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Supported by the Embassy of Hungary and the Hungarian Federation.
Saturday, April 9, 2022
7:00 PM
Kamperfoelieplein 29, The Hague
By Roy Lie Atajm
In the run-up to the upcoming Bangladesh Food Festival at Leonardo Royal Hotel The Hague, the Embassy of Bangladesh hosted a Bangladesh Pre-Food Festival Degustation session at the chancellery. The session had as objective to propose Chef Sheikh Emdadul Haque‘s menu to the Chef and staff of Leonardo Hotel and Diplomat Magazine, in which guests have time to breathe between courses, pay attention to portions and flexibility.
The degustation menu: starter, mung dahl soup, green mango salad, stuffed potato balls, cabbage pakora, paratha.
The main course, mutton biryani, sauteed baby spinach, tilapia fish patty, chicken korma, pan-fried aubergine, tomato chutney, chomchom, Sandesh.
Bangladeshi sweets made of chana/cottage cheese and assorted fruits. The presentation of the dishes was fabulous, big applause for the chef of the embassy and his team.
The Embassy of Bangladesh is throwing its weight behind the upcoming food festival in July. Ambassador H.E. Mr Riaz Hamidullah, his spouse Sazia Ahmed and Diplomats are all fully involved in the culinary experience.
We are all looking forward to an outstanding “Bangladesh Flavors” at Leonardo Royal Hotel The Hague on 1&2 July 2022.
By Imane Rachidi – Krakovets/Korczowa (Ukraine/Poland)
War is pain. A suffering that is drawn in the faces of the 4,5 million people who flee Ukraine since the end of February. They reach the border with a tired look. The elderly, some who can barely walk or speak any other language, are hopeless and scared. Children hardly understand what is going on. And young women carry them all: children, pets, luggage, and the load of the whole family’s pain. They are heading to European countries seeking safety, housing, and refugee, while carefully watching the developments in their homeland. Some are expecting to be able to get back to their lives and homes sooner than later, and that is the reason why they choose to stay close to the border. Others have less expectations, and they rather travel across Europe looking for friends or families to stay with for a longer period.
Irina is a 65 years old Ukrainian refugee, and she used to teach teenagers history in a secondary school near Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station, located in the Southeast of Ukraine and on the Dnieper River shore. “My son stayed back there. He is my only child, and I am afraid of losing him. He didn’t want to leave the country, by any means. Our house is destroyed, nothing is left from it. I can’t believe that at my age I must look for a new job, to make a living for myself. I am totally alone here in Poland”, Irina told us, while crossing the border separating Ukraine from Poland, where everyone waits for the refugees with open arms. She saw terrible things on her way, and now she only carried with her a small bag with some basic clothes, her savings, and memories to never forget home and friends.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that there are more than 2,6 million Ukrainian refugees in Poland, almost 700.000 in Romania, around 424.000 in Hungary, 411.000 in Moldova, 317.781 in Slovakia, and 20.739 in Belarus. The Regional Refugee Response Plan brought together UN, NGO, and other relevant partners to be able to focus on supporting host country governments to ensure safe access to territory for refugees and third-country nationals fleeing from Ukraine. Within Ukrainian territory, there are more than 10 million people displaced internally, for instance to Lviv, the nearest city to the Polish border.
Olga, a 36-year-old mother, traveled all the way from Kiev with her two daughters and a little grey cat. The four of them wait inside a room in Przemyśl train station surrounded by folding beds, blankets and pillows, secondhand clothes, personal hygiene products and food. Neighbors in this Polish city have brought to the station everything that can be of help to the Ukrainian refugees, including baby trolley and hundreds of toys for the children. The European Union has opened its gates wide and Ukrainians automatically receive a special, temporary residence status of at least one year. As a result, refugees in EU countries are entitled to housing, benefits or work, education, and basic care.
Nina Carbaij is 18 years old, she was born in Przemyśl, and she spends her free time helping the Ukrainian refugees who arrive daily to Poland since 24th of February. “We try to give as much information as we can to help the people arriving here, for example where they can find the trains, a place to sleep, some food, or where to exchange money. Anything they might need. Some of them just need comfort, they are just scared from what is happening”, Nina said. She thinks psychologists are really needed to help them cope with the trauma because volunteers do their most human best, but they are not experts. Although some psychologists, who are also volunteering in train and bus stations, underline that it is too early to work on trauma, and that such severe exposure to traumatic events make now the refugees try to keep their minds away from those memories to first feel safe.
Organizations are worried about the children and their education, far away from their classmates and neighborhood friends in Ukraine. Although they fled to a foreign country and they have already found a safe place to stay, the mothers’ mind is still back home. Men: husbands, fathers, and brothers, have stayed behind, and that makes women keep worrying about them, sometimes not giving priority to the need of the children to go to school. It is not clear how long they will have to stay in their refugee country, but experts believe children should start learning the local language, making new friends, and receiving proper education in schools. The target is making the whole family feel home, until it is possible for them to go back to their homeland.
About the Author:
Imane Rachidi is a Journalist and researcher.
By Mr. Akramjon Nematov, First Deputy Director of the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan
On March 3-4, 2022, Tashkent hosted a high-level international conference on the topic: “Regional cooperation of Central Asian countries within the framework of the Joint Action Plan for the Implementation of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy”.
The conference, organized by the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan in partnership with the UN Counter-Terrorism Office and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, has become a landmark event on a global scale.
