G-7 allurement for the Developing Nations

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G-7 allurement for the Developing Nations

By Sazzad Haider 

During the summit of G7, which was held recently in Carbis Bay, England, leaders of seven wealthy countries formulated a speed breaker to impede the hyper moving Chinese BRI train in more over 138 countries in the world.  Therefore, the Developing Nations of the glob could feel great mitigation as G7 leaders promised to pledge investment for building infrastructure in poorer countries in a bid to counter Chinese Belt and Road initiative.   

In 2014,  President Xi Jinping,  supreme leader of China instigated Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) for the Chinese desire to take up its “due place in the world” 

For implementing BRI, China has allocated huge fund to build infrastructures such as railway, road, port, power- generation and telecommunication networks. 

Moreover, China has invested in improving efficiency and security of the major sea ports along the Maritime Silk Road. According to the BRI blue print, China also wants to extract oil, gas and mineral resources from the Arctic and planned to promote Arctic travel.   

In accordance with media sources, China has already invested $1 trillion in the BRI and several trillion is due to be invested over the next decade. Comparatively, the USA invested $13 billion in the Marshall Plan (which is roughly equivalent to $130 billion in today’s money) for reconstruction of Western Europe after the end of second-world war. Therefore, the BRI is the largest investment project in the history of the planet. So far, 138 countries of Asia, Europe, Africa and Latin America have signed moreover 170 agreements with China under the BRI framework. Hence, the Chinese economic giant, the third dragon of China has begun to roam on the world. 

However, the BRI has been criticized for dominating subscriber’s economies through long-term control of infrastructures, natural resources and associated land assets. China may steer the BRI countries market, labor and exports by transferring the Chinese-owned production units to those countries. Besides, in the context of security measures, the Chinese liberation army could dominate all the geographical routes of the BRI area and could intervene in internal affairs of subscriber countries. Some analysts fear a “debt trap” of the BRI to loan subscriber countries and doubted the efficiency of Chinese banks. 

Moreover, China financed low cost coal-fired thermal power plants in subscriber’s countries are emitting carbon into the air. Other low-cost products by BRI finance would increase environmental hazards in future. The BRI plan for Arctic could fracture the polar ice; furthermore, it could ruin the immemorial peace and sanctity of this solitary polar region.   

President Xi Jinping is the most authoritative leader after Mao Zedong in the history of new China. Xi has held two other more powerful posts; the head of the Communist Party and commander-in-chief of the central military commission without terms limits.  Xi Jinping has promoted vigorous growth of military might and geopolitical influence in accordance with his “Chinese Dream”. He is accelerating all efforts to gain the paramount role on the stage of the global chess board and subdue the USA’s dominance. 

There has always been intense rivalry between the USA and China for different issues just as the South China Sea, cyber security, human rights, intellectual property rights and trade war. Like other gigantic projects, the BRI creates a global polarization and has attracted wide-spread criticism.  

The mammoth project has been floated for implementing President Xi Jinping’s dreams rather than economic implication. Estimated investment range from $ 1trillion to $ 8 trillion is far from reality and unrealistic expectations. This far- fetched estimate is downplaying the BRI projects. 

Many Chinese citizens expressed opinion that China has expensed a huge sum of money abroad and ignoring domestic demands. Even some projects particularly in Africa were over extended and not properly assessed for financial risks. The BRI projects need to address risk assessments in aspect of financial, environmental and social issues. Some critics termed the BRI projects as lacking in transparency and the deal terms are unfavorable for recipient countries.  According to critics, the BRI is a ‘debt trap’ (31) for loan recipient countries. They fear that China could use the ‘debt trap’ for expanding its dominance and for gaining superiority over recipient countries. Even China can interfere in internal politics and can use the BRI projects as regime changing tools like the colonial period when western companies entered into different countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America to do business and end of the day, they became owners of those countries. 

