The Hague, 11 April 2022 – The Registrar of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism), Abubacarr Marie Tambadou, concluded on Thursday, 7 April 2022 his four-day visit to Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).
As part of his visit, Mr. Tambadou attended a number of events in Sarajevo to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the start of the Siege of Sarajevo, including an exhibition on “The Siege of Sarajevo” at the City Hall, a flower-laying ceremony at the Suada and Olga Bridge in Sarajevo and an international conference at the Sarajevo City Hall entitled: “30 Years Later: Sarajevo”.
Registrar Tambadou also met with a number of BiH government officials, including Minister of Foreign Affairs and Vice-Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers of BiH, Ms. Bisera Turković and Minister of Justice, Mr. Josip Grubeša. He also met with the President of the Court of BiH, Judge Ranko Debevec. The topics discussed during those meetings included matters relating to cooperation between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Mechanism, as well as the provision of assistance by the Mechanism to the BiH judiciary, and the registration of judgments of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the Mechanism at the domestic level.
The official visit also provided Registrar Tambadou with the opportunity to meet with members of the international community, including the High Representative for BiH, Mr. Christian Schmidt and the UNDP Resident Representative in BiH, Ms. Steliana Nadera. On 7 April 2022, together with Mechanism Prosecutor Serge Brammertz, the two Principals held a diplomatic briefing for the diplomatic corps in BiH where they provided an update on the Mechanism’s current activities. Registrar Tambadou further met with the representatives of victims’ associations in BiH, including the Mothers of the Enclaves of Srebrenica and Žepa; Victims and Witnesses of Genocide and the Women Victims of War.
The Registrar concluded his visit to BiH with a visit to the Information Centre on the ICTY at Sarajevo City Hall. This was his first visit to the region of the former Yugoslavia in his current capacity since assuming office as Mechanism Registrar in July 2020.
The Hague, 11 April 2022– Chief Prosecutor of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism), Serge Brammertz, is visiting Republic of Croatia from 11 to 12 April 2022, as part of preparations for his regular biannual report to the UN Security Council (UNSC).
The Prosecutor will meet with Minister of Justice and Public Administration Ivan Malenica and Chief State Attorney of the Republic of Croatia Zlata Hrvoj-Šipek to discuss the status of war crimes processing in Croatia and current obstacles in the regional judicial cooperation in war crimes cases. The Prosecutor will also have meetings with members of the civil society and the international community.
It is expected that Prosecutor Brammertz will present his next report to the UNSC in June.
On 7 April 2022, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution suspending Russia’s participation in the UN Human Rights Council. The first operative paragraph of this resolution states that the General Assembly:
“1. Decides to suspend the rights of membership in the Human Rights Council of the Russian Federation”.
We refer to this official UN press release on this vote (as well as its French version), and reproduce the official text of the resolution adopted at the end of this same press release in English, French and Russian.
The United Nations Human Rights Council in (very) short
As is well known, the Human Rights Council is the highest human rights body within the current United Nations structure, made up of States elected by the United Nations General Assembly itself.
From the Latin American region, we had the opportunity to analyse the recent election of Argentina, Honduras and Paraguay on behalf of Latin America and the Caribbean, which took place in October 2021 (see our brief note published in Spanish); that of Bolivia, Cuba and Mexico in 2020 (see note); as well as that of Brazil and Venezuela in 2019 (see note), an election in which Costa Rica participated with a last minute candidacy that failed (Note 1). The eight aforementioned States elected in 2019 constitute the current representatives of Latin America in this intergovernmental body, which is composed of 47 Member States.
It should be recalled that the current Human Rights Council, created by resolution A/RES/60/251 of April 2006 (see text), replaced the Commission on Human Rights, which functioned from 1946 until March 2006 and was composed of 53 Member States.
The suspension of a State from membership at the Human Rights Council following a vote in the UN General Assembly has only one precedent: in 2011, Libya was subject to a very similar resolution suspending its membership (see text of resolution A/RES/65/265 of March 2011). This resolution on Libya has been adopted in 2011 without a vote by UN General Assembly.
In June 2018, United States opted to withdraw from the Human Rights Council voluntarily, as a sign of solidarity with its staunch Israeli ally: Israel’s highest authorities welcomed this unprecedented gesture by their unconditional American ally (see Times of Israel´sarticle of 20/06/2018) (Note 2).