It made a significant contribution to consolidating the efforts of the world community in the fight against terrorism, demonstrated the importance of multilateral cooperation with common challenges and threats to international peace and security, brought the interaction of the countries of the region in the implementation of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (GCTS) in Central Asia to a qualitatively new level.
The scale and high level of the event, which was held in a hybrid format, was confirmed by a solid composition of participants – more than 500 guests, including foreign ministers of the Central Asian states, high-ranking officials of the UN, OSCE, UNRCCA, EU, SCO, CIS, Interpol, representatives of civil society and leading analytical centers of the countries of Central and South Asia, as well as heads of foreign diplomatic missions in Uzbekistan.
The inclusion in the agenda of all 4 pillars of the UN GCTS – elimination of conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism, prevention and combating it, expanding the role of the UN and building states’ capacity in this area, ensuring human rights and the rule of law in the context of the fight against terrorism – determined the complex and the comprehensive nature of the conference programme.
The Tashkent Forum has become a practical implementation of the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, put forward at the 75th session of the UN General Assembly in September 2020. The head of state from the high rostrum of the UN proposed to sum up the results of the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the Joint Plan of Action (JPoA) on the implementation of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (GCTS) in Central Asia, as well as to outline prospects for further cooperation in the fight against terrorism.
Two important dates celebrated in 2021 made the event relevant – the 15th anniversary of the GCTS and the 10th anniversary of the JPoA. In 2006, the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, the only universal international document aimed at improving national policy, regional and international cooperation in countering terrorism.
In turn, in 2011 in Ashgabat, the Central Asian countries approved the Joint Action Plan for the implementation of the UN GCTS in Central Asia, which became the first framework program in international practice developed based on a regional approach for the implementation of the UN GCTS. Then Central Asia became the first region to start an integrated and comprehensive implementation of the UN GCTS.
Over the years of implementation of the UN counter-terrorism strategy in Central Asia, region’s countries have achieved significant results. In particular, all states have created and continue to improve national systems of countering terrorism, including the development of a regulatory framework that covers all aspects of the fight against terrorism in accordance with the main pillars of the UN GCTS, as well as institutional mechanisms that ensure the prevention and fight against terrorism, development of international cooperation in this area.
An important step was the introduction and implementation in the region of the practice of strategic planning of state activity in the sphere of counter-terrorism, based on ensuring effective interaction and coordination of the activities of state bodies, institutions of civil society and the private sector in the pillars of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.
The Tashkent Conference is a logical continuation of the systematic efforts of the countries of the region to further develop coordinated cooperation in countering extremism and terrorism in Central Asia.
The key point of the conference was the address of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, which attracted the keen interest of the expert community. The Uzbek leader outlined Uzbekistan’s approaches in the fight against terrorism, put forward a number of relevant program proposals.
The Head of State emphasized that the distinctive feature of State’s policy in this area is the implementation of a comprehensive, coherent and inclusive approach, combining law enforcement and preventive measures.
Active participation of civil society institutions in the implementation of the main directions of the UN GCTS, along with state bodies, significantly increase the effectiveness of counter-terrorism measures in the country.
At the same time, as Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted, the main priorities in this work are the creation of an atmosphere of mutual understanding and the development of dialogue in society, the prevention of conflicts, spiritual and moral education. The main emphasis is placed on the elimination of conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism. The head of state stressed that the fundamental basis for the fight against terrorism in Uzbekistan is the provision of human rights and freedoms, the rule of law.
In this context, it should be emphasized that countering extremism and terrorism is one of the priorities in ensuring the national security of the country. Uzbekistan consistently and unconditionally condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and advocates the adoption of collective efforts to combat terrorism. A national system for countering terrorism has been created in the republic, which includes an extensive regulatory and institutional framework for an effective counter-terrorism policy.
In July 2021, Uzbekistan adopted the National Strategy to counter extremism and terrorism for 2021-2026, aimed at pursuing an effective and coordinated state policy to counter extremism and terrorism, thereby ensuring national security, the rights and freedoms of citizens.
The high positions occupied by Uzbekistan in various world rankings are a clear indication of the correctness and effectiveness of government’s measures. According to Gallup’s “The Law and Order Index”, Uzbekistan was among the top ten countries in terms of safety with 92 points out of 100. Meanwhile, according to the Global Index of Terrorism, our country is among the safest nations in the world.
Pursuing a measured peace-loving pragmatic and a consistent foreign policy, Uzbekistan actively cooperates on an equal and mutually beneficial basis with the international community in this direction. The Republic has signed 14 main universal international legal documents in the field of combating terrorism.
Nowadays our country is a member of a number of regional anti-terrorist structures, such as the CIS ATC, SCO RATS and others. For example, the establishment of the SCO RATS with its headquarters in Tashkent became a recognition of Uzbekistan’s leading role in the fight against terrorism. Within the framework of the CIS, the “Program of cooperation of the CIS member-states in combating terrorism and other violent manifestations of extremism for 2020-2022” was adopted.
In countering terrorism, Uzbekistan pays special attention to partnership with the OSCE, which is supported by two-year joint cooperation programs in the military-political dimension. For example, within the framework of cooperation for 2021-2022, the key objectives are countering terrorism, ensuring cybersecurity and promoting to the fight against terrorist financing.
Given the transformation of international terrorism, Uzbekistan is also actively initiating various effective cooperation mechanisms dedicated to developing global counter-terrorism potential. A convincing example is this conference, during which the President of Uzbekistan put forward several proposals to continue the successful fight against terrorist threats, not only at the regional level but also at the global level.
