Some of Costa Rica’s Contributions for Combating Climate Change

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Some of Costa Rica’s Contributions for Combating Climate Change

By H.E. Mr. Arnoldo Brenes Castro, Ambassador of the Republic of Costa Rica to the Kingdom of the Netherlands

One of the tangible outcomes of the recent United Nations Climate Change Conference 2021 (COP26) is a Leader’s Declaration on Forests and Land Use, so far subscribed by 141 countries. In this Declaration, a commitment was established to “working collectively to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030”, which includes strengthening efforts to “conserve forests and other terrestrial ecosystems and accelerate their restoration”. This is an area where Costa Rica’s experience may be of interest to other countries. As a Costa Rican, I refer to it with much pride.

Indeed, for its successful forest and ecosystem conservation model, shortly before the COP 26 Costa Rica received UK’s Royal Foundation “Earthshot” award in the Protect and Restore Nature category, awarded to incentivize change and help repair the planet for the next ten years, a crucial decade for Earth. The award is an acknowledgement of the Costa Rican conservation model, which has made it possible to protect a large part of its biodiversity—around 5% of the world’s known species— combining a System of Conservation Areas with a Payment for Environmental Services (PES) program to reverse deforestation.

To assess the path Costa Rica took towards a remarkable recovery of its tree coverage, it must first be noted that between 1950 and 1987 forest coverage in Costa Rica dropped from 72% to 21%, with a deforestation rate of 3.9% per year, or 50,000 hectares, one of the largest rates in the world. This was due to a great extent to policies and legislation that provided positive incentives to agriculture, cattle ranching and forest clearing. Thus, a first key element was a change in policies and legislation to remove any such incentives.

On the other hand, Costa Rica’s National Forestry Law N° 4465 of 1969 provided for the creation and administration of a system of National Parks and Biological Reserves, which in 1998 was transformed into the National System of Conservation Areas. Between 1974 and 1978 protected areas expanded from 3% to 12% of the national territory, and from 1993 to 2011 from 12.5% to 26%. These protected areas include national parks, biological reserves, wildlife refuges, wetlands and private reserves. Costa Rica has currently some 163 protected areas covering 1,840,448 hectares, equivalent to 26.21% of the nation’s continental territory and 2.7% of its sea surface.

The final element was the development of a program to incentivize forest protection and reforestation. This was done mostly through the Payment of Environmental Services Program, which is a financial mechanism that promotes forest conservation and sustainable forest management. It is administered by the National Forestry Financing Fund or Fondo Nacional de Financiamiento Forestal (FONAFIFO), established in 1996 by the new Forestry Law No. 7575. A voluntary contract with land owners is drawn, through which land-use practices likely to secure environmental services are paid for by the government. Participants who implement forest protection, reforestation, natural forest regeneration, or agroforestry systems are eligible for payments because of the environmental services provided by their land voluntarily registered at FONAFIFO. 

In accordance with the Forestry Law Nº. 7575, Costa Rica recognizes as environmental services the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions (fixation, reduction, sequestration, storage and absorption); protection of biodiversity for its conservation and its sustainable, scientific and pharmaceutical use, research and genetic improvement, as well as for the protection of ecosystems and ways of life; water protection for urban, rural or hydroelectric use; and scenic natural beauty for tourism and scientific purposes. 

The program is funded through Costa Rica’s fuel tax (3.5% of the fuel tax goes to the environmental services program), financial contributions through the ordinary and extraordinary budget, and donations or credits by national and international organizations, and public-private partnerships. Between 1997 and 2019, more than 18,000 contracts have been subscribed under the program, for an accumulated total coverage of 1,312,686 hectares and 8,089,423 trees in agroforestry systems. 

Through the combination of these initiatives, today around 54% of Costa Rica’s land territory has tree covering.

In October 2020, the Payments for Environmental Services Program obtained the 2020 United Nations Global Climate Action Award, under the category “Financing for Climate Friendly Investment”. This award is granted to the projects that are recognized as innovative solutions to address climate change, and also drive progress in other Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs), such as innovation, gender equality and economic opportunity.

In September 2019, Costa Rica also received the Champions of the Earth award, the UN’s highest environmental honor, for its role in the protection of nature and its commitment to ambitious policies to combat climate change. This award was presented to Costa Rica in the Policy Leadership category for its plan to decarbonize its economy by 2050, in line with the Paris Climate Agreement and the UN’s’ Sustainable Development Goals.

