International Protocol and Soft Diplomacy Conference

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International Protocol and Soft Diplomacy Conference

By Wilfredo PĂ©rez Ruiz

Knowledge about diplomacy, protocol, culture, and soft skills, in the current era of unavoidable global relationships, is essential to achieving business objectives. A successful business deal begins with comfortable relationships between the parties involved. It involves, among others, good manners, interpersonal intelligence, empathy, body language, assertive communication, personal image, and mutual appreciation.

Within this context, the “International Protocol and Soft Diplomacy Conference” was successfully held on Thursday 9 (in English) and Friday (in Spanish) 10 December 2021. The conference was organized by PROTOCOLTODAY, a prestigious Dutch consultancy and academy firm specialized in protocol consultancy and international business skills training. ProtocolToday is also the publisher of the Global Mindset Magazine. The conference featured prominent speakers, approximately 100 participants from 33 countries, more than 12 embassies, international entrepreneurs and managers, and journalists from Diplomat Magazine EU.

This conference dealt with topics aimed at complementing those issues that, on multiple occasions, are omitted despite their enormous importance in negotiations with clients and possible strategic partners.

The program started with a presentation by Professor Dewanand Mahadew, CEO of NewEconomyStrategies (The Netherlands) on “Impactful Communication in International Business”. He emphasized the need to be cautious and tactful in order to avoid offensive situations. Knowledge about communication and the ability to understand others is key to good negotiations. Staying calm and positive is essential.” He recommended applying understanding, empathy, respect, prudence, and compassion.

He highlighted the urgency of “knowing how to navigate through the world easily. That is, being able to ‘feel at home to avoid being seen as strangers. For this, we must develop a global mentality and understand and learn about culture, politics, and economic systems to become familiar with the country we are visiting”. His speech included globalization by specifying: “The globalized world requires connecting skills. This means feeling comfortable and being loved in the places we visit. We must have the ability to connect with other people despite existing differences. “

He referred to interpersonal skills to “communicate, persuade and negotiate, and also to have a critical mindset.” That is, being aware of what we do in a creative and responsible way and enjoying a correct image. He suggested developing the “skills of knowledge, learning, and imagination.” Finally, he commented on the importance of appearance and the way we express ourselves, verbally and non-verbally, in a business conversation. Apart from the first impression generated is the profile that will be made of us.

RenĂ© Spaan, leader of the Smart Mobility project (The Netherlands), addressed “Personal Anecdotes Working with Mexican Diplomacy”. He began with a revelation inherent in his experience: “If you work as many people, there may be those who do not keep their word”, alluding to the absence of seriousness in the business environment. He placed special emphasis on credibility and on “legal and financial” factors in business.

Based on his recognized career, he recommended, when entering into trade agreements with Mexico, “to understand Mexican culture in order to become familiar with the cultural factors of the country in which you do business”. He was forceful in reiterating that the Aztec country is not “pure drug trafficking or illicit activities” as is frequently exhibited through the media. It is a nation with extraordinary investment potential and has a rich historical diversity.

Gerardo Correas, president of the International School of Protocol (Spain), discussed “Protocol: Sentiment to Communicate” established several conclusive details aimed at understanding the function of the protocol and asserted “the protocol is nothing other than techniques to organize and they must occupy in each country depending on the current forms of communication. You have to place it in the context in which we live”.

He commented on working on the different emotions of the participants in an event in order to make it an experience and suggested that the social sciences should be incorporated into the protocol to guarantee the proposed objective. He was conclusive when he said: “Each event should be an experience that channels feelings and emotions.”

He alluded to the “personal brand” and how it contributes to distinguishing, define and differentiate. “To single out and enhance the brand of the entity we must generate impact,” he said. It is a job that is the responsibility, in an organized way, to all areas of the company and “thinking about a global communication strategy.” Finally, he noted, “We must change the language or the words that protocol experts use to suit the public. It corresponds to transfer the message of the protocol in a simple way to society”.