In particular, in order to strengthen the mechanisms for constant monitoring and critical assessment of the implementation of the JPoA, coordination of interaction between the Central Asian countries, Uzbekistan advocated the opening of the UN Counter-Terrorism Office in our region. The office can act as a coordinator of the activities of other international and regional organizations operating in this area in the region. In particular, only in the UN system 18 institutions deal with certain issues of countering terrorism in Central Asia.
Observations of recent years have recorded the fact that the Internet has become a tool for spreading radical ideology. Extremists use the virtual space to recruit new members, raise funds, plan and carry out terrorist activities. Therefore, it is vital to unite the efforts of states in countering terrorism on the Internet.
For these purposes, Shavkat Mirziyoyev initiated the creation of the Central Asian unified electronic network on cyberterrorism within the Program on Cybersecurity and New Technologies, adopted in 2020. It will contribute to the exchange of experience, data, research and best practices.
The Uzbek leader did not bypass the issues of rehabilitation and reintegration of persons returned from war zones. As we know, the countries of Central Asia were among the first to return their citizens from the war zones in the Middle East. In total, the states of the region repatriated more than 1.5 thousand people. In this regard, the issue of expanding cooperation between specialists from the countries of the region in solving emerging problems is of particular importance in the citizens’ rehabilitation and reintegration process.
In order to improve programs in this area, as well as to develop proposals for combating terrorist propaganda in the Central Asian countries, Shavkat Mirziyoyev proposed to create a regional Expert Council under the auspices of the UNOCT.
The Council will become an important platform for the exchange of information and experience, the development of joint approaches and methods on the de-radicalization of repatriates, as well as effective measures to combat the propaganda of terrorism.
Today, in many parts of the world, we observe an increase in inter-confessional and inter-ethnic contradictions and hatred. This leads to a rift in society and sometimes to clashes and conflicts on the national and religious grounds. Taking it into the account, the President of Uzbekistan paid special attention to promoting the ideas and principles of tolerance, interreligious and intercultural dialogue with the participation of all sectors of society, initiating a high-level conference “Enlightenment and Religious Tolerance” in Uzbekistan in 2023.
As we know, on December 12, 2018, the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted a special resolution “Education and Religious Tolerance”, initiated by Uzbekistan. The conference will become a practical embodiment of the resolution’s implementation, will allow representatives of government agencies, international organizations and civil society to identify promising areas for cooperation in solving topical problems. The platform will provide an opportunity to develop common approaches and effective measures to prevent radicalization processes in society, ensure prosperity and stability.
Of course, the most important condition for successful countering extremism and terrorism is an effective youth policy. Its relevance in the fight against terrorism is due to the replenishment of the ranks of radical organizations mainly at the expense of representatives of the younger generation, who are most susceptible to ideological influence.
With this in mind, the President of Uzbekistan proposed to convene in 2023 in Samarkand Youth Council of the Central and South Asia. It is intended to be an effective platform for the exchange of experience in creating favorable conditions for the self-realization of the younger generation and for developing its permanent immunity to the ideas of extremism and terrorism.
Speeches of the heads of international and regional organizations also attracted the special attention of the conference participants. In particular, UN Secretary General António Guterres stressed that the Tashkent conference demonstrates the political will of the Central Asian states to work together to prevent and combat the threat of terrorism. He highly appreciated the efforts of the countries of the region that adopted the JPoA on the implementation of the Global Strategy in Central Asia and gradually implemented it in close cooperation with the UN. According to him, the document was a vital tool for providing technical assistance in four pillars of the GCTS.
Speaking at the conference, UN Under-Secretary-General Vladimir Voronkov said that the regional countries have assumed “great responsibility in preventing the spread of terrorist threats to neighboring countries”. According to Vladimir Voronkov, the Joint Action Plan is a mechanism through which it is possible to strengthen the complex multilateral cooperation in the region, which is necessary in such circumstances.
Addressing the participants of the event, the Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Ghada Wali, highly appreciated Central Asian countries’ commitment to strengthen regional stability through response to challenges related to drugs, crime and terrorism.
She emphasized that joint efforts in the fight against terrorism are vital, as terrorism is a complex issue requiring comprehensive responses that focus primarily on engaging communities and youth, building social cohesion, and preventing radicalization leading to violent extremism.
An important outcome of the conference was the adoption by the heads of the foreign ministries of the region of an updated Joint Action Plan, developed on the basis of multilateral consultations and consensus. It defines strategic directions, as well as specific tasks, the fulfillment of which will make it possible to effectively counter the threats of international terrorism in the Central Asian space.
Regional countries have recognized the JPoA as a comprehensive, coherent and operational framework for joint efforts to counter terrorism and violent extremism. Based on the JPoA implementation experience, the updated document took into account new threats and challenges, such as preventing the use of ICT for terrorist purposes, repatriation and reintegration of citizens returned from combat zones, etc.
In turn, the Tashkent Declaration adopted during the forum by the heads of the foreign ministries of the Central Asian countries confirmed the commitment of the regional states to cooperation within the framework of the new JPoA, the common desire to continue strengthening the regional dialogue, to take collective and individual measures to prevent and counter terrorism in Central Asia.