Costa Rica’s National Decarbonization Plan (NDP) was presented in February 2019 and includes mid- and long-term targets to reform transport, energy, waste and land use. The aim is to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, meaning the country will produce no more greenhouse gas emissions than it can offset through its forests and other carbon sinks. The NDP proposes a set of actions organized around ten axis related to the main economic and infrastructure sectors of Costa Rica’s economy. Of the economic sectors, transportation and mobilization pose pressing challenges, as the country faces a lag in infrastructure and standards, and the efficiency and access to public transportation should be improved. The NDP contemplates that 70% of all buses and taxis should be electric by 2030, with full electrification projected for 2050. Other challenges lie in improving processes to reduce energy use and carbon intensity in buildings, industry, agriculture, and livestock, as well as in collecting, treating, and reusing liquid and solid waste.

The electricity sector, on the other hand, is very close to producing zero emissions. Costa Rica has been running on more than 98% renewable energy since 2014; in 2020 it was 99.78%.  Around 72% of its energy comes from hydropower, 14.9% from geothermal sources, 12% from wind and 0.54% ​​from biomass and solar panels.  In 2017, the country ran for a record 300 days solely on renewable power. The aim is to achieve 100 per cent renewable electricity by 2030.

When environmental concerns are placed at the heart of political and economic policies, sustainability and measures to combat climate change are both achievable and economically viable. In reality, we have no other choice at this time in history. Although many areas remain where there is still room for improvement, Costa Rica’s experience proves this is possible, and the strategies it has been implementing might be of help to some countries that share the will to bring about a much-needed progress in the global efforts to combat climate change.

Le poivre pili-pili

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Le poivre pili-pili

Par Alexander Khodakov

Ce sont de petits poivrons rouges, jaunes ou verts. Ils sont à vendre partout – exposés sur des morceaux de carton au bord de la route dans les villages, mais aussi au centre-ville. Ce légume a l’air le plus innocent, on a bien envie de mordre dedans. Attention ! C’est un piège, un trompe-l’œil – ces poivrons sont extrêmement piquants. La harissa nord-africaine n’est qu’une mayonnaise douce comparée au pili-pili, le sambal indonésien pourrait leur faire concurrence, mais même ce piment très fort paraît céder le palmarès au pili-pili. On en fait une sauce bien piquante en mélangeant des poivrons finement hachés à l’huile d’olive. Cette sauce est disponible dans les boutiques, mais certains préfèrent la fabriquer eux-mêmes.

L’épouse de l’ambassadeur en tombe victime la première. Peu après son arrivée, l’ambassadeur est invité avec son épouse à la réception que le président du pays donne pour le corps diplomatique. Madame l’ambassadrice est assise à côté d’un ministre gabonais ; elle parle français avec aisance et engage avec celui-ci une conversation polie. On mange en même temps. Le ministre prend un morceau de viande dans son assiette, l’imbibe dans la sauce rouge qui est posée sur la table à plusieurs endroits, et l’engouffre dans sa bouche. « Mmm, c’est bon ! » – dit-il à madame. Crédule, elle suit son exemple. Aussitôt que la sauce touche sa langue, elle réalise l’envergure de la catastrophe – ça brûle énormément, c’est intolérable – mais on ne peut pas cracher à une réception présidentielle ! Elle a une bouffée de chaleur, la sueur coule sur son front… enfin, en faisant un effort héroïque elle pousse le morceau dedans avec un grand verre d’eau. Entretemps l’infâme ministre l’observe cachant avec peine un sourire moqueur. Madame se ressaisit et continue même la conversation avec ce type, comme si de rien n’était. Une vraie femme de diplomate !

Le pili-pili frappe très vite encore. Les victimes suivantes sont le cuisinier Nikolaï, sa femme Nina et leurs voisins d’étage, les Konouzine. Nikolaï connaît bien son métier. Il est très inventif et aime expérimenter. Le plus souvent ses essais sont couronnés de succès. L’ambassadeur approuve de nouveaux plats et les offre à ses invités. Cette fois Nikolaï décide d’essayer quelque chose de simple : une sauce pili-pili. À cette fin, il faut émincer des poivrons ce qui se fait à l’aide d’un hachoir mécanique. La masse obtenue est mélangée à l’huile d’olive et la besogne est ainsi vite terminée. Mais ce n’est pas la fin de l’histoire.

