Eurojust assists in returning historic painting by Artemisia Gentileschi to Italy

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Eurojust assists in returning historic painting by Artemisia Gentileschi to Italy

A historic 17th century painting by the Italian baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi has been returned to Italy, with the active support of Eurojust. Two suspects are being investigated for fraud and attempts to illegally sell the painting of the legend of Roman Charity in Austria. They obtained an export license for the painting while disguising its origins and value.

Eurojust provided rapid assistance through its Italian and Austrian National Desks by supporting the execution of a European Investigation Order and a freezing certificate at the request of the judicial authorities in Bari. The value of the painting is estimated at over EUR 2 million.

Commenting on the return of the painting, Mr Filippo Spiezia, National Member for Italy at Eurojust, said: ‘I’m delighted that the rapid and good cooperation with our Austrian colleagues at the Agency has led to the return to Italy of this important piece of cultural heritage. It confirms the commitment of the Italian Desk at Eurojust to the recovery of major assets of historical, cultural and artistic value. This commitment is also reflected in a new operational protocol we have agreed upon with the Italian Ministry of Culture and the Cultural Heritage Unit of the Carabinieri.’

The painting was commissioned to the Italian female painter Artemisia Gentileschi in the first half of the 17th century by Count Giangirolamo II of Acquaviva. The painting depicts the Roman Charity and the legend of Cimone and Pero, as narrated by Valerio Massimo, and belonged to the legacy of the late Count.

By disguising the fact that the painting was by Gentileschi and underestimating its true value, in 2019 the suspects got an export license from the Italian Ministry of Culture, using a Tuscan brokerage company. The painting was then transferred to Austria, where it was due to be auctioned for a much higher price than the indicated value. A similar modus operandi had previously been used by other suspects with another Gentileschi painting.

Investigations into the case were started in 2020 by the Cultural Heritage Unit of the Italian Carabinieri, which managed to trace the painting to an auction house in Vienna. The Public Prosecutor’s Office of Bari subsequently had the export license cancelled by the Ministry of Culture. Eurojust provided the essential support to enable the judicial cooperation so the painting could be seized at the auction house by the Austrian Police, with the assistance of the Italian embassy in Austria.

Eurojust support to joint investigation team MH17: three suspects sentenced to life imprisonment

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Eurojust support to joint investigation team MH17: three suspects sentenced to life imprisonment

The Dutch Court of The Hague sentenced three suspects today to life imprisonment for their involvement in the downing of flight MH17 on 17 July 2014, which led to the tragic loss of 298 lives. Eurojust supported the investigations, by rapidly assisting with the setup of a joint investigation team (JIT) between the Netherlands, Belgium, Ukraine, Australia and Malaysia.

The three suspects were trialled in absentia by the District Court of The Hague, which in this case took place close to Schiphol Airport. They were also sentenced to the payment of EUR 16 million in damages. Of the three convicted, two are of Russian and one of Ukrainian nationality. A fourth suspect, who was represented by lawyers, was acquitted.

The day after the tragedy, Eurojust received an urgent request for assistance from the Dutch authorities to coordinate investigations in the various Member States and third countries concerned. On 4 August 2014, the JIT was set up, with legal, financial and logistic support of the Agency.

The Malaysian Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was downed above Ukraine, with most of the victims being of Dutch, Malaysian and Australian origin. Victim were nationals from 16 different countries, the so-called ‘grieving nations’.

Eurojust organised a series of coordination meetings at the start of the JIT. In June 2019, Eurojust organised a meeting with representatives from all grieving nations in which they expressed their trust in the Dutch system and underlined the importance of the rights of the next of kin.

