International Politics Focus: Italy & France

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Rome – Image by Matthias Lemm

By Michelle Rahimi

Italy update

Tourism resumes in Italy, bringing relief to culture venues

“International tourists are back in Italy and they’re giving the country’s culture and entertainment sector a much-needed boost after the ‘annus horribilis.’”

With opening borders, international travel is swinging again this summer in Europe and comes as a huge relief for millions of adventure-seekers, workers in hospitality, culture, and the entertainment sector.

The year that COVID-19 emerged is being called the “annus horribilis,” which is Latin for horrible year. This is because it was so devastating to Italy’s cultural economy: Museums, castles, Roman villas, opera houses, art fairs, concerts, local festivities, and sporting tournaments were on put on hold to protect from the novel coronavirus, which hit Italy first in Europe.

https://www.bna.bh/en/news?cms=q8FmFJgiscL2fwIzON1%2bDqRmp5JeLgvkB76RmtwnOxU%3d

Italy’s firefighters continue to battle raging forest fires nationwide, with one forcing an airport in Sicily to close temporarily, said dpa international.

The fire brigade was involved in more than 800 operations during the past 24 hours due to the forest fires, they said in a tweet on Saturday morning.

Emergency crews were called out 250 times in Sicily alone, where a fire broke out on Friday just outside the coastal city of Catania.

France update

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9845553/Summer-holidays-risk-ministers-threaten-Spain-France-Italy-new-danger-list.html

There was a glimmer of hope that France could be released from the ‘amber-plus’ list, meaning the fully vaccinated will finally be able to return to the UK without the need to quarantine.

But it could still go into the amber watch category.

Senior ministers, including Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and Chancellor Rishi Sunak, are said to have reservations about imposing further disruption on the beleaguered travel sector.


About the author:

Michelle Rahimi is a Diplomacy and International Relation’s Master’s candidate at the School for International Training, located in Brattleboro, Vermont, United States of America.

She obtains an extensive passion for international relations with first-hand knowledge from traveling across many countries and is experienced in working with different teams and individuals from diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds.

International Politics Focus: Italy & France

Diplomat Magazine
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International Politics Focus: Italy & France

By Michelle Rahimi

Italy update

https://www.thedailystar.net/nrb/departure-arrival/travel-advisory/news/italy-extends-entry-ban-bangladesh-india-and-sri-lanka-nationals-2140891

The Italian government has extended its entry ban on Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, and Indian nationals until August 30 to contain the spread of COVID-19.

https://www.usnews.com/news/entertainment/articles/2021-07-30/roberto-calasso-italian-publisher-and-literary-figure-dies

Roberto Calasso, a notable and well-respected figure in European publishing, and known as the driving force behind an esteemed Milan-based publisher, as well as a prolific author himself, has died at 80, his company said.

Calasso has directed Adephi since 1971, with also being its chairman since 1999. He is known to adhere to the philosophy that its important to publish books not on how they might sell but on whether they have something important to say.

Calasso was known for having eclectic taste when it came to determining what titles Adelphi would publish. His 1988 “Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony,” an exploration of Greek mythology, was his best-known work.

France Update

Mauritius Island

https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/travel/france-amber-plus-list-why-uk-travel-quarantine-restrictions-next-update-1128748

Two weeks after France was put on England’s amber-plus list, there are still questions as to why the Government continues to mandate quarantine for all arrivals from the country.

On Friday, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps defended the Government’s decision, saying that the country was not on the amber-plus list just because of infection rates on the French island of Réunion.

Speaking on Sky News he said: “The Beta variant, it is not just– as has been reported – on an island thousands of miles away, it was also an issue in northern France. So, it has been an overall concern.”


About the author:

Michelle Rahimi is a Diplomacy and International Relation’s Master’s candidate at the School for International Training, located in Brattleboro, Vermont, United States of America.

She obtains an extensive passion for international relations with first-hand knowledge from traveling across many countries and is experienced in working with different teams and individuals from diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds.

Cooperation between the countries of Central Asia – as a factor in ensuring their development

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By Mr. Obid Khakimov, Director of the Center for Economic Research and Reforms under the Administration of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Development of trade, economic and investment cooperation between the countries of Central Asia – as a factor in ensuring their development

The prior importance of the Central Asian countries in foreign policy was designated by the President of Uzbekistan immediately after his election and subsequently confirmed by the practical actions and initiatives of our state. Such a policy, aimed at strengthening friendly relations between Uzbekistan and neighboring countries, ensured stability and security on its external borders, which is one of the important conditions for the investment attractiveness of the country.

In 2021, the President’s Address to the Oliy Majlis, special attention was also paid cooperation with the countries of Central Asia. The President called the priority of this policy “further strengthening of centuries-old friendship, good-neighborly relations, strategic partnership and mutual trust with the states of the region.”

According to the initiative of the President, the International Institute of Central Asia was established in Tashkent and on July 15-16 this year, a high-level international conference “Central and South Asia: Regional Interconnectedness. Challenges and Opportunities ” was held.

The strengthening of regional cooperation was also facilitated by the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan to create a format for annual consultative meetings of countries. The first such meeting was held in Astana in 2018, the second in 2019 in Tashkent, and the third in connection with the pandemic was postponed to the current year.

It is significant that the President also began his first foreign visit in March 2017 from the countries of Central Asia – Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, followed by trips to Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. As part of these visits, business forums were held and significant packages of bilateral intergovernmental agreements on trade, economic and investment cooperation were signed. This contributed to the increase in mutual trade and the development of cooperation ties between Uzbekistan and partners in Central Asia. In addition, the practice of establishing direct contacts between the border regions of Uzbekistan and neighboring countries, as well as holding regional economic forums was carried out. Subsequent joint visits of the leaders of the Central Asian countries to Uzbekistan consolidated the foundation of multilateral cooperation and expanded the spheres of economic and investment interaction.