Adriana Flores, an expert in Protocol & Diplomacy, and founder of ProtocolToday (The Netherlands) spoke on the topic “The Impact of Protocol and Diplomatic Skills in International Business” commented on how “internationalization” has affected our lives around the world. Therefore, she said, “we must know how to connect and be trained to deal with entrepreneurs and suppliers. For this, we need to know the rules of etiquette, protocol, and professional ethics”.

She highlighted the importance of knowledge in permanent professional growth and how “they will facilitate the opening of new doors in the workplace” and emphasized, “each of us must be the best ambassador of their own country in the world.” She shared her varied experience – in various international settings – and suggested creating a “business life” style to work.

She also referred to the connotation of “personal image” and advised, “making the first good impression with impact. In business, etiquette is very important. We must adapt to the place where we are going to do business”. She reflected on deferential behavior that includes values, ethics, and an impeccable track record that inspires respect and trust.

She also stressed that “we must be aware of the hierarchies of the country we visit and know the flags and symbols. The flags of a company should not be next to the emblems of the States. We must know about the matters concerning gift giving and receiving. Companies and embassies must have their own gift protocol where they establish prices, details, and delivery methods. It is a symbol of friendship that means you are important, we appreciate it” and she suggested giving the professional card according to the cultural context of the nation.

HĂ©ctor G. PĂ©rez, president of the Enlazadot Business Chain (Mexico) stressed “Business Resilience”. He made a broad and interesting account of the business situation in his country and stated “in Mexico when it goes bad is when we get the most strength”. He highlighted “resilience” as the ability to adapt to an adverse situation, obtaining positive results.

He was categorical in his vision about the process of adaptation and evolution in Mexico for the times to come. “Social networks and digitization have helped raise money,” he said. Finally, he gave a hopeful message by influencing: “We must believe in ourselves. It is not worth it if we do not believe in each one of us. It is a seasoning in us. We have to be empathetic with others in adverse moments. “

An enriching, reflective meeting, full of contributions and aimed at highlighting the scope and value, in its real and broad connotation, of protocol as a component of corporate work. Therefore, an imperative discipline to apply in our continuous efforts for professional growth. I evoke the pertinent reflection of Adriana Flores: “The power of protocol is important; it is the art of communication. 

About the author:

Wilfredo PĂ©rez Ruiz

Wilfredo PĂ©rez Ruiz is a Teacher, communicator, and consultant in protocol, ceremonial, social etiquette, and writer of Magazine Global Mindset, in The Netherlands.

The Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty

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The Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty

Wishful daydream or Historic milestone?

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), adopted in 2017, has entered into force on the 22nd of January of this year and the number of ratifying states continues to grow, with Mongolia being the latest to announce its accession. This positive trend is certainly welcomed with enthusiasm by the Civil Society campaigners and growing number of supporters of this treaty that represents a huge step forward for the global movement to draw attention to the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons. It would certainly be dishonest to ignore the fact that this new international legal instrument remains controversial, to say the least, for most of the members of the so-called nuclear deterrence community. As preparations are ongoing for the first Meeting of States Parties, scheduled to take place in Vienna on 22-24 March 2022, it is useful to address some of the main doubts and arguments against the treaty. 

In this regard, the main criticism is that it makes no sense to support a treaty on nuclear weapons if those states that possess them have not joined nor any intention to join it.  

In order to address this claim, it may be useful to recall that in the case of the Mine Ban and the Cluster Munition treaties, its main promoters and supporters were also states that did not possess those weapons, and that those international instruments also received some harsh criticism for this reason. Despite of this, there is no doubt now that both of those treaties have become remarkable success stories, not only by achieving the goal of approaching universalization, but also by consolidating a general moral condemnation of those categories of weapons. Therefore, the argument that a treaty necessarily needs to be joined by the possessors of the weapons can easily be rebutted. Despite of the current position of the nuclear weapons states, each new ratification of the treaty is not meaningless: on the contrary, it provides the treaty more authority and contributes to the growing pressure on nuclear weapons states to adopt further steps towards nuclear disarmament. 