According to commentators, the Tashkent Declaration has become an integral part of the systemic and consistent measures of the Central Asian states to further develop cooperation in the field of combating terrorism, adopted following the high-level conferences in Ashgabat – the Ashgabat Final Declaration and JPoA on the implementation of the UN GCTS (2011) and Ashgabat Declaration on Countering Terrorism (2017), in Samarkand – the Samarkand Declaration on Increasing the Role of Youth in Countering Violent Extremism and Radicalization Leading to Terrorism (2018) and Dushanbe – the Dushanbe Declaration following the results of the international conference “International and regional cooperation against terrorism and its sources of financing, including drug trafficking and organized crime” (2019).
An indicative outcome of the event was the unanimous opinion of the expert community, which recognized that the high-level international conference in Tashkent testified to the unity and cohesion of the Central Asian countries in countering common challenges and threats to security, the resolute disposition of the regional states to closely cooperate in the fight against all forms and manifestations of terrorism on the basis of a common strategic approach in order to ensure common and indivisible security.
The Tashkent platform provided an opportunity to agree on common principles and approaches to combating terrorism, taking into account the changing international socio-political and socio-economic environment. In the future, this will make it possible to coordinate efforts to combat new challenges and threats, as well as maintain high dynamics of interaction on key issues in the fight against terrorism and strengthen regional cooperation.
Finally, the Tashkent conference contributed in increasing the confidence of the international community to the Central Asian states as responsible actors of international relations, ready to bear joint responsibility for the sustainable development of the Central Asian region. It is an important condition for the further development of comprehensive cooperation between the Central Asian countries and international structures, which are key links in the fight against extremism and terrorism.
In general, the Tashkent Conference has become an important stage in uniting world community’s efforts in countering terrorism as one of the most serious threats to peace and security, raising the interaction of Central Asian countries with international and regional organizations in combating terrorism to a qualitatively new level.
It is a kind of indicator of the high level of constructive interaction between Uzbekistan and the international community represented by the United Nations. At the same time, the personal participation of high-ranking representatives of international and regional organizations, foreign states and leading experts in the capital of Uzbekistan turned the event into an important dialogue platform at the global level.
The success of the conference testifies on the absolute support of the international community for large-scale reforms carried out by the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev in various spheres of state and society, as well as the foreign policy of Tashkent, aimed primarily at turning Central Asia into a space of good neighborliness, stability, mutually beneficial cooperation, prosperity and sustainable development.
The 1st Tashkent International Investment Forum (TIIF) has completed its work in the capital of Uzbekistan.
The event has become a large-scale business event that brought together more than 2 thousand participants – major investors and high-ranking guests from 56 countries of the world.
The atmosphere of the Forum, as well as its rich business program, favored a confidential dialogue, a constructive exchange of views and the establishment of new contacts and partnerships.
Through the Forum, the government of the country outlined for the international business community a vector for consistent work to create the most comfortable and attractive conditions for investors and to comprehensively deepen mutually beneficial partnerships with foreign partners and international organizations.
Within the framework of the panel sessions and events of the Forum, the investment and economic opportunities of various industries and regions of the country were revealed, the results achieved in the socio-economic reform of Uzbekistan, as well as priority areas for its further development, prospects for the development of regional and global trade relations, mechanisms for attracting investments, liberalization of trade and increasing the competitiveness of the national economy, further steps to industrialize the country and orient the industry towards the production of goods with high added value, measures to transform the domestic energy sector and switch to alternative energy sources, issues of strengthening the transport interconnectedness of the countries of the region and increasing their transit potential.
Representatives of government, business and expert groups discussed mechanisms for restoring and stimulating the accelerated development of economic activity in the post-COVID period, reducing poverty, regulating monetary policy, supporting business, developing the banking sector and the financial market.
The 5th meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission in the field of trade, economy, science and technology, culture, sports and youth between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Uzbek-Chinese investment forum “Industrial cooperation. New Opportunities” was held on the sites of the Forum, as well as the Uzbekistan Country Platform, which was attended by the heads of international financial institutions, foreign government financial institutions and development partners. Also, the Forum participants actively exchanged views and discussed the prospects for cooperation during bilateral meetings and negotiations.
It is also worth noting the practical significance of the event – as a result of the Forum, a package of determined contracts and investment agreements worth $7.8 billion was signed. Preliminary agreements were also reached on the implementation of projects worth $3.5 billion.
TIIF, having declared itself as a large-scale communication platform for strengthening and developing interregional and international relations, has simultaneously become a powerful catalyst for intercountry and interregional investment and foreign economic cooperation. The Forum is expected to become a permanent platform for attracting foreign investment and modern technologies to the economy of both Uzbekistan and the entire Central Asian region, as well as identifying areas of mutual interest to establish direct links between entrepreneurs in the region and foreign business groups.
By H.E. Mr. Fikrat Akhundov, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan
This year marks an important milestone in bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Netherlands. In 2022 the two countries celebrate 30 years of diplomatic relationship. The Netherlands first recognized the independence of Azerbaijan on December 31, 1991 and on April 1, 1992 the diplomatic relations were established. Azerbaijan opened its embassy in The Hague in 2007, while the Netherlands opened in 2009.
For the last 30 years the relations between Azerbaijan and the Netherlands had a trajectory of development in different spheres, from agriculture and horticulture to logistics, from education to tourism, culture and so on. In 2015, within the visit of the delegation led by the Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan the Netherlands- Azerbaijan Business Forum was held in the Netherlands. Along with officials, nearly 50 businessmen operating in agriculture, food industry, construction, finance, energy, consulting and other fields took part in the Forum. Today 50 Dutch companies work in Azerbaijan in different fields.