Prosecutors discuss rising threat to citizens of increased use of cheap fake car parts   

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Prosecutors discuss rising threat to citizens of increased use of cheap fake car parts   

The increasing use of fake car parts poses a growing security risk for road users, leading to deadly accidents and serious bodily harm. Furthermore, the use of fake parts is a serious infringement of the copyrights of original producers. To tackle this rising problem, prosecutors and law enforcement officials gathered at Eurojust today to discuss how to prosecute this crime more effectively. One method is cumulative charging, adding charges such as manslaughter, causing bodily harm and fraud to copyright infringements to raise the level of sentencing.

The fitting of fake car parts usually happens when original pieces are replaced during repairs. Due to the infiltration of fake parts into the legal supply chain, owners of workshops are often not even aware of the fact that the replacement parts they have purchased are counterfeit products. This can lead to the retrofitting of faulty essential devices, such as brake pads, and lead to casualties on the road. Apart from the physical consequences, manufacturers and suppliers of original parts are wrongly accused and lose credibility and/or considerable revenue.

The production of counterfeit parts is a rising criminal phenomenon with high profit margins. A study of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) shows that while of all seized dangerous goods 7% are fake car parts, they are by far the most valuable confiscated products. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the sale of counterfeit products shifted to online e-commerce platforms such as eBay, Wish, AliExpress, Alibaba and social networks such as Instagram and Facebook.

Among perpetrators, the production of fake parts is often seen as a ‘victimless’ and so-called high-profit/low-risk crime. Penalties across the European Union remain relatively low, especially if there are no charges for manslaughter or similar offenses added to the indictments. Criminal organisations manage to produce fake parts at a low price and in high volumes, avoiding safety controls. Investigations into such cases are cumbersome and prosecuting them often proves to be difficult.

Eurojust’s Intellectual Property Crime Project organised a practical workshop in close cooperation with EUIPO to exchange best practices between prosecutors and experts from private companies and ensure a coherent approach in EU Member States and third countries.

The discussion focused on the possibility of using cumulative charges for intellectual property crimes with other serious criminal offences, in addition to copyright infringement. For example:

  • manslaughter, in case of a deadly accident;
  • assault/battery, in cases where bodily harm was caused but the life of a human was not endangered; and
  • fraud, if the fake part was installed without the knowledge of the car owner at the price of the original product by the service technicians.

This approach allows prosecutors to tackle multiple criminal offences, ensuring perpetrators are sentenced for the entirety of their criminal activity, rather than just the most prevailing crime. This would result in higher penalties, while it would also allow the use of special investigative methods and tactics reserved for crimes that are considered more serious by legislators.  Another way to make this crime type less lucrative is to be stricter in the seizure and confiscation of the assets of criminals who manufacture and sell counterfeit products.

During the workshop, participants agreed to conduct further analysis of the criminal activities concerning fake parts. They also mapped the investigative process, looking closely at all stages of a case and the cooperation with car and parts manufacturers, outlining all elements necessary to file successful indictments. This includes procedures to increase the cooperation between public authorities and the industry.

Cities across Europe and North America Commit to
Addressing Hate and Polarization, and Safeguarding Democracy

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Cities across Europe and North America Commit to<br>Addressing Hate and Polarization, and Safeguarding Democracy


Mayors, city leaders, and practitioners from across Europe and North America will convene at the Peace Palace in The Hague on November 15 and 16 to counter the convergence of hate, disinformation, conspiracy, and extremism that is undermining social cohesion and threatening local democracy on both sides of the Atlantic.

Cities and their leaders face a complex threat environment, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and an increasingly interconnected set of threats that have brought extremism from the margins to the political mainstream. This intersection of disinformation, conspiracy, hate, and polarisation has both exploited and laid the groundwork for an increase in anti-government and anti-establishment sentiment. It has exacerbated local tensions and undermined democratic values and institutions, increasingly manifesting in
violent attacks on both continents, from Bratislava to Buffalo and Oslo to Highland Park.