Only in March, 2021, the head of Kyrgyzstan visited Uzbekistan and in June the leader of our country visited Tajikistan. During these visits, agreements were reached on further deepening cooperation through industrial cooperation, joint implementation of large investment projects and the creation of joint ventures.

In particular, the goals were set to double the mutual trade turnover with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in the coming years, as well as the joint implementation of hydropower projects “Construction of the Kambarata HPP-1” in Kyrgyzstan and the construction of a HPP on the Zarafshan River in Tajikistan, which forecasts to improve water supply in Uzbekistan.

In order to facilitate the promotion of domestic products to their markets, trading houses of Uzbekistan began to operate in neighboring countries. For example, in June of this year, the National Exhibition Hall (showroom) “Made in Uzbekistan” was opened in Dushanbe.

Therefore, Uzbekistan’s friendly and mutually beneficial relations with neighboring states creates a solid foundation for expanding trade, economic and investment cooperation, as well as interaction in the transport sector with the countries of the region.

As a result, Uzbekistan’s trade with Central Asian countries doubled from 2016 to 2019, from $2.5 billion to $5.2 billion. At the same time, with Kazakhstan, this growth increased 1.8 times, Kyrgyzstan 5 times, Turkmenistan 2.7 times and Tajikistan 2.4 times. The share of Uzbekistan’s trade with the countries of the region also increased from 10.2 to 12.4 percent.

Dynamics of Uzbekistan’s trade with Central Asian countries (in USD million)

Source: State Statistics data       

At the end of 2020, Uzbekistan’s trade with Central Asian countries decreased slightly by 5.4 percent compared to 2019, which is associated with a general slowdown in economic activity due to the coronavirus pandemic, but, the share of Central Asian countries in the total trade turnover of Uzbekistan increased from 12.4 to 13.6 percent.

However, for the period January-April 2021, the trade turnover of Uzbekistan with the countries of the region increased by 24 percent compared to the same period last year. At the same time, the share of Central Asian countries in the total trade turnover of Uzbekistan increased to 17.2 percent, which indicates the expansion of intra-regional trade.

At the same time, the largest volume of Uzbekistan’s trade turnover falls on Kazakhstan. In 2020, the share of Kazakhstan in the regional trade turnover amounted to 61.0%, Kyrgyzstan – 18.2%, Turkmenistan – 10.6%, Tajikistan – 10.1%.

In January-April 2021, the volume of exports to Central Asian countries increased by 21 percent compared to the same period last year, while the share of these countries in total exports of Uzbekistan increased significantly.

Considering that mainly finished products of the manufacturing industry are exported to the countries of Central Asia, the share of these countries in the total export volume will be much higher, excluding the export of raw materials, which are mainly supplied to third countries. 

Dynamics of Uzbekistan’s exports to CA countries (in million dollars)

Source: State Statistics data   

There are great prospects for further increasing Uzbekistan’s exports to the markets of Central Asian countries. In 2020, the total foreign trade turnover of the countries of the region amounted to $142.6 billion, of which 12.7 billion or 8.9 percent is the share of intra-regional trade.

At the same time, there are great prospects for increasing the volume of intra-regional trade, especially for finished products. Calculations carried out according to the methodology of the International Trade Center (ITC) show that there is an unrealized export potential of the Central Asian countries in mutual trade in the amount of $1.1 billion, in particular, in food products for 530 million, chemical products for 180 million, for metallurgical products for 120 million.

At the same time, Uzbekistan has an unrealized export potential to the countries of the region for more than $600 million, including for food products for 350 million, light industry products for $90 million, chemical products for $80 million and metallurgical products for $48 million.

With the growth of economies and populations of countries, the total potential of the internal regional market will increase and the expansion of cooperation ties and mutual trade will increase its investment attractiveness.

According to the report of the international consulting company BCG, the potential of Central Asia to attract foreign direct investment over the next 10 years is estimated at up to $170 billion, including $40-70 billion in non-resource sectors.

With the growth of investment attractiveness, investment cooperation of Uzbekistan with the countries of the region is also growing. Thus, in the last year alone, the number of enterprises registered in Uzbekistan with the capital of Kazakhstan increased from 856 to 999, Kyrgyzstan from 169 to 217, Tajikistan from 171 to 205 and Turkmenistan from 155 to 159.

Uzbek capital has also begun to actively participate in neighboring countries, for example, a joint venture for the production of consumer electronics “Artel Avesto Electronics” is successfully operating in Tajikistan, and a joint venture for the production of transformer and processing of agricultural products is planned. In Kyrgyzstan, in the Osh region, joint productions of plastic windows and doors, as well as household appliances have been created and it is planned to create joint enterprises of agricultural equipment and vehicles in the future.

For Uzbekistan, the issue of establishing reliable and safe transport routes is extremely important due to the fact that in order to deliver goods to open seaports, our freight carriers need to cross the territory of at least two countries in any direction.

During his first visit to Turkmenistan, the President of Uzbekistan took part in the opening of the “Turkmenabad-Farab” railway and road bridges across the Amu Darya River, which will increase the volume of cargo transportation by 2.5 times and an important section of the “Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran transport and transit route -Oman”.

An important project for Uzbekistan is also the construction, jointly with Kyrgyzstan and China, “China – Kyrgyzstan – Uzbekistan” railway, which can reduce the distance by 900 km, and the delivery time of goods by 7–8 days.

A promising area of cooperation with Kazakhstan in the transport sector is the formation of end-to-end, including multimodal, transport routes in the north-south direction and back with a single tariff policy, which will increase the transit potential of the two countries.

The geographical location of Uzbekistan in the center of Central Asia makes it possible, within the framework of intra-regional trade, to carry out direct deliveries of goods to the markets of neighboring countries along short routes and minimize transport costs, which will positively affect the competitiveness of domestic goods and create good prospects for increasing export volumes.