In way to enhance economic cooperation between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, “Azerbaijan Netherlands Business Hub” was officially launched in Baku in 2016. The hub has an extensive business and educational network both in Azerbaijan and the Netherlands. Azerbaijan’s main export products include oil products, organic chemicals, fruits, including dried fruits and wine. In this regard, the local Dutch companies work closely with their Azerbaijani partners and Azerbaijan wines and fruits participate at different exhibitions in the Netherlands.
The Dutch chocolatier company “La feve”, for example uses Azerbaijani dried fruits for their signature chocolate products. Meanwhile Dutch companies participate at different annual exhibitions in Azerbaijan, most notably at Agriculture Exhibition- Caspian Agro.
It should be noted that Azerbaijan is interested in development and diversification of its economy and the Netherlands have the experience and tools to assist in this issue.
Azerbaijan widely used the expertise and experience of Dutch specialists in agriculture, as well as in the water management. Water management is one of the crucial issues for Azerbaijan and the involvement of Dutch companies in the clean water projects, providing environmental solutions to pollution of lakes by oil spills, in Baku and suburbs had a positive input to the relations between these two countries. Environmental and green energy issues are also one of the main aspects of cooperation, as upon the decree of the President of Azerbaijan in 2016, the priorities and roadmap of non-oil sector were set.
Those spheres have been attractive for the bilateral economic relations. As an example, it is worth noting that Dutch companies operate in the sphere of the logistics in Baku, at the largest seaport in the South Caucasus- Baku International Sea Trade Port (Port of Baku). The planning, design, engineering and construction of Port of Baku also belong to the Dutch companies. Even during the worst times of COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020, foreign trade between the two countries reached $ 104 million. And that is the proof of the interest and the high level of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the Netherlands. Also, the socio-economic and political stability in the countries create a friendly environment for further sustainable economic growth.
Though the economic relations have always been the fundamental element of bilateral relations between states, the people to people relationship is much more essential and longterm. In this regards, the city of Oisterwijk has a hero, who fought for the liberation of the Netherlands shoulder to shoulder with his Dutch brothers and sisters and the city still commemorates this national hero from Azerbaijan.
Mammad “Medo” Mammadov who was a member of the guerrilla movement during World War II and who stayed in the Netherlands afterwards is dear to the hearts of the residents of Oestervejk and has become the bridge between the city of Zagatala, the hometown of Medo and Oestervejk, his second home. The two cities now cooperate in the framework of sister cities and every year the residents of Oestervejk commemorate this common hero of Azerbaijan and the Netherlands.
Moreover, ADA University in Baku and Maastricht school of management have mutual master program and through these program, Azerbaijani students have a chance to study and get the educational experience in the Netherlands. The program provides graduates with the diplomas of both ADA and MSM. Having one of the largest Azerbaijani Diasporas in Europe, the Dutch-Azerbaijanis have fully integrated to the Dutch society and proudly represent Azerbaijan and the Netherlands. Therefore, there is a street called Rotterdam in Baku, and Baku Street in Rotterdam. A monument to the victims of the Khojaly genocide, dedicated to the one of the tragic pages in the history of modern Azerbaijan has been erected in The Hague, first time in Europe.
Azerbaijan considers the Netherlands an ally and a reliable partner in both bilateral and multilateral field. The relations between the Netherlands and Azerbaijan have been growing on a positive scale for the last thirty years. The relations are built on mutual respect to territorial integrity and sovereignty and it can be noted with a great certainty that would further grow based on those principles and bringing even closer the people and the states of the Netherlands and Azerbaijan.
Par Me Johann Soufi
Le développement de la justice pénale internationale est, depuis ses débuts, étroitement lié à celui du multilatéralisme. Alors que notre monde globalisé se retrouve confronté à des défis sans précédent dans l’histoire de l’humanité (notamment le réchauffement climatique), on assiste – paradoxalement – depuis plusieurs années, à une remise en cause profonde de ce mode de gouvernance, de ses valeurs et de ses outils, au profit d’actions politiques et militaires fragmentées, voire unilatérales. L’agression de l’Ukraine par la Russie illustre douloureusement cette tendance.
La crise du multilatéralisme signifie-t-elle pour autant que la justice pénale internationale n’a pas sa place dans le monde de demain ? Rien n’est moins sûr. L’émoi légitime que suscite l’invasion de l’Ukraine pourrait, au contraire, être l’occasion de redynamiser une justice internationale encore trop dépendante des intérêts des grandes puissances, pour lui offrir un nouveau souffle et consacrer sa dimension universelle.
L’essor du multilatéralisme et de la justice pénale internationale.
Les lendemains de la seconde guerre mondiale voient naître plusieurs institutions globales dans le domaine de la sécurité, de la paix et de la protection des droits de l’homme (notamment l’Organisation des Nations Unies). L’idée de sanctionner les auteurs de crimes internationaux germe dans ce contexte avec la création des tribunaux militaires de Nuremberg et de Tokyo en 1946 et la signature des conventions de Genève en 1949.
Largement interrompu avec le déclenchement de la Guerre froide, ce mouvement reprend à la fin du XXème siècle avec la chute de l’Empire Soviétique. C’est ainsi que naissent les premières juridictions pénales internationales « modernes », le Tribunal pénal international pour l’Ex-Yougoslavie en 1993 et celui pour le Rwanda un an plus tard. D’autres tribunaux ad hoc, en Sierra-Leone, au Cambodge, au Liban et ailleurs voient également le jour dans la première partie du XXIème siècle avec le soutien politique, juridique ou technique de l’ONU.