L’opération se faisait dans la salle commune de leur appartement où il n’y avait pas de climatisation. On travaillait à mains nues. Comme il faisait chaud, tout le monde portait le minimum de vêtements requis pour rester civilisé – les maillots de bain. En éminçant des poivrons chacun d’eux touche au moins une fois une partie quelconque de son corps – on essuie la sueur du front, on gratte son bras ou sa hanche etc. Peu après ils s’aperçoivent que cela commence à brûler. Sous-estimer la force du pili-pili était une grosse erreur !

La peau devient rouge et brûle de plus en plus. Ils mettent les parties affectées sous un jet d’eau froide, puis sous le courant d’air froid qui sort d’un climatiseur. Aucun effet. Ça continue à faire mal, il faut aller chercher d’urgence l’aide d’un docteur. Pourtant c’est un dimanche. Toutes les cliniques privées sont fermées. Leur dernier espoir – le docteur Stoffel. Lui, il doit être là.

Heureusement, le docteur est là, en train de boire du whisky. Il applique une crème avec anesthétique, la douleur devient supportable. Les malchanceux expérimentateurs reviennent chez eux, riche d’une nouvelle connaissance – le pili-pili, cela exige du respect.

Information sur l’auteur:

Alexander Khodakov

Né à Moscou en 1952, Alexander Khodakov fait ses études de droit  à  l’Institut de relations internationales de Moscou (MGIMO). Après trois ans à MGIMO, il fait un an d’études à l’université d’Alger. En 1974 il est recruté par le Ministère des affaires étrangères de l’URSS et part en poste au Gabon. Rentré à Moscou, il intègre le département juridique du Ministère. De 1985 à  1991 il travaille  à New York au sein de la mission permanente de l’URSS auprès des Nations unies. De retour à Moscou en 1991 il revient au département juridique, dont il devient directeur en 1994. Quatre ans plus tard il est nommé ambassadeur de Russie aux Pays-Bas et représentant permanent auprès de l’Organisation pour l’interdiction des armes chimiques (OIAC). En 2004 il passe au service de l’OIAC comme directeur des projets spéciaux et ensuite secrétaire des organes directifs. En 2011 il rejoint le greffe de la Cour pénale internationale et exerce pendant trois ans comme conseiller spécial pour les relations extérieures.

Depuis 2015 il vit  à La Haye, avec sa famille. Il a écrit Cuisine Diplomatique un vibrant récit des histoires inédites sur sa vie diplomatique.

Finland makes an additional contribution of EUR 275,000 to the Trust Fund for Victims, earmarked to Lubanga reparations

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Finland makes an additional contribution of EUR 275,000 to the Trust Fund for Victims, earmarked to Lubanga reparations

The Trust Fund for Victims (TFV) at the International Criminal Court (ICC) is pleased to announce that in 2021, the Government of Finland is making an additional voluntary contribution to the TFV, earmarked to reparations. The amount of EUR 275,000 will go to the implementation of reparation measures in the Lubanga case, which concern harm suffered by child soldiers (2002-2003) in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This is the first time Finland provided an earmarked contribution to reparations resources.

Speaking on Finland’s increased support to the TFV and the Rome Statute, H.E. Pekka Haavisto, Minister of Foreign Affairs said, “One of Finland’s key foreign policy objectives is to support the international rules-based system, in which the ICC has a unique role. It is important that the victims be heard and involved in the process but they should also be supported in coping with their ordeal.”

Thanking the Government of Finland, TFV Executive Director Pieter de Baan said, “As it becomes one of the TFV’s largest donors, Finland’s invaluable engagement with the TFV is taking a welcome next turn, earmarking their contribution to reparations for the benefit of former child soldiers, in the Lubanga case. The TFV  is extremely grateful for Finland’s trust and looks forward to continue to cooperate and work together in ensuring reparative justice for the victims of the most heinous crimes.”

***

On 14 March 2012, Thomas Lubanga Dylio was found guilty, as a co-perpetrator, of the war crimes of conscripting and enlisting children under the age of 15 years and using them to participate actively in hostilities in the DRC from 1 September 2002 to 13 August 2003.

On 3 March 2015, the Appeals Chamber issued the amended Reparations Order against Mr Lubanga. On 15 December 2017, the Trial Chamber set the amount of Mr Lubanga’s liability for collective service-based and symbolic reparations at USD 10 million. On 18 July 2019, the Appeals Chamber confirmed the decision.