The fate of Hambantota port in Sri Lanka has exposed the new Chinese imperialistic attitude. Sri Lanka developed the Hambantota deep sea port with huge amount of debt from China under the BRI framework. This port failed to meet the expected feedback and became unable to adjust the loan interest. To ease the pressure of loan adjustment, Sri Lanka handed the port over to China in December 2017 with a controlling equity stake and a 99-year lease. 

The example set a concern that the BRI could be a Trojan horse for China-led regional development while China could assert influence in control military and other institutions of the BRI subscribers. 

Hence, fear spread, that the Chinese economic expansion could be turned into a political expansion. 

In recent history, we have experience of the global alliance of military formation and branding as defense pact as like as Warsaw pact or NATO alliance. In past, these two military alliances did nothing for wellbeing of human but only demonstrated the panic all over the world. Weapon manufacturers & sellers were the sole beneficiaries of so called defense pacts.  Colossal resources were involved for making destructive instruments instead of making hospitals, educational institutes, road and other infrastructure for human development. 

Many economic forums have existed all over the world since the second -world war. Most of the alliances have been formed with same level of economy or inherited same culture or regional integrity. The BRI has more diversification -a wider arena for economic cooperation and a huge involvement of human resources. 

Moreover, the BRI also inspires others to form similar gigantic economic forums for human wellbeing.  Undoubtedly, `G-7 money to Developing Nations’ has been influenced by Chinese infrastructure investment policy as well as “debt diplomacy.” 

G7 plan, known as the Build Back Better World (B3W) initiative worth $40 trillion will provide a transparent infrastructure partnership to help Developing Nations by 2035.  

But, G-7 move for Developing Nations is expected to be included environmental hazards free policy, ensuring low interest rate and, of course, less intervention in subscriber’s internal politics.  Otherwise, Developing Nations will be deprived from actual economic benefit from G-7 money and to be used as pawn of the gigantic world players.  

About the author:

Sazzad Haider, Photographer Habib Raza.

Sazzad Haider is a writer and filmmaker living in Bangladesh. Editor & Publisher of The Diplomatic Journal.

Women’s Ambassadors Group Summary

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Women’s Ambassadors Group Summary

The Women’s Ambassadors Group is an informal group of women Ambassadors accredited to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, (based in the Netherlands) but also includes women ambassador accredited to the Kingdom of the Netherlands based in Brussels.

This network aims to facilitate communication and create a support web for all Women Ambassadors to the Netherlands. Through periodic meetings and discussions, the group aims to gain an insight into Dutch politics and more broadly female leadership and gender equality political and private sector.

H.E. Ms Adia Sakiqi, Coordinator of the Women’s Ambassadors Group, Ambassador of Albania.

This group is chaired by rotation according the UN regional group division. Ambassador of Albania, H.E. Ms. Adia Sakiqi took over the chairmanship on 1 October 2020 from Ambassador of Yemen H.E. Ms Sahar Ghanem, in her previous capacity as Chair of Women Ambassadors to the Netherlands.

Under the presidency of Albania (October 2020- September 2021) there have been a variety of innovative and refreshing meetings and online events. Although, the period of the presidency has overlapped with the global pandemic, the presidency has not been marred by a lack of communication and exchange. Instead, the variety of guest speakers and subsequent discussions have led to an inspiring, informative and enjoyable atmosphere.

Guest Speakers:

7 December 2020 – Mr. Peter Omtzigt – Member of the House of Representatives of the Netherlands. It was an open and frank discussion on the role of the MP and the Dutch parliament in decision-making processes in the Netherlands. Very informative exchange on topics related to the upcoming election, and the future government formation. Women ambassadors were very grateful to Mr. Omtzigt for finding the time for such an interesting session.

Mr. Paul Huijts – Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

14 January 2021 – Mr. Paul Huijts – Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.  “Diplomacy During Covid-19” as well as gender equality within a multi-lateral setting. Women ambassadors exchanged best practices how the pandemic management is addressed in different parts of the world. WA thanked the Secretary general for the hospitality which the host country provides for diplomatic corps. 

H.E. Ms. Rawan Sulaiman, Head of the Palestinian Mission in The Netherlands.