The vote recorded on 7 April in brief
The draft of future resolution A/RES/ES-11/3 adopted on 7 April in New York was presented on 6 April by 57 states, including Colombia on the Latin American side, followed later by Costa Rica and Guatemala (Note 3): the voting record shows that the resolution has been adopted with 93 votes in favour, 24 against, 58 abstentions and 18 states whose delegates opted for the always peculiar option of “No Show” (see details of the vote in this UN link). The votes in favour included those of Hungary (one of the proposing State) and Serbia, States usually reluctant to expose Russia in this type of exercise at the universal level, as well as the votes of Israel and Turkey, States that are trying to offer their good offices in the crisis between Russia and Ukraine.
Among those who voted against the resolution suspending Russia from the Human Rights Council were Bolivia, Cuba and Nicaragua in the American hemisphere; as well as, in Africa, Algeria, Burundi, Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Mali and Zimbabwe.
Among the 58 abstentions were Barbados, Belize, Brazil, El Salvador, Guyana, Mexico, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Suriname. In African continent, Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Egypt, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania.
UN resolution suspending Russia from the Human Rights Council.
It should be noted that, for the third time since the adoption of resolutions on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine (see our brief note on the resolution adopted on 2 March and our note on the resolution adopted on 24 March), the delegate of Venezuela opted for the very particular “No Show” option (absence of its delegate at the time the vote was recorded).
With regard to some States that resulted from the collapse of the Soviet Union (USSR) in 1991 and that still maintain a privileged relationship with Russia, it is worth noting that Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan opted for the “No Show” option, while the others supported Russia by voting against the resolution (Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan).
A detailed look at Russia’s first reaction after the vote
Immediately after the vote, the Russian delegate stated in his official statement at UN General Assembly that:
“his delegation made the decision to suspend its membership on the Human Rights Council, on 7 April, before the end of its term”
Russia took the decision to withdraw from Human Rights Council the very same day that the vote to suspend it took place? When exactly ? This detail prompted this and many other very valid questions from several delegates (United Kingdom and France in particular) asking at what point Russia notified this decision and whether it actually did so or whether the interpreters used wrong words leading to questions about such a surprising announcement (see official UN press release, and in particular the section “Statements after adoption“).
A detailed look at Russia’s diplomatic strategy
Beyond the Russian delegation’s sense of improvisation after the vote that took place at UN General Assembly, the diplomatic pressures of Russia before the vote deserve to be mentioned. Indeed, in the face of a probable new diplomatic victory for Ukraine that would contribute to further isolate Russia vis-a-vis of the international community, unprecedented efforts of Russia were expected, and at the highest level, in order to try to put a stop to it days before 7 April. Within the UN structure, the fact that Russia is a Permanent Member of the UN Security Council and was the subject of a resolution to suspend its participation in a UN body such as the Human Rights Council must be seen as a real and rarely observed affront, from Russia´s perspective.
As part of its strategy, Russia sent official letters in the days leading up to the vote to a large number of states warning that they would be considered “Unfriendly States” to Russia if they voted in favour but also if they abstained or did not participate in the vote as such (“No Show“): a pressure to which several States succumbed, particularly in Central Asia (see press release coming from this region of the world). The content of these letters now raises questions about the abstention of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, India and Jordan, as well as the “No Show” vote in Venezuela, among many others, and the vote in favour of Hungary, Israel, Serbia and Turkey. The aforementioned letter sent by Russia, according to several media outlets that quote it (see for example this article published in India), expressly indicated the terms of Russia’s warning:
“It is worth mentioning that not only support for such an initiative but also an equidistant position in the vote (abstention or non-participation) will be considered as an unfriendly gesture“.
Beyond Russia’s diplomatic efforts to curb this type of initiative, it will be of great interest to observe whether, from now on, the 58 States that abstained and the 18 that were absent at the time of the vote will be included in the list of “Unfriendly States” to Russia: if some are, but not all, it will be of (even greater) interest to know exactly the criteria used by Russia.
It must be recalled that a first version of a list of “Unfriendly States” was released by Russian press agencies on 7 March 2022 (see for example this report by the TASS news agency). This list of States officially declared “hostile” by Russia coincides in part – but not in its entirety – with the list of States that requested days earlier the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to open an investigation (see list included in this ICC press release dated 2/03/2022): we leave it to our esteemed readers to check which States appear on both lists and which do not.