In conclusion, it should be noted that the policy of openness and mutually beneficial cooperation pursued by Uzbekistan finds support in the countries of Central Asia, which highly appreciate our efforts aimed at creating an atmosphere of trust and good-neighborliness in the region and express their readiness to jointly turn the region into a space of stability, security, sustainable development and common prosperity, which will undoubtedly contribute to the accelerated development of the economies.

Perspectives on a Just Climate Transition

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Perspectives on a Just Climate Transition

By Claudia S. de Windt and Prof.Tahseen Jafry


With global carbon dioxide emissions at an all-time high, there is an urgent need to cut global emissions in half by 2030. Increasing awareness of climate impacts is driving a rush to tackle climate change from different angles. That said it is impossible to do so without recognizing the asymmetries. The disproportionate impacts suffered by countries and people in the developing world with the least responsibility for the immense challenge humanity is facing.

COP 26 in Glasgow provides an important opportunity for dialogue at the policy level, but action needs to happen on the ground, individually and collectively.  A key question that emerges in this regard is what needs to change and who needs to drive that change to reduce emissions and climate injustice in tandem.

First let us begin with what needs to change. In the context of climate action, words like transformation, catalytic etc. are common topics, but what is really a just transition?

The fundamental idea behind a just transition is that it seeks to ensure that the way we mitigate climate change is done in a manner that is fair and equitable. That means putting a spotlight on those activities that are causing the greatest burdens in terms of carbon emissions but also putting the same spotlight on providing opportunities, investment, and support to enable those who are unable to tackle climate change so that there is a more equitable platform.  This has major implications on who can drive change.  Driving change to tackle the climate emergency is for everyone to part of; ensuring that no-one is left behind. 

However, climate change has turned so political.  Simply saying that everyone is responsible, usually turns into diluting action and simply no-one assuming the political cost that is necessary to drive action.  At the heart of a just transition lies political will followed closely by leadership at corporate level.  In particular, those industries that contribute mostly to high carbon emissions and this involve issues on supply chain.  So, what needs to change to achieve a climate just transition to a low carbon economy?

Embedding climate justice principles into corporate management and operational mandates.  This involves critically evaluating, considering, and consolidating the impacts of existing modes of operation with a view to streamlining just transition principles into the heart of corporate policy and practice.  At the same time this involves harnessing the power and knowledge of local communities and finding common interest on the journey to a low carbon future.

A conversation on how these efforts can happen in a coherent and coordinated fashion needs to be brokered now to build confidence at different levels. Governments and decision makers need to prepare for the upcoming climate talks with a view of creating the enabling conditions to place incentives adequately for the transition to address all dimensions of sustainability and to really be fair and equitable in the context of the rule of law.

About the authors:

Claudia S. de Windt

Claudia S. de Windt – International Environmental Lawyer, Expert in Political Sciences and Adjunct Associate Professor of Law. Chief Executive of the Inter-American Institute on Justice and Sustainability (IIJS: www.ii-js.org).

Prof. Tahseen Jafry

Prof. Tahseen Jafry – Engineer and a social scientist. Professor and Director of The Centre for Climate Justice · Glasgow Caledonian University

Lithuania: ready for co-creation

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Lithuania: ready for co-creation

By the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in the Federal Republic of Germany  

This year marks 30th anniversary since the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between Germany and Lithuania. To mark this occasion, German-Lithuanian Economic Forum took place on 31 May. In many aspects, it was the largest and the most successful bilateral event of this kind in history. While German-Lithuanian economic cooperation has been steadily growing over the last decade, the Forum aimed to identify and provide guidelines for further expansion of economic ties in fields like life science, IT, smart economy, production and others. Art the backdrop of the Forum, let us have a quick overview of the Lithuanian economy and the business potential it has to offer.    

A story of resilience and farsightedness  

Agile and quick-to-adapt are the words best describing Lithuania in the 21st century. The country is small and flexible, and some would even compared her to a scrappy startup. Interestingly, this scrappiness has helped to soften the blow of the pandemic, making Lithuania one of the least impacted countries in Europe. Quickly adapting to new currents and trends, Lithuania provides the perfect launchpad for a number of industries, including fintech, life sciences, automotive and other sectors crucial for the modern European economy.  

Recovery in progress  

Despite the pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lithuania managed to hold on pretty well, posting a mere 0.9% GDP contraction last year. Forecasts for this year are overwhelmingly positive, with the European Commission projecting a 3.8% increase.  

A digital playground that leads to concrete results  

The country found many ways of encouraging innovation, applying a “sandbox” approach wherever possible. This resulted not only in clocking more than 1000 startups last year, but most notably, in the emergence of Lithuania as Europe’s prime Fintech hub. Today the country is second only to the UK, when it comes to licensed Fintech companies. In addition, such financial technology heavyweights as Revolut, SumUp and Transfergo all benefit from Lithuanian branches that help develop their products and move their businesses forward.  

Breakthroughs in life sciences  

While Lithuania is often dubbed as a powerhouse for fintech and laser technology, it is important to emphasize that life sciences are among the country’s fastest-growing and most productive industries. The pandemic shed additional light on this sector, with Lithuania-based companies coming up with multiple solutions addressing coronavirus-related problems. For example, Vilnius-based Lithuanian company Northway Biotech developed, in cooperation with its Swiss colleagues, an anti-coronavirus drug, which is currently undergoing clinical trials in Switzerland.  

Last year Lithuania’s biotechnology sector grew by almost 87%! The sector generated close to €2 billion and contributed around 2.5% to the country’s GDP. With biotechnology and life sciences gaining firmer ground, the Government has set a goal to increase its GDP share to 5% by 2030.  