With the collective service-based reparation programme in place since 15 March 2021, the TFV provides former child soldiers and their families with physical, psychological and socio-economic rehabilitation, aiming at facilitating their reintegration into society.

As the convicted person has been found to be indigent, the TFV continues to strive to make more funds available through voluntary contributions by States and private actors to facilitate the payment of the collective reparation award. To date, the TFV has complemented 49% of the total liability amount set in the Lubanga case.

With this contribution, Finland recognizes the importance of the TFV’s work to enable the victims of the crimes for which the International Criminal Court orders reparations to receive reparations for the harm they have suffered.

The triumph of Boric in Chile and the opportunity for a new regionalism

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The triumph of Boric in Chile and the opportunity for a new regionalism

By Juan Martin Gonzalez Cabañas

The triumph of Gabriel Boric in Chile is not only a political and geopolitical earthquake in fact is a triumph with high symbolic content in the region: It is the triumph of an alternative political force in the cradle of neoliberalism in the region, the first laboratory of the Chicago School in South America, a market dictatorship and minimum state imposed on violence by Augusto Pinochet in a military coup in 1974 and consolidated as a neoliberal democracy in the 1990s, under a supposed “centrist consensus” between post-Pinochetist conservative forces and the traditional Chilean left (la Concertación, which had former presidents Ricardo Lagos and Michelle Bachelet as top exponents). A supposed democratic consensus that in practice didn’t change the economic, social and political structures inherited from the military dictatorship.

This result seems to throw away that so-called Myth of Chilean Exceptionality: the archetype of the ideal neoliberal state, which for years inspired the discourses of the liberal right-wing forces of South America, a model of economic growth with a minimum State and high entrepreneurial freedom, under an alleged aura of social and political stability, the (neo) liberal order to be emulated throughout the region.  But that order has been broken in Chile.

First the 2011 student protests (in which Boric participated) would give a preview of the movements that were brewing in the roots of Chilean society. Finally, the breaking point would be the 2019–2021 protests (el estallido) – with similar protests throughout South America with a clear anti-neoliberal and status quo emphasis – would lead to the election of a reformist constitutional assembly and now this December as a result of the election of Gabriel Boric as president, a clear revisionist of the neoliberal paradigm in his country.

Such a rupture could not have been explained more concretely than by Boric himself in his speech as elected president: “an economic growth which is based on deep inequality has feet of clay”.

Such events are cause for illusions, justified or not, not only in Chile, but throughout the region for those who preach an alternative model of society to the neoliberal paradigm.

Gabriel Boric’s resounding triumph on December 19 has sparked debate about a possible “Second Pink Tide” in South America, to some extent the outcome of this election – as well as that of Pedro Castillo in Peru and Arce in Bolivia – have given new vigor to this idea, which while debatable, the fact that Boric’s victory is a breath of fresh air for the besieged progressive governments after two years of pandemic and a turbulent and volatile international scenario for some time now can’t be denied.

The 2019 wave of protest in South America and the electoral defeat of Mauricio Macri in Argentina the same year added to the Covid 19 pandemic and its effects on the region extended for more than a year (the dramatic drop in approval levels of the Bolsonaro administration in Brazil as a paradigmatic example) seem to converge in a single diagnosis: the neoliberal paradigm in South America (and Latin America) is in crisis.

This terminal crisis is already evident. But the alternative forces to this paradigm have not yet been able to assert their bases. So, a long and laborious post-neoliberal process is foreseen. 

Following a quote from Gramsci, times of crisis are those where: “the old is dying and the new cannot be born yet”. Progressive governments with post-neoliberal paradigms of the first Pink Tide could not consolidate Counter-Hegemony within their countries (institutional and cultural structures of neoliberalism) nor counterbalance the influence of the United States at regional level through joint action. 

In geopolitical and institutional terms, virtually all the processes and organizations of regional integration in South America and Latin America are now standstill. Both historical regional organizations (such as MERCOSUR) and those driven by the progressive Pink Tide: CELAC, UNASUR.

It will be the challenge of Boric as well as the next leaders who will emerge from the electoral cycle in 2022 in the region to re-enact, revitalize the regionalism of La Patria Grande.

The political process that in 2022 will be able to map out more precisely future regional trends in this regard will be the presidential election in Brazil in October, where today Lula da Silva has a wide advantage according to most public opinion polls.