For some reason that must not be considered as a mere coincidence of timing, on 5 April, Russia made official a list of 52 “Friendly States” with which commercial flights would be resumed, after the restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and this as of 9 April: in this regard, we refer our readers to this note published in Israel with the list of States (in Russian), as well as this note published in Argentina, this press release published in India and this other note published in Thailand. Despite the perceptible enthusiasm that can be gleaned from reading several of the aforementioned notes, since the vote on 7 April, logically, there can no longer be 52 “friendly” States of Russia, but far fewer: since the restart of commercial air flights between Russia and these 52 States is scheduled for 9 April 2022, it will be from this date that we will see how flexible (or not so flexible) Russia is.
Concluding remarks
Despite intense lobbying by Russia’s diplomacy, this new vote at UN General Assembly once again isolates Russia.
If Russia is consistent with the letter sent by its diplomats to a large number of capitals around the world, it will be further isolated by maintaining friendly or normal relations with only 23 States that voted with it against this resolution. These are 23 of the 193 Member States of the United Nations and some very valid questions for the remaining States are now raised:
– Are the remaining 170 States now all to be placed in the category of “Unfriendly States” to Russia? Or not all of them?
– If not, on the basis of what kind of criteria would some be included and others discarded? It is very likely, as new abuses in former Russian-controlled areas come to light, and new attacks in Ukraine cause damage to civilians (such as the one on the Kramatorsk railway station reported on April 8th – see official UN communiqué), that other such resolutions will be adopted and that new efforts to suspend Russia from other UN bodies will take place.
These resolutions could be adopted in the coming weeks, particularly if Russia does not rectify its actions, which began on 24 February 2022 with a massive military aggression on Ukrainian territory, which continues to be officially referred to in Russia (both officially and in the Russian media) as a “special military operation“.
On 16 March, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the highest judicial body of the United Nations, ordered to Russia immediately cease its military agression on Ukrainian territory. We refer our esteemed readers to our brief note (in Spanish) entitled “Ukraine/Russia: the provisional measures ordered against Russia by the ICJ put into perspective .. / .. Ucrania / Rusia: las medidas provisionales ordenadas a Rusia por la Corte Internacional de Justicia (CIJ) puestas en perspectiva” available in different sites in Latin America, which concluded by stating that:
“It can be anticipated that this ruling read by the ICJ on 16 March 2022 also constitutes a first step in a long judicial battle to come, aimed at obtaining reparations and compensation from Russia for the serious damage caused to Ukraine: it was the same intention that Nicaragua had in 1984 before the ICJ, in the face of the destruction propitiated, financed and orchestrated by the United States on its territory through the so-called Nicaraguan “contra”.. / ..” Se puede adelantar que esta providencia leída por la CIJ este 16 de marzo del 2022 constituye también un primer peldaño en una larga batalla judicial por venir, tendiente a obtener reparaciones e indemnizaciones de parte de Rusia por los graves daños ocasionados a Ucrania: fue la misma intención la que tuvo Nicaragua en 1984 ante la CIJ, ante la destrucción propiciada, financiada y orquestada por Estados Unidos en su territorio a través de la denominada “contra” nicaragüense“
– Notes –
Note 1: On this unprecedented initiative of Costa Rican diplomacy, see our brief analysis (in Spanish), BOEGLIN N., “La reciente candidatura de Costa Rica al Consejo de Derechos Humanos de Naciones Unidas: breves apuntes“, RIDH (Geneva), edition of 16/10/2019, text available here.
Note 2: On this unusual action taken by United States in 2018, see our brief analysis (in Spanish), BOEGLIN N., “El retiro de Estados Unidos del Consejo de Derechos Humanos: breves apuntes“, RIDH (Geneva), edition of 26/06/2018, text available here.
Note 3: The draft resolution submitted 24 hours before the vote on 6 April (see text) was proposed by: Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Marshall Islands, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, United States of America, Japan, Latvia, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Malta, Micronesia (Federated States of), Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Palau, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America. In a second document (see text), four more States were added: Costa Rica, Guatemala, Myanmar, San Marino and Tonga.