For cities across Europe and North America, this threat picture presents an unprecedented and pressing challenge for local leaders. On November 15 – 16, the Strong Cities Network (SCN), an independent global network of more than 160 cities, municipalities, and local governments, will convene mayors, city officials, and local practitioners from both sides of the Atlantic for an urgent transatlantic dialogue; one focused specifically on mayoral and city-led action against hate, extremism, and polarization.

Held at the Peace Palace in The Hague, the event will be hosted by the City of The Hague and Mayor Jan van Zanen, who will take up the role of Co-Chair of the SCN International Steering Committee in 2023. The U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands, The Honorable Shefali Razdan Duggal, will be delivering opening remarks. Organized in cooperation with the Human Security Collective and The Glocal Connection, the event has received
generous financial support from the U.S. Embassy in The Hague.

During the event, more than 25 cities from both sides of the Atlantic will endorse a Mayoral Declaration, reflecting the urgency of the challenges they face and the unique role they play in preventing and responding to them while protecting the rights of their citizens.
Cities such as Arnhem, Bodegraven-Reeuwijk, Bratislava, Budapest, Budavar, Chattanooga (TN), Columbus (OH), Delft, Denver (CO), Eindhoven, Essen, Fredrikstad, Gouda, Greater Manchester, Highland Park (IL), Leiden, London, Los Angeles (CA), Malmö, Montréal, Paris, Rotterdam, Stamford (CT), Strasbourg, Utrecht, Wroclaw and The Hague will endorse the Declaration, expressing their commitment to work together to tackle the rising threats of hate, extremism, and polarization, to build and strengthen social cohesion, safeguard local democracy, and report back next year on the steps they have taken to implement
these commitments.

Statement of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court on NGO roundtable on crimes against children

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Statement of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court on NGO roundtable on crimes against children

From 14-15 November 2022, my Office held a roundtable with national and international civil society organisations (CSOs) on crimes against and affecting children, at the seat of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. This is the first thematic roundtable in a broader initiative I launched in May 2022 to strengthen engagement with civil society.

This flagship event underlined that effective investigation and prosecution of crimes against and affecting children remains one of my key priorities. In my opening remarks, I underscored that “stronger capacity is necessary as children, like all other social groups, differ from each other in terms of age, gender, race, socio-economic status, and other conditions. Whilst all children suffer in war and will be harmed by virtually any violation of their rights, it is important to recognise the diversity of crimes committed and of children’s lived experiences, and the differential impact of armed violence based on their personal characteristics, including their gender and age.”

The event also provided an opportunity to discuss the Guidelines for Civil Society Organisations on documenting international crimes and human rights violations for accountability purposes, recently developed and launched by the ICC Prosecutor and  Eurojust, with contributions from civil society organisations, national prosecutors, and international partners.

The outcomes of this roundtable will be fed into the ongoing work of our Office to strengthen and further enhance our policies and practices with respect to the investigation of crimes against children. Central to the improvement of our work in this area will be the deepening of our engagement with the civil society actors that participated in this event and the broader civil society community.

This is a first step in meeting my commitment to hold two thematic workshops a year to strengthen our engagement with local and international civil society actors. I look forward to working with these partners in setting the topic for our second roundtable to be held in May 2023.

It was delightful to see a broad geographic representation of participants from local and international CSOs as well as experts from the ICC, the United Nations, and Situation countries. We were honoured to hear the key-note opening statement from Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Ms Virginia Gamba.

I am particularly grateful to my Special Advisor on Crimes Against and Affecting Children, Mrs Véronique Aubert, and Head of Advocacy of the Coalition for the International Criminal Court, Mrs Virginie Amato, who have kindly assisted in the organisation of this event and contributed to its deliberations.

The two-day roundtable event was made possible through the support of the European Commission as well as voluntary contributions from States Parties to the OTP’s Trust Fund for Advanced Technology and Specialised Capacity.