Arguments in favour of the TPNW

The other major contribution of the TPNW is that it facilitates the process of delegitimization of nuclear weapons, necessary to finally amend the well-established foundations of nuclear deterrence doctrines. The humanitarian principles that are underlying the treaty are totally incompatible with those doctrines, and therefore are having an impact on them by highlighting the inherent immorality and illegitimacy of nuclear weapons.   

Another argument for the case of ratification is that it provides states the opportunity to support the process of democratization of the global debate on nuclear weapons, as this new treaty has been the result of a very open discussion with active engagement of delegations from all geographic regions and, in particular, of representatives of Civil Society. This is not a minor aspect of this process, but a key element. Indeed, unlike in negotiations of previous international legal instruments, in this era of growing complexity and interlinkages, the main challenges faced by humankind are being addressed by a diverse group of citizens, from all walks of life and regions. Traditional diplomacy is certainly not enough, and in the case of the TPNW, the positive results would clearly not have been possible without the decisive boost provided by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), which was able to mobilize Civil Society and likeminded governments towards the goal of negotiating a nuclear weapons ban treaty.  

While it would be naĂŻve to expect the establishment of the nuclear weapons states to be convinced by the humanitarian narrative and in a foreseeable future to amend its defense and security policies base on nuclear deterrence, the TPNW and its focus on the security of the human being instead of the traditional notion of the security of the state, are already having an impact on the academic and public debates in those states. 

The second argument used by its critics is that the TPNW weakens the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).  Actually, this is not only incorrect, the opposite is true. In fact, the TPNW can serve as an initiative to help implement article VI of the NPT, by which parties are committed to undertake to “pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament”. This is of vital importance as the treaty clearly attaches a key role to all parties, and not only to those states that possess nuclear weapons. This commitment has also been reflected in the Final Document of the 2010 NPT Review Conference, and the TPNW can be understood as a reflection of that obligation to contribute to nuclear disarmament by non-nuclear weapons states.

Another common point is that the nuclear weapons industry is too strong and well consolidated and that it would be naĂŻve to pretend that this treaty could actually have an impact on investment decisions. 

This pessimism has also been proven wrong. In fact, in 2021, more than one hundred financial institutions are reported to have decided to stop investing in companies related to nuclear weapons production. As a result, the nuclear weapons industry is experiencing a considerable reduction and the trend towards the exclusion of this sector from investment targets is growing steadily. This is not only the consequence from the legal obligations that emanate from the TPNW but a reflection of the devaluation of the public image associated to these industries. As this public image continues to deteriorate, it is likely that this trend will continue and that the moral condemnation of these weapons of mass destruction will be absorbed into the mainstream of society.

Another common misinterpretation is that the TPNW should be understood as an instrument that is only designed to be joined exclusively by non-nuclear weapons states. 

In fact, even though the treaty was developed by non-nuclear weapons states, it has been drafted and negotiated with the goal of universal adherence, including, someday, those states that still include nuclear deterrence in their national security doctrines. In particular, the TPNW establishes a clear set of steps for nuclear weapons states in order to eliminate their arsenals of nuclear weapons. Specifically, within 60 days after the entry into force of the treaty for a state party that possesses nuclear weapons, that state must submit a plan for the complete elimination of its nuclear weapons to a competent international authority that has been specially designated by states parties. The treaty also includes a process to designate a competent international authority to verify the elimination of nuclear weapons by a state before acceding to the treaty, and a process for states parties that maintain nuclear weapons in their territories for the removal of these weapons and report this action to the United Nations Secretary General.