About the author:
Dr. Nicolas Boeglin.
Nicolas Boeglin, is a Professor of Public International Law, Faculty of Law, University of Costa Rica (UCR)
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Text of the resolution adopted in English / French/ Russian
“Suspension of the rights of membership of the Russian Federation in the Human Rights Council
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolution 60/251 of 15 March 2006, in particular paragraph 8, which states that the General Assembly may suspend the rights of membership in the Human Rights Council of a member of the Council that commits gross and systematic violations of human rights,
Taking note of Human Rights Council resolution 49/1 of 4 March 2022, in particular the grave concern of the Council regarding reports of gross and systematic violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law committed by the Russian Federation during its aggression against Ukraine,
Recalling its resolutions ES-11/1 of 2 March 2022 and ES-11/2 of 24 March 2022,
Expressing grave concern at the ongoing human rights and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, in particular at the reports of violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law by the Russian Federation, including gross and systematic violations and abuses of human rights, recognizing the strong expressions of concern in statements by the Secretary-General and by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and noting the latest update on the human rights situation in Ukraine by the human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine, of 26 March 2022,
1. Decides to suspend the rights of membership in the Human Rights Council of the Russian Federation;
2. Also decides to review the matter, as appropriate;
3. Further decides to adjourn the eleventh emergency special session of the General Assembly temporarily and to authorize the President of the General Assembly to resume its meetings upon request from Member States”.
—–
Suspension du droit de la Fédération de Russie de siéger au Conseil des droits de l’homme
L’Assemblée générale,
Rappelant sa résolution 60/251 du 15 mars 2006, en particulier le paragraphe 8 qui l’autorise à suspendre le droit de siéger au Conseil des droits de l’homme d’un membre de celui-ci qui aurait commis des violations flagrantes et systématiques des droits de l’homme,
Prenant note de la résolution 49/1 du Conseil des droits de l’homme du 4 mars 2022, dans laquelle notamment le Conseil s’est dit gravement préoccupé par les informations concernant des violations flagrantes et systématiques des droits de l’homme et atteintes à ces droits et des violations du droit international humanitaire commises par la Fédération de Russie lors de son agression contre l’Ukraine,
Rappelant ses résolutions ES-11/1 du 2 mars 2022 et ES-11/2 du 24 mars 2022,
Gravement préoccupée par la crise des droits de l’homme et la crise humanitaire en cours en Ukraine, en particulier par les informations concernant des violations des droits de l’homme et atteintes à ces droits et des violations du droit international humanitaire par la Fédération de Russie, y compris des violations flagrantes et systématiques des droits de l’homme et des atteintes à ces droits, consciente des vives préoccupations exprimées par le Secrétaire général et la Haute-Commissaire des Nations Unies aux droits de l’homme, et prenant acte du dernier compte rendu sur la situation des droits de l’homme en Ukraine présenté le 26 mars 2022 par la mission de surveillance des droits de l’homme en Ukraine,
1. Décide de suspendre le droit de la Fédération de Russie de siéger au Conseil des droits de l’homme ;
2. Décide également de revenir sur la question selon qu’il conviendra ;
3. Décide en outre d’ajourner à titre provisoire sa onzième session extraordinaire d’urgence et d’autoriser son président à la rouvrir à la demande des États Membres.