Samarqand in the Diplomatic Spotlight

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Samarqand in the Diplomatic Spotlight

By Nigora Yigitalieva

Thanks to an open, proactive and comprehensively thought-out pragmatic foreign policy and dynamic “economic diplomacy”, Uzbekistan is strengthening its position in the international arena every day. Having become the organizer and host of such an important event as the SCO summit in Samarkand 15-16 September 2022, this state proved that it was not an ordinary statist of the large-scale and deep transformations taking place in the modern world, but became one of the important subjects of international relations and plays an active, initiatively, and therefore a leading role in a vast region, occupying a worthy place in the world community.

The prominent international summit of the Organization of Turkic States in Samarkand on November 11, 2022 is another bright manifestation of this city as a “rising star” of international diplomacy. This summit is remarkable not only for “breakthrough decisions”, but also by the composition of its participants, the heads of 7 states of the world and a number of international structures, but also by its screaming slogan “Revival of the Turkic world”. Here it is appropriate to note that the words “Revival” and “Renaissance” become the hallmark of the New Uzbekistan.

“…Today, when the powerful potential of our people is being realized in full swing, in Uzbekistan is being laid a new awakening, the foundation of a new Renaissance epoch. Today’s Uzbekistan is not yesterday’s Uzbekistan. And our people are no longer the same as they were yesterday.” These thoughts were voiced by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev several years ago, and today they are becoming reality right before our eyes. At the same time, the frequent mention of the phrase “New Uzbekistan” on a global scale indicates the recognition that this country has indeed entered a completely new stage of development in recent years – a stage of huge transformations and achievements, taking strength from the great past and the energy of the present. Today’s renewed, ancient and eternally young Samarkand is one of the brightest examples of this revival.

“…Today, when the powerful potential of our people is being realized in full swing, in Uzbekistan is being laid a new awakening, the foundation of a new Renaissance epoch.” These thoughts were voiced by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev several years ago, and today they are becoming reality right before our eyes. At the same time, the frequent mention of the phrase “New Uzbekistan” on a global scale indicates the recognition that this country has indeed entered a completely new stage of development in recent years – a stage of huge transformations and achievements, taking strength from the great past and the energy of the present. Today’s renewed, ancient and eternally young Samarkand is one of the brightest examples of this revival.

At one time, the great Amir Temur attached special importance to Samarkand as the center of diplomatic negotiations at the highest level and created the appropriate infrastructure for this. He built majestic buildings and beautiful gardens around them with all amenities, including accommodation for foreign delegations. As history shows, the outstanding ruler managed to perpetuate the name of this city, turning it into an important political platform where decisions crucial for many countries are made.

At present, thanks to the efforts of the modern leadership of Uzbekistan, Samarkand is restoring its special role in international life, preserving and enhancing the country’s historical political and diplomatic heritage in a new, larger format. Clear evidence of this is the unprecedented large-scale SCO summit held in September in this city, as well as the current summit of the Turkic states. Dynamic Samarkand with a new look and growing infrastructure already claims to be the host of a number of other equally important international events and promises to be a center of international diplomacy on a grand scale.

Seminar Dutch Law and Embassies

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Seminar Dutch Law and Embassies

By Roy Lie Atjam

Russell Advocaten, a corporate full-service law firm in Amsterdam, and Diplomat Magazine organized their annual seminar-workshop for embassies and consulates. The law firm has decades of experience in dealing with legal queries of embassies. This time around the seminar was held in The Hague on 7 November 2022.

The diplomatic community turned out in their numbers. Some Ambassadors had chosen to attend the seminar themself.

Dutch Law for Diplomats by Russell Advocaten and Diplomat Magazine.

Topics discussed by the Embassy Desk specialists, Jan Dop, Head of the Embassy Desk, Priscilla  de Leede, specialist in Employment Law and Reinier W.L. Russell, Managing Partner at Russell Advocaten were:

  • Employee illness
  • Labour law and dismissal in the Netherlands
  • Personnel handbook/code of conduct
  • Employee participation/Works council

These topics are of significant importance to diplomatic mission. Utilizing practical illustrations and cases presented by the audience, the specialist lawyers of Russell Advocaten passed on valuable information.