An essential cog in Europe’s automotive machine  

Just a decade ago, Lithuania was barely on the automotive map of Europe, but today there is no denying that the role it plays in the industry is growing. The major shift was brought about by two German automotive giants who, interestingly enough, set up on adjacent land lots. German giant Hella launched its factory in Kaunas Free Economic Zone (FEZ) in 2018, whereas a year later Continental opened its manufacturing facility next door.  

Manufacturing, including automotive, will certainly be among the sectors helping Lithuania grow and thrive in the post-pandemic world. The manufacturing industry is already responsible for generating over 20% of Lithuania’s GDP, with almost 500 foreign-owned enterprises operating in the sphere. This number is bound to increase due to the latest legislation that provides a 0% corporate tax for the first 20 years of operations to companies that invest more than €20 million in capital expenditures.  

With a recognizable position in the world’s economy, Lithuania seeks to take on new challenges in financial technology, cyber security, life sciences and other sectors that will shape up the future. Offering cutting-edge solutions to problems that are local and global, Lithuania aims to be a catalyst for change with openness and willingness to tackle global challenges, co-create and grow.  

For further information  

Embassy of Lithuania in Germany (HE Ambassador Ramūnas Misiulis): http://de.mfa.lt 

Leonardo’s Faces – Else Wiersma

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Leonardo’s Faces – Else Wiersma

Celebrating Leonardo Royal Hotel Den Haag Promenade – 50 years of diplomatic mission

Behind the logo of the Vitruvian man, multiple employees ensure that the Leonardo Royal Hotel Den Haag Promenade provides excellent, customized, hospitality services to all.

  • Name:  Else Wiersma
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • Function: Front Office Manager
  • Department: Front Office

When did you start working at the Promenade Hotel?

September 2016, started as a management trainee.

Have you always worked in the same department?

During my internship I had been focusing on the Promenade Healthclub & Spa and later on I gained some experience in the Front Office. After my traineeship, I was offered a job as a Front Office Supervisor in the hotel.

What was the most remarkable (diplomatic) event you experienced?

A delegation of a big country from Asia in 2019 with an overnight stay.

Why was this so remarkable?

A lot of people were involved, already for a few months before the event happened.

The delegation occupied almost the entire hotel and of course their standards were very high and it involved a lot of preparation from all of our departments. For example, imagine that all the guests of the delegation wish porterage (bringing the luggage of the guest to the room and at the day of departure) at the same time. Or provide all our rooms with extra, new reading lights.

What do you consider interesting about the international guests and events organized at the hotel?

It is amazing to be part of such a delegation, that we are able to fulfill all their wishes with great teamwork, the effort and enthusiasm.

What is a (n) (international) habit that you find interesting?

That the head of the delegation needs to use the left elevator instead of the right elevator…

Uzbekistan considers the corruption as one of the serious threats for its development

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Uzbekistan considers the corruption as one of the serious threats for its development

By Ruslanbek Davletov, Minister of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan

It is noteworthy that Uzbekistan has started a new stage of its development under the presidency of Shavkat Mirziyoyev by introducing very decisive reforms, designed to tackle corruption issues. By General Prosecutor’s Office of Uzbekistan more than 9.000 people were convicted of various corruption crimes last four years. As a result of active investigations, 2.9 trillion soums (272 million US dollars) was returned to the state and citizens, which is amount 90% of the damage caused by corruption crimes[1].

This fact shows justification of the President Mirziyoyev’s decision to sign the Anti-Corruption Law[2], which was one of the earliest laws, signed after his inauguration in January 2017. It also complies perfectly with his Action Strategy[3]. After this Uzbekistan has realized two periodic State Anti-Corruptionprograms on 2017-2018[4] and 2019-2020[5].

Uzbekistan has not stopped introducing new reforms and measures by adoption of the aforementioned law. The following reform[6] was to improve institutional framework to combat corruption. In this regard, the National Anti-Corruption Council[7] and the Anti-Corruption Agency[8] of the Republic of Uzbekistan was established in 2020.

The Government is trying to eliminate corruption factors by implementing sectoral attitude. For instance, last year new legal reform was undertaken to change the licensing and business permitting system. As a result of this measure, starting from January 2021 the followings were abolished:

  • 70 (26 %) out of 266 types of licensing activities
  • 35 (25 %) out of 140 types of permits.

Additionally, all procedures of licensing activities were digitization on the basis of unified Electronic licensing system[9]. Uzbekistan started the practice to analyze corruption risks in the application of regulatory legal acts, as well as identify norms leading to corruption in regulatory legal acts and their drafts, take measures to eliminate them and develop recommendations to improve legal basis of conducting reforms. The first result of this order can be shown by the fact that legal expertise was conducted over 226 legal acts and 292 corruption factors were found in them[10].

Recently the Government initiated a new package of complex reforms, involved significantly essential measures to combat corruption and provide openness of the government bodies.

Presumption of transparency of government

The first reform, conducted in June 2021, was devoted to ensure the openness of state bodies, as well as the effective implementation of public control[11]. Uzbekistan introduce the principle of presumption of transparency of government, which means the openness of any information about activities of the government bodies. In the framework of this reform the government hasapproved the list of socially significant information including 200 various data in 33 directions to be regularly published as open data[12] by all state authorities and administrations. So far 12556 datasets were already posted in this portal.

The reforms in this area have started to bring their results and positively affect the positions of Uzbekistan in Open Data Inventory (ODIN)[13]. From 2018[14] to 2020[15] Uzbekistan rose 125-positions in this data and now ranks 44 out of 186 countries. In accordance with the established procedure, state bodies and organizations will annually publish detailed reports concerning their activities on their official websites and inform about the place and time of their discussion with the participation of the civil society.