24 February 2021 – Mr Rob de Wijk Director for the Hague Center for Strategic Studies. The Director of HCSS is well known for his

5 March 2021: Countess Van Zuylen van Nijevelt – Mistress of the Robes of the Dutch Royal Household provided the Women Ambassadors with a presentation of the objectives and her duties within the Royal Household. Women Ambassadors are very grateful for her friendship and the solid relations that Mistress of the Robes of the Dutch Royal Household built with all ambassadors accredited to the Netherlands.

16 2021: Ms Sabra Bano – Gender Concerns International gave an useful presentation in view of the upcoming Dutch parliamentary elections regarding women participation and gender parity, not only addressing the 17 March parliamentary elections but also discussing GCI activity worldwide.

H.E. Frances Lanitou, Ambassador of Cyprus, H.E. Ms Irene Kasyanyu, Ambassador of Tanzania, H.E. Ms Lisa Helfland, Ambassador of Canada and H.E. Lynsay Walker, Ambassador of New Zealand. The Women’s Ambassadors Group.

19th May: Ms. Caroline Holtgrefe (President of SER Topvrouwen.nl) and Marguerite Soeteman Reijnen (Chairperson of Top Vrouwen.nl, Chairperson of RvB Aon Holdings and Chairperson of RvA) – Discussion were focused on leadership and equality and on the presence of gender diversity in the private sector.  What can we learn for the thriving private sector? Soeteman Reijnen provided Women ambassadors with a very dynamic presentation followed by reading tips from research studies implemented by renown private companies. It was refreshing to confer on the role women play in the private sector and how it can and should be increased in the private sector, but also in the in the public sector.

It is worth mentioning that thanks to the initiative of UK Ambassador H.E. Ms. Joanna Roper and President of Topvrouwen.nl., Ms. Caroline Holtgrefe, on the occasion of Women’s Day on 8 March, Women Ambassadors to NL officially became part of Topvrowen.nl network. We are very glad to be part of such a powerful and empowering grid of highly qualified and professional leaders.

H.E. Dr Hissa Al Otaiba, Ambassador of the UAE.
H.E. MS. Laura Dupuy Lasserre, Ambassador of Uruguay.

It can be said that the previous year has been one marked by stress and apprehension regarding the pandemic. However, within the confines of the group it has been a year of energizing exchange and learning. The year has seen a host of inspiring speakers and well as several farewells to female ambassadors who have left the Netherlands, such as the Ambassadors of Thailand, Brazil, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Romania, and Chile.

New women Ambassadors are: North Macedonia, El Salvador, Peru, Cyprus, Lichtenstein, Monaco (during 2020-2021).

H.E. Ms Päivi Marjaana Kaukoranta, Ambassador of Finland, the Ambassador of Albania and H.E. Ms Aiga Liepina, Ambassador of Latvia.

Upcoming activities:

  • Training on Negotiations offered at Clingendael Diplomatic Academy  for Women Ambassadors to NL. (September 2021)
  • Meeting with Mariette Hamer – President of SER (September 2021)

Biden-Putin summit, surprising or long-awaited

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Biden-Putin summit, surprising or long-awaited

By Arben Cici

The White House has prepared for President Joe Biden‘s first international trip since he was elected the 47th President of the United States. He started his first visit in Europe, where the welcoming climate seems, for many reasons, more positive than that to his predecessor, former President Donald Trump, but also more challenging, despite rising expectations. Anyway, this agenda will be not only busy, but also heated, like a geopolitical clash of Summits in Europe. It began with the G-7 Summit, continues on June 11-13 in the United Kingdom, then with the NATO Summit in Belgium, on June 14, and culminates and come to the end with the high-stake meeting with the Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

Russia is not attending either the G-7 or NATO meetings. It was suspended from, in 2014, what was then the G-8 in response to its annexation of Crimea, and similarly, NATO suspended all cooperation with Russia for its ‘aggressive actions’ in Ukraine. 