The Ambassador of Iraq, H.E. Mr. Nazar Issa Abdulhadi Al-Khirullah, the Ambassador of Tunisia, H.E. Mr. Slim Ghariani, the Ambassador of Algeria, H.E. Ms. Salima Abdelhak and the Ambassador of Yemen, H.E. Ms. Sahar Ghanem.

Conclusion: Dutch labour law is applicable to Embassies in the Netherlands.

A. Employee illness

• Comply with obligations regarding sick employees → a.o. involving the Arbo/company doctor

• Financial sanctions in case of non-compliance

• In principle, no dismissal of a sick employee during the first 2 years of illness

Reinier W.L. Russell, Managing Partner Russell Advocaten, Josué Roberto Liévano Paz, Counsellor Embassy of El Salvador and H.E Mr Arnoldo Brenes Castro, Ambassador of Costa Rica.

B. Dismissal law

• Reasonable ground required for a dismissal. Please note: transition compensation + fair compensation

• In general, sending States cannot invoke immunity in civil proceedings before the Dutch court → only immunity

regarding the enforcement of judgements of the Dutch court (seizure)

Dutch Law for Diplomats by Russell Advocaten and Diplomat Magazine.

C. Personnel handbook / Code of conduct

• Collective rules with which employees must comply, for example regarding work clothes, rules on reporting sick etc.

• Proof for employers in dismissal proceedings

D. Employee participation / Works council

• Mandatory for large Embassies (and companies)

• Specific statutory rights.

Dutch Law for Diplomats by Russell Advocaten and Diplomat Magazine.

Those registered for the seminar will receive a link to the presentation. This seminar about the Dutch employment law, specifically the rules regarding dismissal and illness of local staff,  was by all means a great success. Participants listened attentively, hardly anyone left during the break.

Kashmir Black Day Commemoration 2022

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Kashmir Black Day Commemoration 2022

A seminar on the illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir

By Roy Lie Atjam

The Embassy of Pakistan in the Netherlands arranged a seminar to mark Kashmir Black Day – 27 October 2022.

The speakers included Mr. Ali Raza Syed, Chairman Kashmir Council – EU, Prof. Muhammad Aslam Syed from Bonn University, and a student representative in the Netherlands, Ms. Rameen also shared her views.

Professor Aslam Syed

Mr. Ali Raza Syed spoke about the current situation in IIOJK and blatant disregard of fundamental human rights of Kashmiris taking place in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK). He lamented the fact that the world has turned a blind eye to the situation.

Professor Aslam Syed, in his remarks, stated that the Kashmiri people had been facing Indian suppression for the last seven decades. He urged the audience to keep in view the universality of human rights and that these inalienable rights including right to self-determination are being denied to the Kashmiris in IIOJK.

Student representative, Ms. Rameen, stated that peace in South Asia is only possible with the peaceful resolution of the Jammu & Kashmir dispute. While talking about the atrocities against women and children in IIOJK, she emphasized that the full scale of these violations remain hidden because of media blackout since August 2019.

H.E. Ambassador Suljuk Mustansar Tarar reiterated that Pakistan has an abiding commitment to the Kashmiri cause and realization of their right to self-determination. Pakistan advocates the just resolution of the Jammu & Kashmir dispute in accordance with UNSC Resolution. He stated that Pakistan would continue to support the Kahmiris in their just struggle.

Special messages by the President, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister on Kashmir Black Day were also shared with the audience.

The seminar was attended among others by Kashmiri diaspora, NGO representatives, academics and Dutch participants.

At the end of the seminar the participants and guests were shown a micro-documentary on the plight of the Kashmiris in IIOJK.