—–
“Приостановление прав членства Российской Федерации в Совете по правам человека
Генеральная Ассамблея,
ссылаясь на свою резолюцию 60/251 от 15 марта 2006 года, в частности на пункт 8 ее постановляющей части, в котором установлено, что Генеральная Ассамблея может приостановить членство в Совете по правам человека какоголибо члена Совета, который совершает грубые и систематические нарушения прав человека,
принимая к сведению резолюцию 49/1 Совета по правам человека от 4 марта 2022 года, в частности серьезную обеспокоенность Совета сообщениями о грубых и систематических нарушениях и ущемлениях прав человека и нарушениях международного гуманитарного права, совершенных Российской Федерацией в ходе ее агрессии против Украины,
ссылаясь на свои резолюции ES-11/1 от 2 марта 2022 года и ES-11/2 от 24 марта 2022 года,
выражая серьезную обеспокоенность продолжающимся правозащитным и гуманитарным кризисом на Украине, особенно в связи с сообщениями о нарушениях и ущемлениях прав человека и нарушениях международного гуманитарного права со стороны Российской Федерации, включая грубые и систематические нарушения и ущемления прав человека, учитывая решительные выражения обеспокоенности в заявлениях Генерального секретаря и Верховного комиссара Организации Объединенных Наций по правам человека и отмечая последнюю обновленную информацию о ситуации с правами человека на Украине от 26 марта 2022 года, подготовленную миссией по наблюдению за правами человека на Украине,
1. постановляет приостановить права членства Российской Федерации в Совете по правам человека;
2. постановляет также вернуться к рассмотрению данного вопроса при наличии надлежащих условий;
3. постановляет далее временно прервать работу одиннадцатой чрезвычайной специальной сессии Генеральной Ассамблеи и уполномочить Председателя Генеральной Ассамблеи возобновить ее заседания по требованию государств-членов”
On March 10, 2022, a joint press briefing was held at the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations of the Republic of Uzbekistan to discuss working conditions in the cotton sector of Uzbekistan. The speakers of the event were: representatives of the “Cotton Campaign” International Coalition, Tanzila Narbayeva – Chairperson of the Oliy Majlis Senate of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Nozim Khusanov – Minister of Employment and Labour Relations as well as representatives of international brands and civil society.
Following the negotiations and consultations, which were held in a constructive climate of mutual respect and in the framework of the Cotton Campaign’s visit to Uzbekistan, the press briefing participants note the following:
Since 2011, 331 international brands and retailers, united by the “Cotton Campaign” international non-governmental organization (international coalition), have declared a boycott of cotton products from Uzbekistan for the reason of using child and forced labour during the harvest season of raw cotton.
Since 2017, the Government of Uzbekistan has been conducting a progressive dialogue with members of the Coalition in order to remove the so-called “cotton boycott”. Thus, following a series of meetings and negotiations in June 2019, the Coalition presented a “Roadmap for Reforms” to the Government of Uzbekistan. The document reflects a comprehensive vision of eradicating forced labour in the cotton industry and ensuring the effectiveness of ongoing reforms.
Under the leadership of President Sh. M. Mirziyoyev, Uzbekistan has taken historic steps in the fight against forced labour: the Government has criminalized the use of forced labour of adults and abolished quotas for cotton production, in accordance with the recommendations of the ILO and the World Bank the wages of pickers have been significantly raised and thereby the number of volunteers has dramatically increased.
In five years, the country has walked through massive forced labour to its elimination. For the first time in its practice of conducting independent monitoring of forced labor since 2009, the Uzbek Human Rights Forum, a leading partner of the Cotton Campaign coalition, confirms the absence of systematic forced labour in the 2021 cotton harvest season.
Given the progress made in protecting the workers’ rights and complete eradicating systematic forced labour, the International Coalition Cotton Campaign announces an end to the call for a global boycott of Uzbek cotton.
Coalition members note that this historic achievement is the result of many years of hard work by Uzbek civil society activists, international human rights activists and transnational brands, as well as the commitment of the Government of Uzbekistan to the eradication of forced labour.
Members of the coalition highly appreciate the role of Sh.M. Mirziyoyev – the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan in initiating and implementing the historic reforms necessary to end forced labour and reform the cotton sector in Uzbekistan.
At the same time, recognizing the need to take further steps to strengthen the civil society’s role and create an enabling environment for subsequent independent monitoring of compliance with labour rights, the Parties expressed their readiness to continue active cooperation in order to ensure transparency and traceability of the supply chain.
Curacao meets the international community in The Hague
By Roy Lie Atjam
Rijswijk(ZH) 1 April 2022. The Curacao Experience came and went, without any question, it has been a tremendous event. The Curacao Experience showcased the inner as well as the outer beauty of the island of Curacao. To many in the audience, this was their first encounter with Dushi Kòrsou/beautiful Curacao. Let me assure you there is much more to get.
Christel van de Reit, Manager of workspace & facility services at TUI and Mr Rick van der Pluijm, Head of TUI Dutch Caribbean & Suriname shared fascinating background information on TUI/Holland International, notably its close relationship with Curacao.
PM Pisas, Christel van de Reit and Rick van der Pluijm of TUI.