The first high-level meeting between the US President and the Russian President, which will take place on June 16 in Geneva, was confirmed simultaneously by both, the White House and the Kremlin. They issued brief statements, without demonstrating a high expectation of this event, somewhat unexpected, due to the strained relations between these two nuclear powers. 

“…The leaders will discuss the full range of pressing issues, as we seek to restore predictability and stability to the U.S.-Russia relationship,” said the White House in a brief statement or the organization of this summit.

Just weeks after being elected President (February 4th), Biden stated in his address to State Department officials, called ‘America is back’ that he would have a very different manner to Russia than his predecessor, Trump. 

‘We intend to discuss the state and prospects of further development of Russian-American relations, problems of strategic stability, as well as topical issues on the international agenda, including interaction in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic and the settlement of regional conflicts’, simultaneously said officially the Kremlin.

The context of the visit

It will be Biden’s first meeting with Putin since taking office but not the very first one between them, including that of 2011, which is remembered for exchanging not at all friendly jokes between them. 

This summit comes almost three years after Putin’s meeting with Trump (and the only one between them) and today’s U.S. officials claim that the Russian President’s meeting with Biden will have to be different from the one in July 2018, during which Trump appeared on Putin’s side and openly denied US revelation of Russian interference in the 2016 election. 

Russia, as the ‘biggest threat’ to U.S. security and its alliances, and former President Trump’s cozy relationship with Putin, were one of Biden’s battle horse weapons during Biden campaign for the White House, no further than last November. 

Last month, the U.S. administration announced that 10 Russian diplomats were expelled and dozens of Russian companies and individuals were sanctioned in response to allegations in the SolarWinds hack and Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election. 

The relations between the two powers are more turbulent than ever. The interviews of the two leaders in recent months, accompanied by accusations against each other, have strained even more these relations, consequence of which, for the first time in 20 years, Russia recalled on Moscow the Russian ambassador to Washington. 

However, the today major global issues and the deep-seated disputes which call, of course, for immediate solutions between the U.S. and Russia, and not only, forced these two leaders to throw back the past of not very friendly relations and of bitter media darts between them, until a few weeks ago. 

‘...We don’t only meet with people only when we agree. It’s important to meet with leaders when we have a range of disagreements, as we do with the Russian leaders’, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said, thus responding to the critics of the organization of this important summit. 

Possible talking points

The agenda has not been made public yet but, according to occasional statements by the White House and the Kremlin, a number of acute issues, which can change radically overnight, will be raised for discussion during this important summit. 

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and his Russian counterpart Nikolai Patrushev are in charge of preparing the agenda, the pillars and spirit of which were based at the May 19 meeting of the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The readiness to put on the table all the possible issues for discussion, regardless of whether or not an agreement is reached, was publicly expressed. 

‘I made it clear to President Putin, in a manner, very different from my predecessor, that the days of the United States rolling over in the face of Russia’s aggressive actions — interfering with our election, cyber-attacks, poisoning its citizens — are over’, said Biden, who on April 13th had his first telephone conversation with Putin, called ‘a tense first exchange’ by some comments and diplomatic corridors.

However, the statement of the White House means that the topics that can be discussed are acute, hot, the solution of which requires effort, attention, determination, responsibility, wisdom and the spirit of compromise, for the good and interests of both countries and the worldwide. 

Therefore, when President Joe Biden will meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on June 16, it will be one of the most watched summits of this year. 

‘… They discussed a number of regional and global issues, including the intent of the United States and Russia to pursue a strategic stability dialogue on a range of arms control and emerging security issues building on the extension of the “New START Treaty”. President Biden made it clear that the United States will act firmly in defense of its national interests in response to such Russia’s actions as cyber intrusions and election interference. President Biden emphasized the United States’ unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The President voiced our concerns over the sudden Russian military build-up in occupied Crimea and on Ukraine’s borders, and called on Russia to de-escalate tensions. President Biden reaffirmed his intention to restore a stable and predictable relationship with Russia, in line with U.S. interests, and proposed a summit meeting in a third country in the coming months, to discuss the full range of issues facing the United States and Russia’, the White House said in a statement on April 13th.