It is also noteworthy that this treaty obliges states parties to provide adequate assistance to victims affected by the use or by testing of nuclear weapons, and to take the necessary measures for environmental rehabilitation in areas contaminated under its control. This dimension of the treaty constitutes an important contribution both to the protection of human rights of victims and to the now inescapable obligation to protect the environment, which are aspects that are not covered by the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). This certainly does not affect the value and vital role of this key instrument of the nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime but complements it by addressing the fundamental issue of environmental reparation. 

TPNW facing challenges

The main challenge now is now not only to achieve a wider universality of the TPNW, but to engage more stakeholders and create awareness on the urgency of bringing pressure on the nuclear weapons states to finally move toward nuclear disarmament. In this regard, Civil Society initiatives have been promoting engagement of members of grassroots, parliament, the media and city governments, particularly in nuclear weapons states, which has had impressive results, with hundreds of local governments expressing support for the treaty and generating discussion among the population. These initiatives serve the purpose of putting pressure on politicians and especially, to facilitate a discussion within democratic societies about the sustainability and risks involved in the possession and harboring of nuclear weapons. 

Indeed, the TPNW has a long way to go and overcome many obstacles to achieve its objective, but in its first year of entry into force, it has already had an undeniable impact on the nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation debate, despite the expected skeptics and efforts to ignore its existence stemming from the still powerful nuclear deterrence establishment. Most of its technical experts, academics and government officials honestly believe that nuclear weapons have helped to guarantee peace and stability to the world and therefore should continue as the foundation of international security doctrines. These well-established ideas have been based on the questionable assumption that the deployment of these weapons have avoided war and can guarantee permanent peace for all nations. This has served as a sort of dogmatic idea for many decades, but recent research results have shown that the risks involved are significantly higher and that the humanitarian consequences would be catastrophic for every citizen of the planet. The humanitarian impact paradigm, which underlies the process that has inspired the TPNW, has provoked a tectonic shift in the nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation debate, which had been limited to the NPT review conferences with its often-frustrating results. Certainly, the persistence of the different approaches needs to be addressed in a more constructive discussion among the supporters of this treaty and the deterrence community. 

Finally, the fact that the first meeting of states parties of the TPNW will take place in Vienna is very meaningful as Austria has been one of the leading nations in this process, particularly in drafting the Humanitarian Pledge to fill the legal gap for the prohibition of nuclear weapons, which has been a decisive step towards the treaty that has already fulfilled that commitment. Despite of all the difficulties and the persistence of significant resistance, the active and committed participation of diplomats and Civil Society representatives, under the leadership of Austria, allow to envisage that this first meeting will help to strengthen the treaty and move forward in the long and burdensome road to the final objective of achieving a world free of nuclear weapons.

About the author:

Hellmut Lagos Koller

Hellmut Lagos Koller is a senior career diplomat from Chile. He has been alternate Permanent Representative to the International Organizations in Vienna and in Geneva and has represented Chile in the negotiations of the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in 2017. He served at numerous multilateral and bilateral posts all over the globe.

Ljubljana/ Santiago de Chile/Vienna, 18 December 2021    

Germany contribution to the Trust Fund for Victims

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Germany contribution to the Trust Fund for Victims

Germany sends an important message of support for reparative justice with €110,000 contribution to the Trust Fund for Victims

The Trust Fund for Victims (TFV) at the International Criminal Court (ICC) takes great pleasure in announcing that in 2021, the Government of Germany has pledged a voluntary contribution of €110,000 to the TFV this year. This contribution demonstrates Germany’s strong support and commitment to the reparative justice function of the Rome Statute. It is earmarked to the TFV’s reparations mandate, in particular in Al Mahdi case to support the collective reparation measures aiming at the rehabilitation and maintenance of protected buildings, in close coordination with UNESCO.