En 2002, la Cour pénale internationale (CPI), juridiction à vocation universelle et permanente, fait ses premiers pas. Depuis, la CPI (qui compte désormais 123 États membres) enquête sur les génocides, les crimes contre l’Humanité, les crimes de guerre et le crime d’agression aux quatre coins de la planète.
Le contexte géopolitique ayant favorisé l’émergence de ces juridictions pénales internationales est désormais révolu. En déclenchant un conflit armé majeur sur le sol européen et en recourant à la force en dehors du cadre prévu par la Charte des Nations Unies, Vladimir Poutine a mis en relief un changement de paradigme des relations internationales qui n’a pourtant pas débuté avec la guerre en Ukraine. Cette tendance, qui risque de marquer durablement les relations inter-étatiques pour les années avenir, s’est toutefois accompagnée d’initiatives judiciaires et quasi-judiciaires uniques dans l’histoire de la justice internationale.
Le Lawfare de la guerre en Ukraine
Le néologisme Lawfare, en anglais, est une contraction des mots Law (le droit) et Warfare (la guerre). Pour le Professeur Julian Fernandez, il se définit comme « la volonté de toute partie à un conflit de se servir du droit international à des fins stratégiques, d’invoquer la violation d’une norme opposable à un adversaire moins pour obtenir réparation que pour fragiliser un discours et renforcer ainsi sa propre position dans une situation de tensions ». En somme, la guerre par le droit. Si les moyens du Lawfare ont été utilisé bien avant le début de la guerre en Ukraine, ils l’ont rarement été de manière aussi rapide et généralisée.
Le 26 février 2022, deux jours après l’invasion russe de son territoire, l’Ukraine saisissait la Cour Internationale de Justice pour faire reconnaitre l’illégalité de l’opération militaire Russe à son encontre. Dans une ordonnance du 16 mars 2022, la CIJ donnait raison à l’Ukraine et appelait la Russie et « les unités militaires sous son contrôle et sa direction », à suspendre immédiatement leurs opérations en Ukraine.
Dans les jours suivants, 41 États (dont tous les pays de l’Union Européenne) déféraient officiellement la situation en Ukraine au nouveau Procureur de la Cour Pénale Internationale, Karim Khan, lui permettant de débuter immédiatement une enquête sur les possibles crimes de guerre et crimes contre l’humanité commis dans le pays depuis le 21 novembre 2013. D’autres voix appellent à la création d’un tribunal international spécial pour juger les auteurs de l’agression Russe à l’encontre de l’Ukraine, quitte à juger les responsables russes en leur absence, comme le propose François Roux.
Le 4 mars 2022, le Conseil des droits de l’homme de l’ONU votait une résolution instaurant une commission internationale indépendante d’enquête chargé d’enquêter sur les violations des droits de l’Homme et du droit international humanitaire résultant de l’invasion russe en Ukraine en vue de futurs procès, sur le modèle des mécanismes pour la Syrie et du Myanmar.
Soyons clair. Ces diverses actions n’empêcheront pas Vladimir Poutine de poursuivre son offensive militaire voire de l’accentuer, tant la survie politique du régime russe dépend d’une victoire militaire à court terme. Mais l’enjeu n’est pas là. L’objectif est de rappeler que le droit international est du côté de l’Ukraine et que les crimes de guerre sur son territoire ne sont pas seulement rejetés par un groupe d’États spécifiques, mais par la Communauté internationale dans son ensemble.
Un second souffle pour la justice pénale internationale ?
Sans omettre la dimension politique et circonstancielle de cette stratégie, il semble que l’année 2022 puisse être une année charnière dans l’histoire de la justice pénale internationale. La rapidité avec laquelle la Communauté internationale utilise aujourd’hui les instruments du droit pénal international pour répondre aux crimes commis en Ukraine démontre sa pertinence et sa maturité. Elle marque également un tournant dans son histoire en visant les crimes commis par une puissance disposant pourtant d’un droit de véto au Conseil de Sécurité des Nations Unies.
Pour être crédible, il faut toutefois que cette démarche ne reste pas un cas isolé et ne soit plus à géométrie variable. Souvent accusée de partialité, voire de néo-colonialisme, l’action des tribunaux internationaux est scrutée par les défenseurs des droits de l’Homme comme par les communautés touchées par les crimes sur lesquelles ils enquêtent. Or, jusqu’à présent, le moins que l’on puisse dire, c’est que la justice pénale internationale n’a pas démontré sa capacité à s’attaquer aux grandes puissances de ce monde ou à leurs alliés.
La légitimité de la justice internationale dépend pourtant de son impartialité et de sa volonté à poursuivre les auteurs de crimes internationaux indistinctement de leur nationalité ou de leur proximité avec puissances de ce monde. Malgré leur forte dépendance aux États (qui financent leurs opérations et leur permettent de mener des enquêtes ou d’arrêter des individus sur leur territoire), les juridictions pénales internationales ne doivent pas céder aux sirènes de la realpolitik et ancrer leur action sur le long terme. Comme le montre l’histoire récente, la politique internationale est fluctuante, imprévisible. Si les intérêts nationaux changent, l’universalité de la justice doit rester la même.
Cette évolution est déterminante pour que demain, les acteurs des juridictions pénales internationales, et notamment la CPI, contribuent à la promotion d’un véritable « État de droit mondial » et d’une « communauté internationale de valeurs » encore balbutiante. L’Histoire dira s’ils sauront saisir cette opportunité.