Uzbekistan, Ruslanbek Davletov, Minister of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan

Also, state bodies and organizations, starting from July 1, 2021,
has started to post information about their any public procurements,
costs of business trips of officials and for the reception of guests arriving from abroad, beneficiaries of entities, who are granted tax and customs benefits and preferences as well as annual cost estimates and their implementation.

Currently, information about 21.110 budget procurement and 13.585 corporate procurement deals waspublished in the Special informational portal of government procurement[16]. Open publication of this informationis letting us improve the public control over this process and reveal some illegal activities of public officials[17][18][19]. Another very essential reform, which was enshrined by this document is Openness Index[20] of the activities of state bodies and organizations, which will be announcedat the end of each year in order to monitor and assess the openness of the activities of state bodies and organizations.

Last but not least, meetings of both chambers of the Parliament
and court hearings with the consent of the parties will be live broadcasted on TV. We consider that public control over the activities of the governmental bodies is one of the effective tools to combat corruption if they are transparent and open for public.

New anticorruption doctrine

The second ambitious reform[21], conducted in the beginning of this month 2021, was directed to increase the efficiency of the anti-corruption system and early prevention of corruption manifestations, wide public involvement in this process.

In transforming public administration into a sphere free from corruption, on the basis of the opinions of the public the government has introduced the practice to conduct Open electronic register of persons found guilty of committing corruption crimes. Persons, which are included into this register will be prohibited the followings:

  • admission to civil service;
  • participation of business entities established by them and (or) with their participation in public procurement and a public-private partnership agreement as a participant (executor), as well as tenders and competitive bidding related to the privatization of state assets;
  • carrying out activities in leadership positions in organizations
    with a state share of more than 50 percent and state educational institutions.

Also, from January 1, 2022, the Government will introduce system
of compulsory declaration of income and property of civil servants, and heads of organizations with a state share of more than 50 percent, state enterprises and institutions, their spouses and minor children.

Uzbekistan has stepped to establish criminal responsibility for illegal enrichment, revealed in the process of declaring income and property as an implementation of article 20 UNCAC. We are also planning to toughen penalties for corruption crimes up to a long term of imprisonment, as well as restrictions on the application of mitigating norms when serving a criminal sentence in relation to persons who have committed corruption offenses. Additionally, the decree has adopted State program on combating corruption for 2021-2022, which includes 44 new measures and it is the third periodic program for realization the Anti-Corruption Law.

Today, Uzbekistan has mobilized all its efforts to renew our society
and strengthen its democratic foundations, as well as to create an environment of intolerant attitude towards corruption, to drastically reduce corruption factors in state and public administration. We realize that there is a lot of work to be done to reform this sphere and aware of our problems. We also know how to solve these problems. In this regard, we have clearly set goals for ourselves, we have a clear idea of where we should go and we will do everything possible on the way to reach our goals.

Additionally, it is our sincere belief that the adopted laws will positively effect on the life of our people and show their results in the future, which, in turn, will improve the image of our country in international arena as a new democratic and progressive one.

It is our sincere belief that all the aforementioned reforms will also serve as realization of the national SDG-16[22] – Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.

[1] https://xs.uz/uz/post/korruptsiya-zhinoyatlari-oqibatida-32-trln-somlik-ziyon-etkazilgan-b-valiev

[2] https://lex.uz/docs/4056495

[3] https://strategy.uz/index.php?static=strategy_actions

[4] https://lex.uz/docs/3105127

[5] https://lex.uz/docs/4355399

[6] https://lex.uz/docs/5148538

[7] https://senat.uz/ru/commission/events/6

[8] https://anticorruption.uz/en/item/structure

[9] https://license.gov.uz/

[10] https://uznews.uz/uz/article/30088/

[11] https://lex.uz/docs/5459053

[12] https://data.gov.uz/en

[13] https://odin.opendatawatch.com/

[14] https://odin.opendatawatch.com/Report/countryProfile/UZB?year=2018

[15] https://odin.opendatawatch.com/Report/countryProfile/UZB?year=2020

[16] http://xarid.uz/dxarid/deals

[17] https://anticorruption.uz/ru/item/2021/05/19/ssv-huzuridagi-farmatsevtika-tarmogini-rivojlantirish-agentligida-otkazilgan-organish-natijalari-yuzasidan

[18] https://xs.uz/uzkr/58515

[19] https://anticorruption.uz/uzc/item/2021/04/20/davlat-xaridlari-sohasida-otkazilgan-organishlar-natijasi

[20] https://anticorruption.uz/en/item/2021/07/13/davlat-organlari-va-tashkilotlarining-faoliyati-ochiqligini-taminlash-shuningdek-jamoatchilik-nazoratini-samarali-amalga-oshirishga-doir-farmon-mazmunini-tushuntirish-boyicha-turkum-seminarlar-davom-ettirilmoqda-navbatdagi-manzil-toshkent-shahar-hokimligi

[21] https://lex.uz/docs/5495531

[22] http://nsdg.stat.uz/en

The Uniqueness of My Country – Nigeria

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The Uniqueness of My Country – Nigeria

By H.E. Dr Eniola Ajayi, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

It is pretty well known that Nigeria is a country located in West Africa, with a population of about 211 million according to Worldometer 2021 estimates. The fact that Nigeria occupies a land space of 923,769 kilometres, and comprises 36 federating states and a Federal Capital Territory is also in the public domain. Nigeria is the largest economy in Africa and the largest oil exporter in Sub-Saharan Africa. Thankfully, Nigeria is currently committed to active diversification into the non-oil sectors. We have recorded serious growth in the Agriculture and Telecommunications sectors in recent years.