Lula’s victory -the alternative forces to the neoliberal project and the unipolar alignment to the US, now represented by the Bolsonaro administration in Brazil, would be the necessary change to turn the tide regionally and provide the political strength required to revitalize the regional unity project.

From 2022 onwards, a new convergence between the governments of Argentina, Brazil and Chile would allow to relaunch the postponed ABC platform (Argentina, Brazil, Chile) proposed by Peronism in the 50s.

The ABC project and Continentalismo are both strategic concepts of the geopolitical doctrine of Peronism. And in such doctrine, they are the basis for the realization of the South American Union. Such a union would allow the consolidation of an autonomous continental pole that would counterbalance the influence of the great powers in the region, still valid ideas in an increasingly multipolar and complex world, in which new competences, debates and paradigms emerge.

About the author: 

Juan Martin Gonzalez Cabañas.


Juan Martin Gonzalez Cabañas is Argentinian researcher and author. Currently he is serving as the Advisor to the Argentinian Parliament, Chamber of Provinces (Corrientes Province MPs).

Passing of Archbishop Desmond Tutu

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Passing of Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, member of the first Board of Directors of the Trust Fund for Victims at the International Criminal Court

The Trust Fund for Victims (TFV) at the International Criminal Court (ICC) announces with great sadness the passing of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former member of the first Board of Directors, on Sunday, 26 December 2021.

We mourn with deep regret the departure of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, as we stay behind in shock from the loss of his bravery, engagement and inspiring leadership.

A Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Archbishop Tutu was elected to the first TFV Board of directors on 12 September 2003 and remained a member until 2009.

The TFV Chair of the Board of Directors Minou Tavárez Mirabal praised the legacy and moral leadership of the Archbishop: “On behalf of the TFV Board, we recall Archbishop Tutu’s uncompromising passion for justice, peace and reconciliation.  His steadfast commitment and engagement with the TFV in the fight for the rights of victims of the most heinous crimes under the Rome Statute was a true testament of his faith and actions towards ending oppression, intolerance and injustice, as well as advocating and creating a better, more peaceful and more just place for the most vulnerable wherever they are in the world. We are extremely grateful for his influence and guidance aimed at strengthening the impact of the TFV and the important role it plays in making reparative justice a reality for survivors.”

Vice Chair Ibrahim Sorie Yillah joined in bereavement, “I convey my heartfelt condolences to Archbishop Tutu’s family. As a newly elected member of the TFV Board representing African States Parties, I hope to continue  the Archbishop’s journey and honor his memory and the immeasurable example he set for the international community and the world in his rooted devotion to the cause of justice and human rights and his fight for victims and survivors, starting with his beloved country, South Africa and extending to the rest of the world.”

Mourning the passing of Archbishop Tutu, TFV Executive Director Pieter de Baan said: “A brave voice for justice at home and globally, Archbishop Tutu was a beacon of perseverance, and empathy for those suffering harm from crimes and injustice. As a member of our first Board of Directors, Archbishop Tutu charted the first course, and set the tone, for the Trust Fund for Victims’ unique, innovative, and victim-centered mandate of reparative justice. ”

As a member of the TFV Board of Directors, Desmond Tutu has stated: “We want to recognize those who over the several years have been the faceless ones, the anonymous ones, the ones who have been side-passed, and so in that process, help to heal trauma, help to heal wounded communities, help to make whole what was broken.”

Desmond Tutu was a prominent human rights leader and activist who championed for justice and peace throughout his life. Among the many awards he received, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on 16 October 1984 for his “role as a unifying leader figure in the campaign to resolve the problem of apartheid in South Africa”, as cited by the Nobel Committee.

Anne McAuliffe de Guzman, new Mechanism Judge

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Anne McAuliffe de Guzman, new Mechanism Judge

Secretary-General appoints Judge Margaret Anne McAuliffe de Guzman of
United States of America to serve as Mechanism Judge

Arusha, The Hague, 23 December 2021– The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. António Guterres, has appointed Judge Margaret Anne McAuliffe de Guzman of the United States of America to the roster of Judges of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism), effective 22 December 2021.

Judge de Guzman brings to the Mechanism academic and professional experience spanning more than two decades. Since 2009, she has worked at Temple University Beasley School of Law, Philadelphia, where she currently serves as the James E. Beasley, Professor of Law and Co-Director of the Institute for International Law and Public Policy. In addition, she has since 2016 consulted on projects related to international criminal law, human rights and transitional justice at the Public International Law & Policy Group in Washington, D.C., where she is a Senior Legal Advisor. Previously, Judge de Guzman held various legal positions at both the national and international levels.