Me Johann Soufi
Avocat international. Ancien chef de la Section des avis juridiques du Tribunal Spécial pour le Liban et Conseiller juridique de l’Organisation des Nations Unies.
Les opinions exprimées dans ce billet sont purement personnelles, l’auteur ne s’exprimant aucunement en sa capacité officielle. Elles n’engagent donc pas les Nations Unies, ses agences ou l’un des quelconques employeurs de l’auteur.
IHE Delft Institute for Water Education and Movies that Matter are organizing a screening of the documentary Above Water (original title: Marcher sur l’Eau), which is part of the Movies that Matter Festival, held annually in The Hague.
By Ewoud Kok, IHE Delft Institute for Water Education
IHE Delft Institute for Water Education and Movies that Matter are organizing a screening of the documentary Above Water (original title: Marcher sur l’Eau), which is part of the Movies that Matter Festival, held annually in The Hague.
Above Water, by French director Aïssa Maïga, illustrates the dire consequences of climate change in the Sahel, where a lack of water dominates life and limits the possibilities of inhabitants. It will be screened at 15:00 on Sunday 10 April in The Hague – for tickets, see this link.
Droughts in the Azawagh region of Niger endanger the semi-nomadic livelihoods of residents: they worsen conditions for people who already suffer from water scarcity. The situation in the Sahel is not unique: In 2020, about 2 billion people – a quarter of the global population – lacked access to safely managed drinking water, meaning their human rights are not fulfilled.
According to a report by UNESCO, on a global scale, half of the people who drink water from unsafe sources live in Africa. In Sub-Saharan Africa, only 24% of the population have access to safe drinking water, and just 28% have access to basic sanitation facilities that are not shared with other households. Unequal access in Africa is also linked to gender disparity. The burden of collecting water lies mainly on women and girls, many of whom spend more than 30 minutes on each journey to fetch water, a situation that prevents them from attending school.
During the short rainy season, which lasts one to three months, households depend on marshes to meet their primary water needs for drinking, cooking, washing and livestock. This water is turbid and contaminated with weeds, human filth and animal excrement. While this source of water is non-potable, it is plentiful enough to support families.
After the rainy season ends, the people of the Azawak rely on water holes they manually dig into the dried marshes, in surface sediment up to 20 metres deep. During the nine- to eleven-month-long dry season, most individuals survive on less than six litres of water per person and per day (the World Health Organization prescribes a minimum of 15 to 25 litres per day and per person) and have difficulty finding time for other revenue-generating activities or school.
The cinematographically impressive documentary features mesmerizing landscape shots while delivering a stark and serious message: those without water are done waiting for access – they need it now.
After the screening of Above Water, moderator Ama van Dantzig dives into the causes, consequences and possible solutions of water shortage with professor Eddy Moors (rector IHE Delft), Jean Gildas Tapsoba (MSc student in Water Management and Governance, IHE Delft) and Elisabeth Lictevout (director of the International Groundwater Resources Assessment Centre.)
Why are regions like the Sahel so vulnerable to droughts? What is the best way to alleviate the urgent needs of local populations – is it a matter of digging more and deeper holes to access groundwater? What is the role of women? And what structural solutions are needed to ensure that all people have access of water and sanitation, as called for in Sustainable Development Goals (SDG6)?
For more info and tickets visit: https://moviesthatmatter.nl/en/festival/specials/ihe-above-water/
Ewoud Kok
IHE Delft Marketing Officer Ewoud Kok, who oversees the Institute’s marketing campaigns and plays a key part in communicating the organisation’s marketing messages.
He graduated from the Delft University of Technology in 2003 and since then regularly updated his skills at various workshops and courses, including a short MBA at Nyenrode Business University. Ewoud is part of the IHE Delft’s Communications Office since 2003.
“Asia’s Century” International Project 2022 – 2027 was launched in Bucharest late March by a consortium of think-tanks consisting of the Bucharest-based MEPEI (Middle East Political and Economic Institute), Eurodefense Romania and ICI (National Institute for Research & Development in Informatics), together with the Ljubljana-based IFIMES (International Institute for Middle East and Balkan Studies) and the Vienna-based AIES (Austrian Institute for European and Security Policy), and it enjoyed a numerous live and online audience consisting of ambassadors and representatives of MENA and Asian embassies, academics, researchers and media.
To explain the goal of their project, the organizers quoted several Western thinkers who emphasized the propensity towards superiority of the Western world which created “a global order for the benefit of the West”, and they explained “the need for the EU to work towards an in-depth understanding of Asia, as well as the need for Asia to develop a better understanding of the EU’s complexity and diversity and the potential of cooperation.”
Sven Biscop from Egmont Foundation one said that “The superiority complex is hard to cure. Nobody in Europe is longing for a return to empire…Most Americans still pretend they never even had an empire. But Europeans and Americans that we are entitled to dominate international politics and that it is perfectly natural that the EU and the US are the wealthiest places on Earth. We feel that we have merited this through our hard work – the implication being that if other people are less well off, they have merited that also. The reality is, of course, that we created the international order to our economic benefit.”. Under the current circumstances of increasing global interdependences, there is a need for the EU to overcome its “superiority complex.”