However, there are some interesting things about Nigeria that foreigners may not be familiar with. Some of those heart-warming nuggets are as follows:

Nigeria is one of the most ethnically diverse nations in the world with over 250 ethnic nationalities who speak over 500 distinct languages. Little wonder that the official language of our truly heterogeneous nation is English language. The other version of which is our pidgin English. We are so ethnically diverse, even in our culinary, the type of clothes we wear and the festivals we celebrate. Being different from one another is an acceptable position within our culture.

On the whole, ours is a very warm and accommodating society. I am yet to meet a diplomat who didn’t have a memorable tour of duty in Nigeria. This is not surprising, considering the UK Gallup polls of 53 countries which places Nigerians as the most optimistic group of people. The New Scientist Magazine (UK) also rates Nigerians as the happiest people on earth. This is particularly noteworthy when you see how Nigerians find humour in everything in spite of our challenges. We always find a reason to laugh.

On a serious note, there is so much that God has endowed Nigeria with. You will be surprised to find out that there is no single state in Nigeria without a mineral deposit. Many of these mineral deposits are in commercial quantities. This is in addition to the oil and gas resources of the country. If you like, Nigeria is a reservoir of mineral deposits waiting to be mined. Our current priority minerals are: Coal, Bitumen, Limestone, Iron Ore, Barytes, Gold, Lead and Zinc.

Nigeria is home to the largest earthworks carried out prior to the mechanical Era. Remnants of this can still be found in the Benin City moat.

Nigeria is also known for the Nok culture, an early iron age society, famous for the distinctive terracotta sculptures of human heads and figures.

Nigeria can claim Africa’s largest and oldest textiles dye pits in Kofar Mata, Kano state. It was founded in 1498. It was the mainstay of the local economy at a point.

The city of Kano is also the largest commercial hub for the leather industry. In 1851, it made about 10 million pairs of sandals. The Kano tanneries process hides and skins into leather and are the oldest and biggest suppliers of local leather. Leather here is produced into footwear, bags, and clothing which are sometimes exported. Some of the biggest fashion brands like Louis Vuitton are known to source some of their leather requirements from Kano tanneries.

“Nollywood”, the Nigerian film industry is the second largest in the world. It produces 1000-2000 films a year, earning approximately $250 million annually. Some Nigerian films have made it to NETFLIX.

Nigeria boasts of the ‘Twins Capital’ of the world. Igbo-Ora, a small town in Oyo State, southwest Nigeria, has the largest concentration of twins with 158 twin births in 1000. The global average is 12 in 1000. The phenomenon is attributed to a diet of yam and okro. However, the jury is still out as to the exact reason.

Nigeria is haven to many wonders of nature with diverse species of animals, plants and scenic topography. The forests of Niger-Delta and Cross River state, in particular, are some of the most important biospheres housing one of the largest concentration of butterflies in the world, about 1828 species strong. It is home to over 1000 species of amphibians and birds. The Niger-Delta has the most monotypic fish family in the world.

Another Nigerian natural wonder is the Ikogosi Warm Spring in Ekiti State, south west Nigeria. It is a natural spring with hot and cold water flowing side by side even at their meeting point.

Nigeria takes pride in the accomplishments of her citizens. Professor Wole Soyinka, a Nigerian playwright and political activist received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986. He was the first black African to be so honoured. Dele Olojede, has won the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Journalism. Other Nigerian international award-winning authors are: Chinua Achebe and Chimamanda Adichie to name a few. In the medical field, Dr. Oluyinka Olutoye, the Nigerian Fetal and Paediatric surgeon operated a baby-in-vitro at a Texas Children’s Hospital in 2016.

Some award winning musicians of Nigerian descent include Fela Anikulapo-Kuti who started the Afro-beat; Burna Boy; Wiz-Kid; Tiwa Savage; Davido; Sade Adu and Tuface Idibia (2Baba) of the African Queen fame.

Undoubtedly, several Nigerians are excelling academically both on the national and international stage. The numbers are quite impressive for any nation. Arguably, Nigerians are the most educated minority group in the United States of America. A Nigerian, Engineer Róbert Sylvester Okojie is the fourth black man to be inducted into the US NASA’s Inventors Hall of fame for a total of 22 products that have been patented.

Nigeria has contributed significantly to world peace, serving in many UN Peace Keeping Operations (PKOs) and the United Nations Security Council five times. Many Nigerians are serving globally in UN Convention Bodies and multilateral organizations. Examples include H.E. Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations; Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General, World Trade Organization; Dr Akinwunmi Adesina, President, Africa Development Bank; Mr Mohammed Barkindo, Secretary General OPEC; Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, African Union Commission; Mrs Ugochi Florence Daniels; Deputy Director General (Operations) IOM; Judge Chile Eboe-Osuji, the immediate past President of ICC; and Ambassador Tijjani Mohammed-Bande, former President of the United Nations General Assembly and current Chairman, UN Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations (C34).

H.E. Dr Eniola Ajayi, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Nigerians are well noted for their prowess in sports, especially football, boxing and basketball. Anthony Joshua, the reigning IBF, WBA and WBO boxing champion hails from Nigeria. Israel Adesanya and Kamaru Usman, the current UFC middleweight and welterweight champions respectively are Nigerians. We even dared to compete in bobsled, a team winter sport, at the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Essentially, the Nigerian citizen tells the story of dynamism, courage, resilience, strength and the ability to reinvent over and over again. We smile through our trials and adversities knowing that Nigeria will be greater still, because it has all the seeds of greatness waiting to bloom, inevitably. We are friendly and hospitable, and that is probably why I love the Netherlands so much. The Dutch people also have the culture of making people feel welcome. I look forward to serving my country as the Ambassador to The Kingdom of the Netherlands and Permanent Representative to the OPCW.