Eurojust coordinates action against massive investment fraud with hundreds of thousands of victims worldwide 

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Eurojust coordinates action against massive investment fraud with hundreds of thousands of victims worldwide 

At the request of the Spanish, German and Finnish authorities, Eurojust and Europol have supported an action against a massive investment fraud involving the use of cryptocurrencies. The victims of this major online fraud are estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands. During operations on 8 and 9 November in Albania, Bulgaria, Georgia, North Macedonia and Ukraine, 15 call centres were searched and 5 suspects arrested

The suspects allegedly belong to an organised crime group (OCG) believed to be involved in an investment fraud using cryptocurrencies. The criminal network used dozens of call centres in several countries and hundreds of online platforms to commit the fraud.

The suspects presented themselves as brokers who would help the investors earn large amounts of money through small investments. In reality, the OCG deceived the victims by gaining their trust online as well as through professionally set-up call centres or other modes of so-called social engineering. This encouraged victims to invest via web platforms controlled by the criminal organisation, which resulted in them losing large sums of money.

The scale of the investigations in such cases is so far unprecedented. As revealed by the investigations, hundreds of thousands of investors all over the world have fallen victim to the fraud, dating back at least to 2016. The damage caused is estimated at EUR 50 million per quarter. Investigations into the cyber scam began in 2018, with seven countries having opened judicial cases against the OCG to date. 

Eurojust facilitated judicial cooperation in this case by setting up and funding a joint investigation team (JIT), set up at the request of the Swedish authorities and also involving Albania, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Latvia, Spain and Ukraine.  A total of 13 coordination meetings were organised to coordinate the national investigations and prepare for the action day. The Agency also facilitated the execution of International Arrest Warrants, European Investigation Orders and Letters of Request to third countries.

Europol provided analytical support to the investigations and organised seven operational meetings.

To support the action day on 8 and 9 November 2022, Eurojust set up a coordination centre to enable rapid cooperation between the involved judicial authorities.

As a result, 15 call centres were searched (6 in Albania, 5 in Georgia, 3 in Ukraine and 1 in North Macedonia), as well as 27 other locations and 5 vehicles. 5 suspects have been arrested, 4 in Albania and 1 in Georgia. Approximately 50 hearings (suspects and witnesses) have been conducted. Seizures include over 500 electronic devices (computers, laptops, USBs, hard disks), more than EUR 340 000 in cash, several mobile phones, several bank accounts, cryptocurrency wallets, properties, ID documents and bank cards, and hundreds of other documents.

Potential investors are advised to be extra vigilant when investing online and to check whether websites belong to legitimately operating enterprises.

The following authorities took part in this investigation (also indicated is the number of officials who participated in the action days):

  • Albania: Special Prosecution Office against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) and Albanian State Police; Around 220 prosecutors, investigators, police officers and employees of different agencies participated in the actions in Albania.
  • Bulgaria: Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office and the investigation’s department attached to it; General Directorate Combating Organized Crime at the Ministry of Interior; local police departments at the Sofia Directorate of Police at Ministry of Interior; 12 Bulgarian judicial and law enforcement officials participated in the actions in Bulgaria.
  • Finland: National Bureau of Investigation; Prosecution District of Southern Finland
  • Georgia: Office of the Prosecutor General of Georgia; Investigation Service of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia; Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia; State Security service; 250 Georgian law enforcement officers participated in the actions in Georgia.
  • Germany: Office of the Public Prosecutor General in Bamberg – Bavarian Central Office for the Prosecution of Cybercrime; Criminal Police Department with Central Tasks Upper Frankonia; Federal Criminal Police Office
    Prosecutor General’s Office Dresden, Public Prosecutor’s Office Leipzig,  State Office of Criminal Investigations Saxony, Police Department  Chemnitz, Police Department Leipzig

Around 60 German officials took part in the actions in Georgia.