The evening was animated with live music by the vocalist Lou Prince and Divya Punjabi. In the audience was Miss Curacao-Nederland 2021 and her First runner. Several ambassadors and diplomats came to celebrate the inauguration of The Curacao Experience with Minister Carlson Manuel: Argentina, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Italy, Kosovo, Malta, Panama, Peru, Minister Plenipotentiary of St Martin, Mr. René Violenus and diplomats from Belarus and South Africa.
H.E. Mr. Giorgio Novello, Ambassador of Italy with H.E. Mr. Gilmar Pisas, Prime Minister of Curacao.
A slate of parliamentarians, politicians and members of the business community of Curacao flew in to lend their support to make Curacao Experience an unforgettable manifestation.
To mention some: Head of the delegation of the Curacao Parliament Amerigo Thode and the parliamentarians, Rennox Calmes, Gwendell Mercelina. Further, Euro parliament Samira Rafaela, Jorien Wuite Dutch MP(D66) Director Curacao Tourist Board Netherlands Muryad de Bruin, Curacao Airport Holding, Edson Engelhart.
H.E. Mr. Carlton Manuel, Minister Plenipotentiary of Curacao, PM Pisas and H.E. Mr. Mario Oyarzábal, Ambassador of Argentina.
Minister plenipotentiary Carlson Manuel subsequently cordially welcomes the dignitaries and others. The keynote address was by H.E. Gilmar Pisas, Prime Minister of Curacao who graced The Curacao Experience with his presence. Also present were cabinet members Charles Cooper Minister of Transportation, Minister of Economic Development Mr Ruisandro Cijntje.
Noteworthy is that Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas only a few days earlier attended the Expo Dubai 2020 where he presented Curacao to the world. Prime Minister met with Mohammed Al Habtoor, the vice-chairman, and CEO of the Al Habtoor Group LLC. Among the topics discussed were the many investment opportunities in Curaçao.
The Ambassador of Brazil, H.E. Mr. Paulo Caminha, the Ambassador of Nigeria, H.E. Dr. Eniola Olaitan Ajayi and PM Pisas.H.E. Ms. Elizabeth War Neiman, Ambassador of Panama, H.E. Mr. Mario Oyarzábal, Ambassador of Argentina, H.E. Ms. Marisol Agüero Colugna, Ambassador of Peru and the Ambassador of Egypt, Mr Hatem Elsayed Mohamed Kamaleldin.Singer Lou Prince
Here is an excerpt of Prime Minister Pisas discourse.
“As you look around you will notice beautiful pieces of art, each with a short description. We are here to admire artefacts from Curacao on exposition. These art objects have a special meaning to us. It is our aim that they will impress and entice you in planning a trip to experience our part of the world, especially if you have not yet visited our lovely island, Curacao.
Although we are here to open an exhibition, it will not be proper to let this moment pass without informing you about what our government stands for, what we are doing and what we aspire to achieve.
Our Government has been in office for almost ten months, via the office of the plenipotentiary minister in the Netherlands we work tirelessly to build bridges with the rest of the world.
We endeavour to inform as many ambassadors as possible about our island Curacao and what we stand for.
With Curaçao’s strategic location in the Southern Caribbean, we are focusing on further solidifying Curaçao’s role as a (logistical) hub within the region and strengthening regional cooperation. Curacao focuses on increasing existing business but also on that with prospective partners.
Minister Manuel, PM Pisas and Mr. Lesther Antonio Ortega Lemus, Minister Counsellor of Guatemala.
The Government of Curaçao has been working to mitigate the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic for the past ten months. While striving to mitigate the pandemic we were able to book some positive results based on our courageous Covid-19 free policy.
Our Tourism sector has bounced back gratefully to our satisfaction because of this policy. Other areas that are also blooming and will require large numbers of employees are the construction and catering industries.
The implementation of the needed fiscal reforms has created a positive impact on our public finances, reforms are still necessary.
I can assure you that we are committed and determined to continue working on the stability of our economy. We are not there yet! But, while doing so we need to be able to continue to collaborate with you because we consider you a potential international partner. Our future aim is to transform Curacao into a radiant pearl of the Caribbean.
We are eager to share more information with you, for now, please let us enjoy this pleasant time, and use the opportunity to network, mix, mingle and cherish the unique exhibition.