Afghanistan: No Peace without a Clear Vision

Diplomat Magazine
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Afghanistan: No Peace without a Clear Vision

By Prof. Dr. Djawed Sangdel

Peace is the absence of war, while war is the absence of peace! A negotiated peace in Afghanistan presents a number of challenges. The duration of the war over several decades has created a number of situations, that requires an in-depth examination in light of the peace negotiations that took place between the United States and the Taliban leading to the signing of an agreement without inputs from the Afghan government in spite of their being a strategic partner of the United States.

The war has been a very costly undertaking both in financial and human terms.

On the human side, there has been a large number of civilian casualties and a flow of both internal refugees and those that have fled to neighbouring countries, Iran, and Pakistan in particular. Will the conditions of peace allow their return and what employment possibilities will they find? In particular will the professionals and corporate managers of the diaspora return?

On the financial side, the income of the Government of Afghanistan is too meagre to finance the rebuilding of the country. Will the United States and other major donors such as the World Bank contribute in a significant way to assist in this momentous effort?

Afghanistan’s geographic position has attracted major powers in the past. How will the country still be viewed as a masterpiece in the Great Game, and will it continue to be subject to constant instability?  Corruption may well prove to be one of the most important barriers to development. What policies can be put in place to reduce, or eliminate, corruption? What process will be put in place to disarm both the Taliban and the other armed groups to prevent a civil war?

Why do powerful countries always easily achieve their goals in Afghanistan? The answer is simple, because some leaders are ready to do anything to gain power by asking for the support of these countries. In order to be able to bring political stability to Afghanistan, it is essential and indispensable that the Afghan leaders come to an understanding among themselves in order to have internal stability. As soon as they manage to put this in place, they will have moral authority over powerful countries with a specific, clear, and lasting purpose for Afghanistan. Presently its political leaders are ready to negotiate in an aggressive, competitive, egocentric, and defensive manner to have the power in order to remain in their current positions without worrying about the interests of the country or the people.

Often, we hear that Afghanistan is a strategically positioned country. Of course, Afghanistan is well placed, but our analysis is different: we believe that something else is more important than that situation. Afghanistan is a weaker country in the region with leaders who are only interested in political power, with a lack of global vision for the development of the nation:  this is the reason why every powerful country achieves its goals very easily across Afghanistan, according to its wishes. At any time, they may abandon Afghanistan. At the same time, Afghanistan faces major economic and development challenges. Although the country is rich in natural resources, gas, minerals, and oil (estimated at over a trillion dollars), insecurity, war, lack of infrastructure, weak leaders, have limited the possibilities of finding and extracting these resources and Afghanistan is still among the poorest countries in the world.

Each country has its advantages and disadvantages, but Afghanistan has two major drawbacks that need to be addressed:

1) Very weak leaders or leaders by accident, who think only of their personal interests and who settle in power for life.

2) As mentioned above, Afghanistan is the weakest country in the region.

Every leader, when he comes to power, forgets his real job, which is to create enduring systems and values ​​for today, tomorrow and the day after, and at least reduce existing problems and use their power to serve the people and the country, instead of monopolizing this power for personal interests.

On the contrary, unfortunately, when a leader comes to power, he increases the problem because he thinks traditionally, and above all he puts his relatives in the most important positions, without looking at their qualifications, because competence is less important than relational confidence.

Although there are very qualified people, but since they do not belong to the ethnicity of the political leaders, and share their point of view, thinking more for the country than their private interests, such kind of people have very little place in the mind of these leaders.

Today, politics in Afghanistan is becoming like a business, and everyone is doing politics … However, the real job is still abandoned, because the vast majority of the People no longer trust the Politicians, and even the real ones, those Politicians who want to change something for their country.

Before having to manage peace, they must understand why we are at war. The war in Afghanistan has five dimensions:

1. A leadership crisis, meaning that the Afghan leaders do not agree with each other and look at power sharing.

2. Certain countries of the region, and more particularly Pakistan, are very involved in Afghanistan, which they destabilise.

3. Major powers, too, have their own agendas on the region.

4. Certain countries support terrorism and extremist groups.

5. The negotiation process must be led not by politicians, but by neutral Afghan experts.

Therefore, we make the following recommendations:

1.     Encourage the leaders to have a government in which no single ethnic group monopolizes power. There should be one president and four vice-presidents. Each two years a rotation of the president would be put in place. The entire mandate would be limited to ten years. This would allow power sharing that would prevent having one ethnic group monopolising power through a rotation system of two years as President.     

This proposal would definitely solve the power problem while also allowing for government savings of time and money.

2.     The United States should intervene in Pakistan to force a peace process between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pakistan has been a major destabiliser in the region by harbouring terrorists and using them as their second army as indicated by several international sources. Should this problem not be solved, it would become, sooner or later, a global threat for democracy and humanity. It would not be a good inheritance for the future world leaders.

President Joe Biden mentioned that the United States would again lead the world. We strongly believe that the above issue should be a priority, failing what, it may be too late to bring peace to the region and worldwide. The United States should avoid countries that back terrorism and, particularly, those actions that kill children and humanitarian workers.

3.      As a major power, the presence of the United States in Afghanistan could develop a strong relationship, instead of a partnership, just as the United States has done in other countries, providing its presence in the area is of interest. This would be a break from the present situation in which the Afghan population lacks a clear understanding of its position. Should the United States develop a mutually beneficial relationship, the Afghan population would strongly support it.  A complete departure before peace puts in danger democracy, women, and children not only in Afghanistan but also worldwide.

4.      The United States, as a powerful country, should sanction all countries, or groups and persons, that support terrorism. As an example, economic sanctions banning the purchase of military material should be implemented. Doing so in Pakistan would be a good starting point.

5.     The negotiation process cannot be done by people that are thirsty for power and have no vested interest in peace as they hold power. We would suggest that the negotiation process be led by neutral experts with politicians and the civil society backing-up them.