In 2014, Russia unliterally annexed Crimea, an important peninsula in the Black Sea that is home to a Russian navy base, resulting in international condemnation and sanctions. Despite this, Russia maintained its position by warning the United States against sending warships to the Black Sea urging U.S. forces to stay away ‘for their own good’.

U.S. Intelligence Agencies have concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election and that the country was behind recent cyber-attacks (last year) on U.S. companies and software systems. 

The White House officially announced that last year Russian spies sabotaged a tiny piece of computer code buried in a popular piece of software called ‘Solar Winds’, which spread to 18.000 government and private computer networks. The hackers accessed the digital files of the U.S. departments of Justice, State, Treasury, Energy, Commerce and were able to pry into top-level communications, court documents and nuclear information. 

The Biden administration announced sanctions in March against several senior Russian middle-ranking officials, along with more than a dozen other businesses and entities, even for the nearly fatal attack of the Russian Opposition Leader, Alexey Navalny with the nerve agent Novichok and his prisoning, in August 2020. According to the U.K. government, the Russian Secret Service used the same nerve agent for the poisoning of former Soviet spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the British city of Salisbury, in 2018.

Suspicions have been publicly raised that Russian agents were offering bounties to Taliban to attack U.S. troops in Afghanistan, which are in the process of returning home, and President Biden has a high sensitivity for the safety and lives of American troops.

Russia has consistently denied all these allegations, so it looks like it will not be an easy summit. The numerous issues on which these two powers have been debated and clashed with each other for a long time are part of not only bilateral concern, but also of global concern.

The result of the successful cooperation between these two countries, taking mutually coordinated measures in the fight against Covid-19 pandemic and the devastating economic, health and social consequences, as well as the substantial debate on climate change, are welcomed by the entire international community. Despite the complexity of the issues and extremely controversial attitudes, areas of cooperation such as the battle against Covid-19, climate change, setting ‘the rules of the game’ for cyber espionage, and minimizing the destabilizing of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, offer hope and opportunity for agreement and cooperation.

What will most likely be discussed in this summit, will be the controversial issue of the construction of the Nord Stream 2, which caused a conflict up to proposals for sanctions against Germany, one of the most important American allies in Europe. Senior U.S. officials insist that the pipeline threatens European energy security, heightens Russia’s influence and poses risks to Ukraine and Poland in bypassing both countries.

On the other hand, German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed the news of the summit commenting: ‘Diplomacy has a chance only if you speak to each other’.

Why Geneva?


It is no coincidence that this particular place was chosen for this important summit. President Biden has proposed the summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin to take place in a third country, so that the two can discuss ‘a full range of issues’. Geneva, this rich and very quiet city, on the shores of the lake of Geneva, offers stunning views of the Mont-Blanc peak, the highest peak in Western Europe, is an intriguing background for the summit. 

Geneva is an important center of institutions and multinational international organizations, and the heart of Swiss neutrality.

This city became the main crossroad of diplomacy and intrigue in the post-Cold War years during the Cold War, and the crossroad where Soviet dominated Eastern bloc diplomacy met freely with the Western Capitalism of the American style. 

Especially on November 19-20, 1985, Geneva made history when U.S. President Ronald Reagan first met with Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, a summit which was considered very important for breaking the ice between East and West and fostering more friendly relations between the two leaders throughout their presidential term.

Recently, this finding of the Biden administration seeks to revitalize the city’s reputation as a center of international diplomacy, distancing itself from the Trump administration, which mainly avoided its globalist institutions like the World Trade Organization and the World Health Organization, organizations in which the Biden administration has seriously re-engaged.

The importance of the Summit

Given the recent tensions, the far-flung attitudes of the parties and the general skeptical bilateral climate, there is little confidence that the summit can achieve stunning results.

But trying to restore dialogue and communication in order to achieve ‘predictability and stability’ in relations with Russia is an ambitious and bold goal of the Biden administration.