Speaking on Germany’s unwavering support to the Rome Statute and the Trust Fund, H.E. Mr. Dr. Cyrill Jean Nunn, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany in the Netherlands said,  “Germany is very happy to contribute €110,000 to the important work of the Trust Fund of Victims for the benefits of the victims of mass atrocities and their families.“

TFV Executive Director Pieter de Baan thanked the Government of Germany saying “Germany’s contribution to the TFV is sending a strong signal of support to the Trust Fund’s mandate, in particular in reparations proceedings.  Our sincere appreciation goes to Germany  for its continued commitment to enable victims overcome their harm from international crimes, and to achieve dignity and resilience.”

Luxembourg reaffirms its support to the Trust Fund for Victims

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Luxembourg reaffirms its support to the Trust Fund for Victims

The Trust Fund for Victims (TFV) at the International Criminal Court (ICC) is grateful to acknowledge Luxembourg’s voluntary contribution of €35,000. Luxembourg has been a regular donor to the TFV since 2005. This year’s contribution reaffirms the strong support of Luxembourg to the TFV’s reparative mandate, and illustrates its long-standing commitment to reparative justice within the Rome Statute system.

Speaking on Luxembourg’s support to the work of the TFV, H.E. Jean-Marc Hoscheit, Ambassador of Luxembourg to the Netherlands, said « Luxembourg considers that victims must be at the center of our concerns and it is important that they not only have the right to an effective remedy, but also that they obtain reparation for the crimes they have suffered. Therefore, Luxembourg regularly contributes to the budget of the Trust Fund for Victims, whose activity is essential for the work of the Court. Luxembourg invites all States to support the Trust Fund for Victims. »

Welcoming the donation, the TFV Executive Director Pieter de Baan thanked the Government of Luxembourg saying “The TFV notes with sincere appreciation Luxembourg’s regular voluntary contributions and its continued engagement with the work and mandates of the TFV and the ICC. As an expression of trust and recognition, Luxembourg’s consistent support to the TFV illustrates the importance of the Rome Statute, and of reparative measures for victims to be one of its core elements.”

To date, the TFV is implementing four reparations ordered by the ICC, the Lubanga, Katanga, Al Mahdi and Ntaganda cases. The convicted persons in these cases were all found to be indigent and the TFV has responded to the ICC’s requests to consider complementing the payment of the reparations awards. The TFV has also engaged in the fifth reparations proceeding in Ongwen since the beginning of 2021.

Under its assistance mandate, the TFV provides medical treatment, psychological rehabilitation, education, income-generating activities, and livelihood support. The TFV is continuing with its programmes in Central African Republic, CĂŽte d’Ivoire,  Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Uganda. The TFV will soon launch new assistance programmes in Georgia, Kenya and Mali early 2022.

Royal Lalanga Fononga presents tangible project to Tonga’s Regal Couple

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Royal Lalanga Fononga presents tangible project to Tonga’s Regal Couple

Friday, 10 December 2021, Kingdom of Tonga: Their Majesties King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipau’u visited a building site to view the foundations of what shall be the first house to be constructed locally using imported Ferronickel slag from New Caledonia as alternative to sand. The latter is deemed as a promising alternative in the production of green concrete for structural applications. 
The three-bedroom house is currently being built in the township of Fangaloto under the aegis of the Royal Lalanga Fononga Foundation. 

Diplomat Viliami Lolohea discovered the alternative material based out of Ferronickel in 2016 when he attended a workshop in New Caledonia on the impact of natural disasters such as flooding, and sand erosion on most Pacific Island countries. He was astounded to realise that New Caledonia was making bricks with slag. The depletion of sand in Tonga became a major concern in 2016 with increasing demands for sand for customary burials, for buildings and road construction, and with increasing erosion throughout the isles.

Locally produced bricks – Kingdom of Tonga.

Lolohea also set up the ‘Royal Lalanga Fononga Foundation’, registered in Cyprus, with himself as president and an international board, including Joseph Borghese (Honorary Consul of Tonga in Cyprus), Bart Doornbos (Netherlands), Pelenise Alofa (Kiribati) and Aliena Lolohea (The Netherlands/Tonga), and Henri Estramant (Germany). 