We are certain, if the United States takes into consideration the five points mentioned above, the peace process will be successful and lead to stability in the area. If there is no peace in Afghanistan, there will be a major threat in the area in the region and in the world. Afghanistan is the first line of defence against terrorism not only for themselves, but also for the entire world.

About the Author

Prof. Dr. Djawed Sangdel

Prof. Dr. Djawed Sangdel, professor of Leadership and Entrepreneurship.

President of Swiss UMEF UNIVERSITY – GENEVE / July 19, 2021

Your Home on Earth

Diplomat Magazine
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Your Home on Earth

By Alexandra Paucescu

At first look, you see a beautiful and sophisticated woman, with gorgeous eyes and impeccable etiquette skills. The Serbian born Laura Ferko holds a Master in geochemistry, but life had different plans for her and her career, which changed more than ones. First, when she landed her first job in public relations, which eventually rounded up with an MBA degree. Fate wanted her to meet her husband through this job. She kept working until it was impossible to keep up with the dynamics of his diplomatic career.

‘My second career turn is happening right now and I’m excited about what the future holds for me. However, stepping into the world of interior design is more like turning my life-long hobby into a running business’ she says candidly. ‘Your Home on Earth’ is the virtual space her various interests are put together, from her interior design journey and what drives her inspiration to diplomatic lifestyle and travels. It is also a collection of memories from which she draws her design narrative.

With “Change begins at the end of our comfort zone” being one of her preferred mottos, it’s no wonder that she embraced every new opportunity and situation with confidence and courage to learn something new and try new approaches.

‘There is a common opinion that diplomatic spouses live in the shadow of their partners. Maybe it was so in the past, however nowadays it all comes down to what the partners agree and if that works for both of them in time.’ She then adds ‘Being a diplomatic spouse often involves a steep learning curve and an incredible set of skills. Most of the times, all these outweigh the disadvantages of the nomadic lifestyle’ which can be quite stressful, I’d add…

Laura Ferko.

She tells me that she moved 7 times in the last 14 years, so she must have mastered the art of perfect integration and adapting to each new environment. She took the opportunity to explore her creativity and passion for interior design with every new location. ‘Basically I’ve been involved in refurbishment, redecoration or full renovation quite often, including renovation or redesigning our own properties, as well as giving a hand to our friends.

Obtaining formal education in interior design is just the natural follow up, to be able to create dream homes for others, too. I always ask myself “what can I do with this space?” to improve its energy flow, to make it even more beautiful or functional. There are so many features that I immediately notice in a space from colours, fabrics, textures, natural light and furniture styles. You only can imagine how marrying a diplomat has accelerated this passion. But I’ve been passionate about interiors for as long as I can remember. Ever since I was a child, I was surrounded with art and loved moving furniture as well as changing the paint colour in my bedroom. I remember driving my parents crazy with decoration choices and unexpected changes of the furniture layout.’

With so many diplomatic relocations, she learned step by step to adapt. She says that ‘the concept of “home” has been a complex idea I’ve needed to sort out very early in my diplomatic journey. Navigating the role of “foreign born diplomatic spouse” wasn’t easy at the beginning, taking me far out of any known comfort zone. There were a lot of adjustments to make, including where I feel at home. Suddenly home became closer to my heart rather than a place on the map.

Now home is where my family is, where we build our lives and grow memories. And then, there’s the physical definition of “home”, equally important to me. All those temporary apartments and houses must have certain energy of a “home”. Three or four years at a posting can be a long time, especially in the life of our children, and I want them to have this feeling of home, wherever we are. Our home should also meet our own expectations of aesthetics and functionality.  I’m mastering doing that every single time, when making a home away from home.’

She takes the nomadic life that she lives as a great opportunity, which has shaped her into the person she is today. As a naturally curious person, she learned from each new and unknown thing coming her way, from people she met and connected with. It helped her in the process of learning and accepting changes much faster.

She tells me that diplomatic circles might seem distant to public eye and from the outside, it is easy to assume that we live privileged lives, where someone else does the hard work instead of us. ‘Following the saying that “the grass is greener elsewhere..” people only see the shiny part, where futile ‘house-wives’ change elegant outfits and organise fancy dinner parties. Behind the scenes, however, there’s a lot of effort, work and sacrifice. Prejudices on male diplomatic spouses are even harsher, with society often downplaying their role as a family backbone and caretaker. Finding purpose in life besides fulfilling family or diplomatic expectations is equally important to us as finding an adequate support system. It is a golden rule that we understand and relate easiest to other diplomatic spouses. We maybe have different backgrounds or culture but the challenges in our lives are quite the same.’

Laura Ferko.

Her current new position, as spouse of the Slovak ambassador to Australia, is a great privilege. She is still discovering all the given opportunities to support her husband, while building a strong relationship between them, with understanding and encouragement going both ways. ‘This is the foundation of our success. Making our family the key driving force for everything we do and the most important support system is something we value greatly’ she confesses. I strongly believe so too, and I’ve always advised everyone to take an honest look at their relationship and its potential to grow and get stronger, before embarking on a lifetime of diplomatic postings. Otherwise, I’ve seen plenty of ruined marriages and failed relationships.

Diplomatic life teaches us valuable lessons on resilience, self-discipline, confidence and professional reinvention. And so it did to Laura. She has some important tips for other spouses, at the beginning of this road. ‘Never compare yourself to anyone, especially during down times when it is quite easy to lose focus on the positives. Don’t justify yourself to anyone, it’s your life to live. Never stop educating yourself, it builds your confidence. There is no need to have it all, just make the best of what you have!’

Wise words, smart woman…

About the author d

Alexandra Paucescu

Alexandra Paucescu- Author of “Just a Diplomatic Spouse” Romanian, management graduate with a Master in business, cultural diplomacy and international relations studies.

She speaks Romanian, English, French, German and Italian,  gives lectures on intercultural communication and is an active NGO volunteer.

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