“Neither Europe nor Asia has any alternative. The difference is that Europe knows there is no alternative – and therefore is multilateral. Asia thinks it has an alternative – and therefore is strikingly bilateral, while stubbornly residing enveloped in economic egoisms. No wonder that Europe is/will be able to manage its decline, while Asia is (still) unable to capitalize its successes”, said Anis Bajrektarevic from IFIMES, keynote speaker during the event. Bajrektarevic recalled that “there is no country in Asia without at least 2 border conflicts and Asia is not like Europe which has the Helsinki spirit”. He also stressed that “globalization favours the strong and the fast, while multilateralization provides the same footing”, and “trade and economic relations do not necessarily prevent war, we have already seen that when the WWII started, so we must all acknowledge that peace requires a comprehensive setting based on mutual understanding and good on-going communication.”
The Ukraine conflict is an occasion for everybody to see clearer, to learn, to become wiser and to act accordingly.
Werner Fasslabend from AIES, former Austrian minister of defense, also declared the 21st century to be “the Asian century”, if not “the Indo-Pacific century”, where China will play a major role, especially with its OBOR/ Belt and Road Initiative in which the maritime corridor will have a vital role, since 70% of the world is covered by water and 90% of the world trade is done by sea. Fasslabend also stressed the importance of the Asian powers that are technological leaders and of the Asian markets that are very useful for Europe because they are huge. His only concern is whether “Europe will be able to take part in this huge Asian development.”
Adrian Severin, Romanian former minister of foreign affairs and former European parliamentarian, reminded that “the West imposed its power on the others, the US imposed Pax Americana but America no longer has the strength to promote the American Dream and a new world order. It’s not our job to tell the Asian countries what to do but it’s our interest to look at Asia. We should look at Asia with Euro-Atlantic eye-glasses”, concluded Severin.
Viorel Isticioaia-Budura, former Romanian ambassador to China and former Head of Asia-Pacific Department of the European External Action Service of the EU, deplored the lack of action of the EU institutions in Asia which he labels as “anaemia of EU institutions under circumstances where the potential exists but the results are rather disappointing.”
“It looks unavoidable that two major regions of the planet, the West and the East, may embark upon a new phase of interaction, seeking a new balance, mutual adjustments and refreshed ideas for partnership, not in the polarizing, but in a spirit that may help to explore possible convergence and mutually beneficial cooperation. An Asian Century does not mean throwing other regions into shadow or letting the West slide into an eclipse. On the contrary, it means a new game. With its high-speed industrialization and urbanization, rising rates of consumption and the dynamic generation of Millenials, Asia looks challenging.”
Isticioaia-Budura put forward the idea that “there is already an economic order in Asia with China leading it.” Indeed, starting with January, 1, 2022, the world’s largest trade agreement ever, the RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership), initiated by China, entered into force. It will facilitate trade among the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. RCEP will cover about 30% of global GDP and nearly a third of the world’s population, about 2.2 billion people.
According to Flavius Caba-Maria, director of MEPEI, the goal of this “Asia’s Century” International Project 2022 – 2027 is “to understand the mutual needs and interests between Europe and Asia, to stimulate the interest of officials, business people towards Asia, and to raise the public awareness, especially of the young generation, about Asia” because “in 2040, Asia will have had 50% of the world population and 40% of the global consumption, and in 2050, 3 billion Asians will live at European standards. In 2030, China will be the first economic power of the world. China may lead the process of Asianization and we are now wondering how the Asia-led global order will be like.”
Liviu Muresan from Eurodefense Romania, co-organizer of the event, informed the participants that “Asia’s Century” International Project 2022 – 2027 will have a regular Asian Club organized monthly in downtown Bucharest and he will make efforts to organize multi-level cross-sectorial visits across Asia to bring together all the parties interested in extending their pan-Asian relations with concrete outcome on the ground.
By Ali Redling
What I have learned from teaching English to my Ukrainian refugee students:
Learning English allows my students to go through the grieving process in order to find healing and can be very therapeutic.
English allows my students to be in denial. Coming to class and learning English is a distraction from the destruction going on back home. They come to class in desperate need of something to avert their attention…so we conjugate verbs and practice pronunciation.
English class comforts my students when they’re angry by redirecting their focus and allowing them to cool off. In a classroom of refugees each student knows that someone nearby knows what they’re going through. There is quick camaraderie as we practice phrases such as, “I am from the Ukraine” and “I am Ukrainian”.
Learning English allows my students to bargain. They can come to class and feel like they are in control of a small part of their lives. When everything else around them seems to be spinning out of control, English class remains. It is constant. My students may not know how to order a meal, where they will live next week, or what city their new child will be born in, but they can practice possessive adjectives.
Learning English helps my students to avoid depression because it offers them a small goal to work towards each day. It gets them out of their rut or that ever-downward spiral and offers them hope as they envision their future selves as English speakers, dreaming of what they may be or attain someday. My classroom is filled with physicians, new mothers, accountants, hairdressers, and engineers that desire to live and thrive.
Learning English assists my students in accepting their circumstances. Many of my students will not return to their homeland, and they will need to start a new life elsewhere. Knowing English will provide more opportunities for their new lives. Attending English class each week is the baby-step they must take in order to achieve and create this new life.
Diplomat Magazine note: Ali Redling is shaping refugees’ lives by imparting her knowledge and always inspires them to dream, to fight, and to never give up. Ali is preparing a group of Ukrainians refugees for the challenges of tomorrow. They already said about her: “She will have a tremendous impact on our lives”.
This extended ESL program has been made possible by the warm hospitality offered by Catherine Anne Daily who transformed the ground floor of her monumental residence on the Berkenbosch Blokstraat and offered it as an “international house” and ad hoc classroom space.