The Royal Lalanga Fononga means ‘The Weaving of Our Journey’ in English, and describes itself as “an international NGO for the South Pacific”. It made their first order of 40 tons of ferronickel slag from New Caledonia last year. The foundation is in the process of applying for funds in order to to finance a study as to the feasibility to providing slag as a substitute for sand for climate change adaptation and community projects. 

For further information 

From Extraction to Regeneration: The Tongan Solution to Global Sustainability:https://diplomatmagazine.eu/2020/12/19/from-extraction-to-regeneration-the-tongan-solution-to-global-sustainability/

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Images courtesy of NGO “Royal Lalanga Fononga (“The Weaving of Our Journey”) – First Secretary Viliami Lolohea, High Commission of Tonga to the United Kingdom, non-resident embassy to Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Denmark, the Russian Federation, the European Union, etc. 

Islande verse sa premiĂšre contribution au Fonds au profit des victimes

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Islande verse sa premiĂšre contribution au Fonds au profit des victimes

Le Fonds au profit des victimes (FPV) de la Cour pĂ©nale internationale (CPI) a le grand plaisir d’annoncer qu’en 2021, le gouvernement de l’Islande a versĂ© sa toute premiĂšre contribution volontaire d’un montant de 10,000 euros au Fonds avec l’intention de le faire pendant trois annĂ©es consĂ©cutives. Cette reconnaissance par l’Islande du mandate et des activitĂ©s du FPV illustre son soutien et son engagement Ă  faire de la justice rĂ©paratrice une rĂ©alitĂ© significative pour les survivants de crimes relevant de la compĂ©tence de la CPI.

S’exprimant sur la contribution de l’Islande au Fonds, S.E. ThĂłrdĂ­s KolbrĂșn Reykfjörd GylfadĂłttir, ministre des Affaires Ă©trangĂšres et de la CoopĂ©ration internationale au dĂ©veloppement, a dĂ©clarĂ© que “chaque crime d’atrocitĂ© concerne des victimes et des survivants dont les droits humains ont Ă©tĂ© violĂ©s de la pire des façons. Le Fonds au profit des victimes a Ă©tĂ© crĂ©Ă© pour apporter assistance et rĂ©paration Ă  ces victimes et Ă  leurs familles. Nous sommes fiers de verser notre premiĂšre contribution volontaire au Fonds, soulignant ainsi le soutien indĂ©fectible de l’Islande Ă  la Cour pĂ©nale internationale.”

Se rĂ©jouissant de ce don, le Directeur exĂ©cutif du Fonds, Pieter de Baan, a remerciĂ© le Gouvernement de l’Islande en dĂ©clarant que “le FPV exprime sa sincĂšre gratitude Ă  l’Islande pour sa premiĂšre contribution volontaire et la confiance qu’elle manifeste Ă  l’Ă©gard du Fonds dans ses efforts et son engagement envers les victims des crimes les plus graves.” De Baan a soulignĂ© l’importance de cette contribution, et de celle de nouveaux pays donateurs pour permettre au Fonds de remplir son mandat. Il a ajoutĂ© : “La premiĂšre contribution de l’Islande envoie un message puissant pour inciter les autres pays Ă  soutenir notre mission, par tous les moyens possibles. Nous nous rĂ©jouissons de poursuivre notre engagement et notre partenariat avec l’Islande.”

Les contributions volontaires permettent au Fonds au profit des victimes d’apporter une valeur rĂ©paratrice aux victimes de crimes relevant de la compĂ©tence de la CPI par le biais d’indemnitĂ©s de rĂ©paration et d’activitĂ©s d’assistance.

À ce jour, la CPI a rendu quatre ordonnances de rĂ©paration dans les affaires Lubanga, Katanga, Al Mahdi et Ntaganda. Les personnes condamnĂ©es dans ces affaires ont Ă©tĂ© jugĂ©es indigentes et le FPV a rĂ©pondu aux demandes de la Cour d’envisager de complĂ©ter le paiement des indemnitĂ©s de rĂ©paration. Le FPV s’est Ă©galement engagĂ© dans la cinquiĂšme procĂ©dure de rĂ©paration dans l’affaire Ongwen depuis dĂ©but 2021.