Minister Manuel, the Ambassador of the Republic of Kosovo, H.E. Dr Dren Doli and PM Pisas.
I now like to thank the Plenipotentiary Minister of Curaçao Mr Carlson Manuel, and his team for organizing this event and our guests for accepting our invitation to this special occasion” The Curacao Experience””.
The Curacao Experience was henceforth declared open.
The Plenipotentiary Minister of Curaçao Mr Carlson Manuel, envisage taking his island to the summit. Arranging regular activities is one avenue to attain that objective.
It has been a tremendous event, Bon Bini, welcome to Curacao!
Thursday, 7th April 2022, Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic: In May 2021, in connection with the identification of numerous violations of environmental and mining standards that were allowed for many years at the «Kumtor» gold mine by Canadian Centerra Gold Inc., the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic decided to introduce external management at the gold mine.
Centerra Gold Inc., being the largest foreign investor in the Kyrgyz Republic, for many years did not comply with the requirements of the environmental legislation of the Kyrgyz Republic, which led to enormous damage to the ecology of Kyrgyzstan.
As a result of numerous negotiations, on April 4, 2022 between the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic and Centerra Gold Inc. was signed an Agreement resolving all disagreements between the parties.
According to the terms of the Agreement, the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic received the right of full management and ownership of the Kumtor mine. The agreement also provides for the complete and final withdrawal of mutual claims by the parties, the termination of all litigation involving the parties in all jurisdictions.
The Kyrgyz Republic has always advocated the creation of a favorable business climate for bona fide foreign investors and intends to continue to adhere to these principles.
Statement of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic H.E. Mr. Sadyr Zhaparovon the signing of a settlement agreement betweenthe Kyrgyz Republic andthe Canadian company Centerra Gold Inc.
The President of the Kyrgyz Republic H.E. Mr. Sadyr Zhaparov today, April 4, announced the signing of an agreement between the Cabinet of Ministers and the Centerra Gold Inc., containing peaceful resolution and settlement of disagreements over the long disputed Kumtor Gold Company (KGC).
According to the signed Agreement, the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic received the right of full management and ownership of the Kumtor mine.
In a live streaming address to the nation, the President named the agreement as “historic breakthrough” and noted that the conditions concluded are the best possible at the moment. He further announced the openness of Kyrgyzstan to foreign investment.
The agreement provides for a clear division and resolution of all disputes between the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic, Centerra and Kyrgyzaltyn OJSC, which is the main shareholder of Centerra.
The Agreement reached contains, among other things, the following points:
• The Kyrgyz Republic and Kyrgyzaltyn OJSC will take full responsibility for the Kumtor Mine and retain the income generated from the mine after May 15, 2021;
• Centerra will make a payment of US$50 million to conserve and protect the natural resources of the Kyrgyz Republic;
• Centerra will make an additional cash payment of US$11.1 million to Kyrgyzaltyn;
• In addition, the Kyrgyz Republic will be given back control of a US$53 million reclamation fund;
• Kyrgyzaltyn and Centerra will exchange shares, with Kyrgyzaltyn returning its shares in Centerra and receiving 100% of KGC’s shares.
• The agreement also provides for the complete and final withdrawal of mutual claims by the parties, the termination of all litigation involving the parties in all jurisdictions without recognition of liability.
The agreement was preliminarily approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic. The Cabinet of Ministers, Centerra and Kyrgyzaltyn OJSC expect that the agreement will be closed no later than 90 days after its signing.
The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in The Hague, is arranging the webinar “Pak-Netherlands Tech Exchange” on April 7, 2022. The webinar aims to present opportunities in IT / ITeS sector and Special Technology Zones of Pakistan.
The interactive session is for benefit of Dutch companies desirious of sourcing IT services, looking for joint ventures or to explore investment opportunities in Pakistan.
The host and main speaker will be the Ambassador of Pakistan, H.E. Mr. Suljuk Mustansar Tarar. Also on the panel, Mr. Zeeshan Khattak, Commercial Officer PSEB and Mr. Hamza Saeed, Director P & S Stza.
Diplomat Magazine paid a courtesy visit to Mayor Jan van Zanen of The Hague, the city’s involvement and support to the diplomatic community in The Hague were among the various subjects discussed.