  • Latvia: Rīga Judicial Region Prosecution Office; Cybercrime Enforcement Department of the Central Criminal Police Department of the State Police of Latvia; Asset Recovery Office of Latvia 
  • North-Macedonia: Basic Public Prosecution Office for Prosecuting Organized Crime and Corruption; Ministry of Interior (police); a prosecutor and 28 police officers from North Macedonia took part in the actions in North Macedonia.
  • Spain: Investigative Court no. 2 La Seu dÚrgell; Public Prosecution Office Lleida; Criminal Investigation Division of Mossos d’Esquadra; Guardia Civil; 33 Spanish officials took part during the actions in Albania.
  • Sweden: Swedish Prosecution Authority, National Unit against Organised Crime
    Swedish Police, Fraud Unit Stockholm
  • Ukraine: Prosecutor General’s Office; Main Investigative Department and Cyber Department of National Police of Ukraine; 85 Ukrainian officials (65 prosecutors and law enforcement officials and 20 police SWAT) participated in the actions in Ukraine.

IFTF2022, the Netherlands flora-hub, a gate for Rwandan flowers

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IFTF2022, the Netherlands flora-hub, a gate for Rwandan flowers

        

This year, Rwanda will be represented by five professionals from the floriculture sector at the 12th edition of the Netherlands’ International Floriculture Trade Fair (IFTF), which began today, November 9th, until November 11th, 2022, at the Expo Greater Amsterdam in Vijfhuizen, The Netherlands.

This year’s IFTF marks the sixth time Rwanda has attended and remains an excellent opportunity to showcase Rwanda’s growing floriculture sector and increase the visibility of the “Rwandafresh – Quality Horticulture Products” brand. The trade fair also provides an opportunity to increase the number of international buyers, as this forum is the world’s largest and most important trade exhibition for international flower growers and buyers from all over the world.

Rwanda flowers at IFTF 2022

Rwanda’s participation in the IFTF was made possible by the close collaboration between the Embassy of the Republic of Rwanda in the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB). The participants from Rwanda include representatives from Bella flowers, Oxfam and Duhamic-ADRI as well as two local farmers, Ms. Margueritte Mukamazimpaka and Mr. Augustin Gasana, who travelled to the Netherlands to showcase their work and learn the best practices from other professionals from around the world.

Special mention goes to the fruitful partnership with Oxfam and DUHAMIC ADRI, the implementers of a 4-year horticulture project (2020-2024) funded by the European Union and the Irish Aid, who made the participation of local farmers in this year’s trade fair possible.

H.E. Olivier Jean Patrick Nduhungirehe, Ambassador of the Republic of Rwanda to the Kingdom of the Netherlands said that:“Rwanda ‘s participation in this trade fair is a great opportunity to be at the center of where the demand meets the supply in the field of cut flowers. Our participation in the IFTF will play a crucial role in the growth of Rwanda’s floriculture industry as it offers an opportunity to buyers and investors to learn about opportunities in our growing sector and experience the quality of our beautiful flowers”.

Mr. Patrick Manzi Mbayiha, Chief Marketing Officer of Bella Flowers, on behalf of Rwandan flower exporters, said that “Although we sell more than 90% of our flowers to the Dutch market, we know that their final destinations are in countries that are currently embroiled in political and economic strife. But we came here to shape our business strategies while learning from our peers in other flower-producing countries, and we are hoping for the best in the flower trade going forward.”

According to Mrs. Mukamazimpaka and Mr. Gasana, the two local farmers from the Rulindo district who attended this year, the attendance to the IFTF was a welcome opportunity to explore and learn about techniques about production and packaging. They mentioned that they will go back home with an improved view how to best to do their work and share the knowledge they were able to acquire during the international exhibition.

At the IFTF, the ‘Rwandafresh’ stand (no. 6.11) is located in hall D, which will serve as a point of contact for new buyers of Rwandan roses and summer flowers.

In the last five years, revenues from export of Rwandan flowers increased from 1,243,427 USD to 6,854,822 USD.

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