kyrgyzstan aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 44%, and by 2050 will try to achieve carbon neutrality, which is possible primarily through development of the hydropower sector.

Kyrgyzstan is a country rich in hydro-resources. It is sad to note that being in the upper reaches of water resources, we were not able to build new hydropower plants during the years of independence and were forced to import electricity in winter time. For the last 30 years we have been using coal, fuel oil and the power of previously built hydropower plants. At the moment we are using only about 10% of our hydropower potential.

Therefore, on my instructions, over the last two years we have actively started building small and medium hydropower plants across the country, and appropriate regulations have been adopted to provide preferences to investors.

The largest construction project, Kambar-Ata HPP-1, the future flagship of the national energy sector, has been launched.

With implementation of these projects, Kyrgyzstan can truly be called an energy-independent country that will export electricity to foreign countries.

Perhaps if more attention had been paid to this issue in earlier years, the smog issue would not be so acute today. We could have used more electricity for heating in the fall and winter.

Now we are firmly committed to development of the green economy, the whole modern world pays special attention to this. That is why I have instructed us to begin actively working on exchanging the country’s foreign debt for green initiatives.

Today, Kyrgyzstan’s foreign debt totals around USD 4.2 billion.

Of course, we are and will be in full compliance with all our foreign debt repayment obligations, and we have every opportunity to do so. We are just taking the initiative to develop the green economy and jointly contribute to improving the environmental situation in the world.

It would be good if the funds earmarked for repayment of the foreign debt were used to support the green initiatives. We are not saying that these projects should only be financed by donors and partners. We are also ready to invest from our side and implement these projects.

For many years the green economy has been discussed at various levels, but unfortunately in most cases it is all in theory. We want to move from words to deeds, together we can change this.

It is no secret that we are far behind other countries in the world in terms of the green economy. We want to correct this as soon as possible.

We are sure that these initiatives will be supported by the donor countries and development partners.

At the moment, 50 small and medium hydropower plants are being built in Kyrgyzstan. But even this is not enough. We have investment projects ready. We have the capacity to build small and medium hydropower plants with the capacity from 1 to 1,000 MW; the rivers are ready.

The countries and financial institutions, of which Kyrgyzstan is a debtor, could take part in construction of energy facilities and hydropower plants in the country. Together we will cut the ribbons of these green economy facilities.

Together we are implementing green projects in Kyrgyzstan, in exchange for us being written off foreign debts.

We all want our children to live in a rich country with a good environment. We want to be a truly energy-independent country which uses its potential rationally. Therefore, the state will continue to move in this direction, paying more and more attention to the ecology and green economy issues.

For further information 

Kyrgyz Presidency: https://president.kg/kg/

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