Mayor Jozias Van Aartsen inaugurated Diplomat Magazine in 2013, the magazine and the city have been cooperating closely. Diplomat Magazine has supported the city in its exposure to the diplomatic community
Mayor Jan van Zanen has featured in several issues of Diplomatic magazine, he is presented with the latest issue of Diploma Magazine.
Diplomat Magazine’s Publisher, Mayor van Zanen and Diplomat Magazine’s Editor, Roy Lie Atjam.
What happens when a historian starts travelling the world with her diplomat husband?
It’s simple, she tries to find ways to use her knowledge by helping others and by preserving beautiful local traditions from the places around the world where life takes her.
Belgian Carine Ouvry- Bormans studied history and wanted to become a teacher, but then she married a diplomat, moved abroad and soon became an expert by experience in moving from one country to the other.
‘I lived as an expat partner in Kuwait, Vienna, Paris, Geneva, Nairobi, Kinshasa and now in Bamako, the capital of Mali. It is difficult to say which one is closest to my heart. However, I noticed that the countries where I was most active and involved into the local life were the ones closest to my heart. But honestly, I’ve found it most difficult to leave Paris and Nairobi.’
She tells me that between diplomatic postings, she worked as a specialised trainer for expats and their partners, in the Human Resources department of the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Of course, when you live a nomadic life for so long, you have the knowledge and wisdom that can be shared with others, who are still at the beginning. This naturally also led to a great project, which she undertook with her friend, Marie Geukens. Together they wrote and published “Expat Partner. Staying Active and Finding Work”, a book showing ways to stay professionally active while abroad (also available in Dutch).
Yaya Coulibaly, Director of “La companie Sogolon” and Carine Ouvry- Bormans.
But teaching remained her greatest passion. ‘In every country where I lived, I got involved in one or more local projects as I noticed that this is very important also for my adaptation process. It is not always easy though… The first year of posting in Bamako for example, I had to stay behind in Belgium, because of Covid. I moved to Bamako after one year but I did not see many opportunities at first. One day I visited “La companie Sogolon”, a local theater, and met its director, Yaya Coulibaly. He was looking for support for making the archives of their ‘Marionnettes de Mali’. As a historian, archives are very familiar to me and I knew immediately that this was my challenge!’ she says, enthusiastically.
Because of her excellent relations with the Africa Museum in Tervuren, Belgium, she received great guidance on this project and also managed to get in touch with two other museums, La maison de la marionette in Tournai, and Het huis van Alijn in her home town Ghent, to find out how to start archiving a collection of 24.000 beautiful but sometimes very ancient puppets in a dusty, chaotic environment.
Marionettes de Mali – Carine Ouvry- Bormans
It was imperative to preserve them also for future generations. As the size of this project was enormous, she looked for and found other volunteers in the expat community. They are all equally motivated and, twice a week, help her with tagging, measurements, photos and registration of all the puppets, while interviewing and recording the director‘s explanations, as he is ‘ a living library of Malian and African culture’. Yaya has travelled the world with his puppets. It is a very old tradition in Mali and he loves his enormous collection.
She proudly tells me that they are currently at puppet number 607!
Carine tells me that this project in Mali helped her lot to adapt to her new country of residence. Interacting with people from so many different backgrounds has made her a much richer person and while the security situation there doesn’t allow her to travel outside of Bamako, just by listening of Yaya Coulibaly’s testimonies, she succeeded to find out more about the very rich history and culture of the country. ‘This way, culture comes to me’, she says. ‘By working with Yaya Coulibaly I became much more aware of the way society is a key factor in the roles we play. He has four different categories of puppets and one of them is made of puppets that represent specific roles into the Mandé society (a mother, a godmother, a king, a queen, a mayor, a soldier, a wise man, a storyteller, a fisherman, a farmer and so on).
Marionettes de Mali. Carine Ouvry- Bormans
She also tells me that she is grateful for the diplomatic community, always supportive. ‘It feels sometimes like a family, as you don’t choose each other. It is there for you and you are part of it. You help each other when needed, you share a time in your life together and then you move on to the next destination’.
That is maybe why this experienced and wise woman told me her life motto is to ‘be open to all new experiences and learn how to see things from a different angle – there is never one single viewpoint, so be curious and engage with people!’