Judge de Guzman has published extensively in the field of international criminal law and is an active member of many professional boards and organizations. Currently, she is the Co-chair of the Women in International Law Interest Group of the American Society of International Law. In addition, she has been an Editorial Board Member of the African Journal of International Criminal Justice since 2014, and of the Forum for International Criminal and Humanitarian Law since 2011.

Judge de Guzman was appointed to the Mechanism’s roster of Judges following the resignation of Judge Theodor Meron on 17 November 2021 and will serve the remainder of Judge Meron’s term of office, which expires on 30 June 2022.

In accordance with its Statute, the Mechanism has a roster of 25 independent Judges who serve both the Arusha and The Hague branches of the Mechanism.

Haiti’s Joumou Soup – Awarded Protected Cultural Heritage Status by UNESCO

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Haiti’s Joumou Soup – Awarded Protected Cultural Heritage Status by UNESCO

By Roy Lie Atjam

The State Party of Haiti requested the UNESCO Committee to examine the nomination ‘Joumou soup’ for inscription on Representative List. Subsequently, on Thursday, December 16, 2021, during the 16th intergovernmental session,  the Evaluation Body of UNESCO recommended that the Committee inscribe the following element on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Humanity :

Draft DecisionSubmitting StateNominationFile No.
16.COM 19HaitiJoumou soup01853

The General Assembly of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, is slated to meet in June 2022 to validate the Evaluation Body’s decision of 16 December 2021.

Labadee Beach, Haiti

The Swiss Ambassador Muriel Berset Kohen remarked, accepting the candidacy of soup joumou or Giraumon soup, is not out of generosity but it is because of the quality of the dossier(Dupuy red.)  

H.E. Ambassador Dominique Dupuy, congratulations for putting the Soup Joumou on the world map and elevating it to the list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. Bravo! It is, by all means, a fitting place since the Soup Joumou is an exponent of the Haitian people.

Citadel la Ferriere

“Liberty in a soup” Haiti’s Soup Joumou is a symbol of freedom and dignity. It is a celebratory dish, deeply rooted in Haitian identity, and its preparation promotes social cohesion and belonging among communities. Allegedly on 1 January 1804, the Liberator Jean-Jacques Dessalines and Haiti’s founding fathers ate their Joumou Soup, out of golden bowls specially manufactured (USA) for this purpose.

Ambassador Dominique Dupuy, I salute you for successfully presenting joumou soup to UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, and for convincing the Evaluation Body. Merci, a triple wololoy to you!

Coffee Cupping Guatemala

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Coffee Cupping Guatemala

On November 29, The Embassy of Guatemala in the Netherlands, in collaboration with Coffee Cupping International – CCI, successfully held a Coffee Cupping event in which ten samples from the main coffee regions of Guatemala were introduced to the Dutch market. These included coffees from Antigua, Huehuetenango and Cobán.   

Following Guatemala’s trade strategy to promote SME’s and contribute to the dynamization of sustainable trade of the country, these coffee samples were supplied through an alliance with the National Coffee Association of Guatemala – ANACAFE –  and the SME Koffee Mundo.  

Mr. William Turton, Trade Counsellor of the Guatemalan Embassy in The Hague.

Guatemala’s ecological diversity gives it’s coffee a robust and distinctive flavour. Indeed, Guatemala’s wealth of volcanic soils, the pattern of constant rainfalls throughout the year, and the height of its coffee plantations (of which more than 90% are located over 1,300 meters above sea level) result in remarkable characteristics for the taste and high quality of this product. 

According to Mr. William Turton, Trade Counsellor of the Guatemalan Embassy, Guatemala is one of main coffee producers in the world, and among the major exporters to Europe.  The combination of a good quality product and sustainable production creates an ideal environment to reach Dutch customers’ palates. Today, an estimated 125,000 coffee producers drive Guatemala’s coffee industry and coffee remains one of Guatemala’s principal export products, accounting for 40% of all agricultural export revenue.

Coffee cuping Guatemala.

Coffee is grown in 20 of Guatemala’s 22 departments, with around 270,000 hectares planted under coffee, almost all of which (98%) is shade grown. The country’s production is almost exclusively Arabica and is most commonly prepared using the washed method, though natural and various semi-washed methods are gaining in popularity, with increasingly producing fine examples.