Dans le cadre de son mandat d’assistance, le FPV fournit des traitements mĂ©dicaux, une rĂ©habilitation psychologique, une Ă©ducation, des activitĂ©s gĂ©nĂ©ratrices de revenus et un soutien aux moyens de subsistance. Le Fonds poursuit ses programmes en RĂ©publique centrafricaine (RCA), en CĂŽte d’Ivoire (CIV), en RĂ©publique dĂ©mocratique du Congo (RDC) et en Ouganda. Le FPV lancera en outre de nouveaux programmes d’assistance en GĂ©orgie, au Kenya et au Mali dĂ©but 2022.

Peace Palace Tours

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Peace Palace Tours

During the Christmas vacations, tours of the Peace Palace will take place almost daily

These are the first tours the Carnegie Foundation can offer at the Palace since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Since there will be no sessions of the courts during the Christmas vacations, tours of the palace can be organized during this period.

A guide will tell participants all about the building, the institutions housed there and the works of art with which the palace is decorated. During the tour, visitors will visit the Great Hall of Justice, the Small Courtroom and the Japanese Room and thus get an impression of the most beautiful rooms in the building.

Tickets cost €14.50 per person, and admission is free for children up to and including 7 years of age. Wearing a face mask and presenting a coronavirus entry pass is obligatory.

More information and tickets: https://www.vredespaleis.nl/visit/guided-tours/?lang=en

Peace Palace, Copyright Carnegie Stichting – Vredespaleis

President Agius briefs UN Security Council

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President Agius briefs UN Security Council

President Agius briefs UN Security Council on progress of Mechanism work

Arusha, The Hague, 13 December 2021– The President of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism), Judge Carmel Agius, today presented the Mechanism’s nineteenth progress report to the United Nations Security Council.

President Agius commenced his address by reflecting upon resolution 2529 (2020), adopted by the Council following its third review of the Mechanism’s work, and which the Mechanism views as a tool by which it can gauge its performance. This resolution has remained at the forefront as the Mechanism strives to fulfil the requests of the Council contained therein. In this regard, the President informed the Council of the strong progress made during the reporting period, noting that resolution 2529 (2020) has largely been implemented.

President Agius highlighted the timely delivery of three judgements that had been projected for June of this year: the appeal judgement in the Mladić case, as well as trial judgements in the StaniĆĄić and Simatović case and the Nzabonimpa et al. contempt case. He credited this achievement to the remarkable efforts of Mechanism Judges, staff and Defence teams and their determination to overcome obstacles that could have derailed the cases. The President signalled to the Security Council that, as a result of the favourable performance during the pandemic, the Mechanism has entered a new chapter in its operations. The core driver of the Mechanism’s activities – its pending judicial caseload – is now limited to appeal proceedings in the above-mentioned cases and the trial in the case against FĂ©licien Kabuga.  

Turning to the Mechanism’s continued efforts to enhance effective and transparent management, President Agius referred to the hard work done to implement of the outstanding recommendations of Office of Internal Oversight Services and, in particular, the steps taken to combine strategic thinking of the three organs on the future of the Mechanism’s numerous remaining functions.

Next, President Agius informed the Security Council of a major breakthrough in the longstanding situation of the acquitted or released persons who have been living in a safe house in Arusha.  On 15 November 2021, a milestone agreement was concluded between the Republic of Niger and the United Nations to relocate of all nine of these persons to the territory of the Republic of Niger. This agreement has already been implemented with respect to eight of the nine persons concerned. The President expressed his deepest gratitude to Mechanism Registrar, Abubacarr Tambadou, for his exceptional efforts in securing this outcome, and to the Republic of Niger, currently presiding over the Council, for its “outstanding assistance and demonstrated commitment to international justice”.