Guatemala benefits from high altitudes and as many as 300 unique micro climates. There is constant rainfall in most regions and mineral-rich soils.

Since the early 1990s, Anacafé, the country’s coffee board, has led pioneering efforts to define the country’s coffee-producing regions based on cup profile, climate, soil, and altitude.

Coffee cuping Guatemala. Photography by the Embassy of Guatemala in The Hague.

Board of Directors of the Trust Fund for Victims

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Board of Directors of the Trust Fund for Victims

Public Announcement of the Decisions taken by the Board of Directors of the Trust Fund for Victims from August to 3 December 2021

Despite the ongoing constraints imposed across the globe due to the COVID- 19 pandemic, the Board of Directors (Board) of the Trust Fund for Victims (TFV) at the International Criminal Court (ICC) has continued its work to ensure appropriate and timely delivery of reparative measures, in the form of assistance programmes and implementation of reparation awards, for the benefit of victim-survivors of atrocity crimes within the jurisdiction of the ICC.

The out-going TFV Board of Directors (2018-2021 mandate period) held in-person or virtual meetings for a total eight sessions on 31 August – 2 September (three day meeting), 18 October, 18 November, and on 2 and 3  December 2021. The Board continued to take decisions through email communications. In this period, the Board took the decisions listed below.

Nota bene: The list of decisions taken by the newly elected TFV Board of Directors (2021-2024 mandate period), which had their first meetings on 7 and 8 December 2021, will be published separately.

This list of decisions should be read and considered in conjunction with the public version of the TFV Management Brief Q3 of 2021.

Fund Management

The Board noted and welcomed the voluntary contributions received from the following donor governments from 1 August until 3 December 2021. Ireland (EUR 300,000), Australia (EUR 189,013), France (EUR 50,000), Korea (EUR 44,185), Luxembourg (EUR 35,000), Italy (EUR 30,000), Czechia (EUR 23,239), Malta (EUR 20,000), Austria (EUR 15,000), Hungary (EUR 10,000), Liechtenstein (EUR 9,371) and Andorra (EUR 8,000). The TFV received further pledges from States Parties and expects disbursements under multi-annual funding agreements. Detailed information will be shared at the beginning of 2022.

In November 2020, the Board decided that the Incidental Programme Costs (IPC) provision within the TFV’s extra-budgetary resources requires an annual review and update.

On 18 November and 2 December 2021, the Board reviewed the Secretariat’s report on expenditures on the IPC 2021 provision and the proposed allocations for the 2022 provision.

On 2 December 2021, the Board:

●  Approved the expenditure report of the IPC 2021 provision, which relates an expenditure of EUR 1,202,864 out of the allocated EUR 1,429,500, resulting in a carry-over of EUR 226,636 to the IPC 2022 provision.

●  Noted the Secretariat’s commitment to commission the gender and conflict audit in 2022.

●  Requested a more detailed annotation of expenditures and proposed allocations in relation to the IPC provision, in future reports.

●   Approved the proposed  allocations for the IPC 2022 provision, for a total of EUR 625,170 including the carry-over of EUR 226,636 from the IPC 2021 provision, distributed as follows:

o   Situational assessments          (EUR 76,762)

o   Monitoring and Evaluation   (EUR 50,000)

o   Fundraising and visibility      (EUR 224,400)

o   Partnerships and reparations (EUR 274,000)

The chart below illustrates the specific amounts in euros (€) allocated to various assistance programmes (on a calendar year 2021 basis) and the complements of reparation cases as of 1 December 2021.

The financial data are not yet audited and may be subject to adjustments.

Policy and Strategy Development

●  At the meeting on 18 October 2021, the Board approved the Working Method Policy of the TFV Board of Directors, subject to a final technical review (which has been completed), and noting that the Policy should be understood as a living document, subject to continuous review and amendment by the TFV Board of Directors.

●  At the meeting on 18 November 2021, the Board took note of the Secretariat’s first outline of a Fund Management and Investment Policy (FMIP). The FMIP is to codify and clarify the TFV’s decision making on the use of its extra-budgetary resources. The Board noted that the FMIP will require further development and completion in the first semester of 2022, under the guidance of the next TFV Board of Directors.

●  At the meeting in September 2021, the Board was informed and made observations and suggestions to the draft Theory of Change, as presented by the Secretariat, as a first step in the development of the TFV Strategic Plan 2022-2024. On 2 December 2021, the Board took note with satisfaction on the further development of the draft Theory of Change, including the incorporation of its earlier suggestions.

Reparations: eligibility decisions

Board Chair Mama Koité Doumbia (Lubanga) and Board member Baroness Arminka Helić (Al Mahdi) continued to act as designated Board representatives for the TFV’s administrative eligibility decisions in relation to reparations awards ordered by the ICC.

● From August to December 2021, the Board has issued 120 positive administrative decisions on victim eligibility for reparations in the Lubanga case (total of 100) and Al Mahdi (total of 20).

Reparations: other matters

●  At its meeting in  September 2021, the Board discussed recent developments and insights in relation to proceedings in the Ntaganda case. The Board requested the Secretariat to develop a paper on the different options for victim eligibility screening in the case, and encouraged the Secretariat to continue the development of the Draft Implementation Plan (DIP), due on 17 December 2021, in close consultation with the Board focal point Andres Parmas, assisted by Minou Tavàrez Mirabal.

●  At its meeting on 2 December 2021, the Board considered the Secretariat’s note on victim eligibility screening options, which with Board’s consent, had also been shared for comments with the relevant stakeholders at the Court, in relation to this process. The Board also took note with satisfaction of the presentation by staff at the Secretariat on the activities, including on site in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ituri Province, and the resulting insights informing the further development of the DIP. The Board took note of the reparation measures proposed in the DIP, as presented by the Secretariat. 

Independent Expert Review (IER) and Review Mechanism (RM) 

The TFV focal points for the IER/RM process are Sheikh Mohammed Belal, assisted by Minou Tavàrez Mirabal (TFV Board), and Franziska Eckelmans (TFV Secretariat).

●  At its in-person Board meeting in September 2021, the Board provided direction on the TFV’s approach to the relevant IER recommendations. This informed the development and submission of an Assessment Document, as requested by the RM, in relation to the IER recommendations concerning the TFV. With this in mind, the TFV developed and submitted an assessment of recommendations, at the request of the RM.

●  On 22 October 2021, the TFV focal points for the IER/RM process, as well as the TFV Executive Director and the ICC Registrar attended the RM assessment meeting in relation to the IER recommendations concerning the TFV. They addressed IER recommendations 352 to 358. During this meeting, the TFV and ICC Registrar presented their views on developments at the TFV, and clarified their views in relation to IER recommendations 354 and 358, concerning the mandate of the TFV and its operational relation with the Registry. The outcome of this meeting was reported in the Report of the Review Mechanism as the platform for discussion of IER recommendations, dated 1 November 2021.

Tonga accredites non-resident ambassador for The Netherlands 

Diplomat Magazine
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Tonga accredites non-resident ambassador for The Netherlands 

Thursday, 16 December 2021. The Hague, Kingdom of the Netherlands: Her Excellency, The Hon. Titilupe Fanetupouvava’u Tu’ivakano presented her letters of credence from His Majesty King Tupou VI, in a solemn audience, before His Majesty King Willem Alexander, at Noordeinde Palace. The latter was the first physical audience granted for foreign envoys by the Dutch monarch since the beginning of the Covid-19  pandemic.

The non-resident ambassador conveyed the continued wishes of HM King Tupou VI and the Government of the Kingdom of Tonga for the success of The Netherlands, and the well-being of the Dutch people.

The presentation of credentials was followed by an audience, where discussions on water management, climate change as well as renewable and sustainable energy ensued. 

Ambassador Fanetupouvava’u encountered other ambassadors who presented their credentials and dignitaries as well as other high ranking officials of the Dutch government. She was accompanied by her spouse, Major Siaosi Kiu Kaho.

The Tongan High Commissioner located in London is accredited to eleven countries and ten International organizations.

On 17 December, the Dutch Foreign Ministry announced the appointment of Ard van der Vorst as upcoming ambassador to New Zealand, with concurrent accreditation to Tonga, and other island states. 

For further information

 
High Commission of Tonga in London, non-resident Embassy to The Netherlands, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Russian Federation, etc.: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Commission_of_Tonga,_London

Dutch Royal Household: https://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/agenda/2021/12/16/geloofsbrieven-ambassadeurs-tsjaad-tonga-nepal-namibie-bhutan-jamaica-en-zimbabwe
Honorary Consulate of Tonga in Cyprus: https://www.consulatekot.eu

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