Finally, in discussing the need for continued State cooperation with the Mechanism, the President once again called on the Republic of Serbia to fulfil its international obligations, by arresting and transferring to the Mechanism, Petar Jojić and Vjerica Radeta.

In concluding, President Agius underscored the Mechanism’s determination to “keep achieving results that defy these challenging times” and its undoubted “resolve to do everything within its power towards the optimal fulfillment of its mandate”.

Kazakh and Saxony-Anhalt ready to intensify ties

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Kazakh and Saxony-Anhalt ready to intensify ties

Wednesday, 8 December 2021, Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany: Premier Dr. Reiner Haseloff welcomed the Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Dauren Karipov, on his inaugural visit to the State Chancellery. Both interlocutors exchanged views on current topics and talked about business, culture and science.

Last year, companies from Saxony-Anhalt exported goods worth around 20.3 million euros to Kazakhstan. Conversely, goods worth 27.7 million euros were imported from Kazakhstan to Saxony-Anhalt in 2020.

Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg and Anhalt University of Applied Sciences maintain diverse bilateral relations with partner institutions in Kazakhstan. Partnerships exist, for example, in the fields of electrical engineering, industrial engineering, agriculture and ecotrophology, as well as on topics such as the use of agricultural resources and climate adaptation.

In 2019, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg established a contact office in Almaty, Kazakhstan, as the university’s first office abroad, which forms the starting point for the university’s activities in Central Asia.

For further information

 
Government of Saxe-Anhalt: https://europa.sachsen-anhalt.de/internationales/aktuelles-international/antrittsbesuch-des-botschafters-von-kasachstan/
Embassy of Kazakhstan in Germany: https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-berlin/press/news/details/298489?lang=de&fbclid=IwAR3m9ho-3MhI-nfvim9fth0zU2soNML4cu5UiZHWdirgf6bZLGFuHS-oMew

ICC Prosecutor appoints Special Adviser on Mutual Legal Assistance

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ICC Prosecutor appoints Special Adviser on Mutual Legal Assistance

ICC Prosecutor Mr Karim A.A. Khan QC appoints Special Adviser on Mutual Legal Assistance

Further to the recent appointments of twenty Special Advisers, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Mr Karim A.A. Khan QC, has appointed Mr Yoshimitsu Yamauchi of Japan (Bio) to serve as Special Adviser on Mutual Legal Assistance pursuant to article 42.9 of the Rome Statute.

This new appointment, in line with past indications by the Prosecutor, is aimed at creating a network of experts representing different regions of the world with cultural, linguistic, and gender diversity, with specific portfolios and expertise to reinforce the Office of the Prosecutor’s capabilities to effectively and efficiently discharge its mandate under the Statute, and to strengthen specialisation on a wide range of issues and priority areas identified by the Prosecutor.

“Mutual legal assistance is the cornerstone of the Rome Statute system and crucial to fostering complementarity and the effective delivery of the Court’s mandate. I am therefore delighted that such a prominent expert from Japan has joined the group of experts who have accepted to serve as my Special Advisers. I am very pleased to welcome Mr Yamauchi and to have him join my team, and look forward to benefit from the valuable experience he has amassed in advancing mutual legal assistance in various countries around the world. His rich expertise and the perspectives he will bring to the table will undoubtedly assist me and my Office as we endeavour to increase our effectiveness and harness the dividends of deeper cooperation and partnerships with States in the fight against impunity for atrocity crimes”, stated the Prosecutor.

Special Advisers to the Prosecutor are persons with outstanding professional credentials and expertise in their fields. They provide advice to the Prosecutor within their respective mandates as Special Advisers and may assist in training initiatives of the Office. They work on a pro bono basis and are required to sign a confidentiality agreement and are bound by the ‘Standards of Conduct’ stipulated in, inter alia, Annex I to Administrative Instruction ICC/AI/2016/002.

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