Even if no significant progress is made in agreeing on the hot issues that can be discussed, both parties will legitimately claim that they have attempted in good faith, efforts to improve relations between them and consequently establish a different climate in international relations.

This meeting will give an important message in the general conflict situation, will contribute to de-escalate the tensions through the establishment of open lines of communication between Washington and Moscow on important global security issues of interest to Russia and the United States, especially in the debate over the control of nuclear weapons.

Nevertheless, everyone agrees that: surprising or long-awaited, this summit will be the most globally attended diplomatic event.

# https://president.al/en/arben-cici-keshilltar-diplomatik/

About the author: 

Ambassador Arben Cici


Ambassador Arben Cici has a long diplomatic carrier; he isresearcher and analyst in the field of international relations especially the issues of the region, author of books and many articles published in Albania and abroad. He is teaching at the University of Tirana and at the Mediterranean University as chair of international relations and diplomacy. He is diplomatic advisor to the President of the Republic of Albania.

Ljubljana/Tirana, 12 June 2021    

Madagascar Ambassador presented credentials

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Madagascar Ambassador presented credentials

The King of the Netherlands and H.E. Mr. Jean Omer Beriziky, Ambassador of the Republic of Madagascar.

On 07 October 2020, H.E. Mr. Jean Omer Beriziky, Ambassador of the Republic of Madagascar presented his Letters of Credence to His Majesty King Willem Alexander of the Netherlands, accrediting him as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The Ambassador of the Republic of Madagascar, H.E. Mr. Jean Omer Beriziky,

The official ceremony took place at the Nordeinde Palace in The Hague, followed by a private meeting, during which the relations between the two countries as well as various topics of common interest were discussed.

Ambassador of the Republic of Madagascar

Ambassador Beriziky expressed to His Majesty the King of the Netherlands the commitment of the Malagasy government and the Malagasy diplomatic mission to continue to strive for the strengthening of the already excellent relations between the two countries for the mutual interests of both nations.

The Ambassador of the Republic of Madagascar

Mladić Appeals Judgement

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Mladić Appeals Judgement

Statement by Serge Brammertz, Chief Prosecutor of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals on the occasion of Mladić Appeals Judgement

The Hague, 8 June 2021 – Following the issuance of the appeal judgment in the case of Prosecutor vs. Ratko Mladić, Serge Brammertz, Chief Prosecutor of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, gave the following statement to the press:

Today, Ratko Mladić, Commander of the Main Staff of the Bosnian Serb Army, was by final judgment convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for his crimes.

The Appeals Chamber rejected appeals filed by the defence and upheld the key findings of the Trial Chamber.

Mladić was found guilty for commanding violent ethnic cleansing campaigns across Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992 to 1995. He was further convicted for commanding a campaign of crimes against the civilian population during the Siege of Sarajevo. He was also convicted for using the forces under his command to commit genocide against the Bosnian Muslim population of Srebrenica. Finally, he was convicted for taking UN peacekeepers hostage and using them as human shields.

The time has come to accept the truth.

Mladić ranks among the most notorious war criminals in modern history. He intentionally used his military command to attack, kill, torture, rape and expel innocent civilians for no reason other than their ethnicity and religion. He inflamed ethnic hatred and lied to those he purported to defend in order to justify his crimes. Given the power of life or death over thousands of innocent men and boys in Srebrenica, he ordered their total elimination and committed genocide.

Mladić should be condemned by all responsible officials in the former Yugoslavia and around the world. His name should be consigned to the list of history’s most depraved and barbarous figures.

This is not a judgment against the Serbian people, who Mladić and his supporters have manipulated for decades. Mladić’s guilt is his, and his alone.

With the conclusion of this case, the victims and survivors should be in the forefront of our thoughts.

The appeal judgment confirms again what they suffered. And it confirms the courage of the witnesses who came forward and told the truth.

On behalf of my Office, I would like to recognize the victims and survivors who never gave up on their quest for justice. We extend our deepest appreciation to them, because without them we would not have been able to do our work. We hope that today’s judgment provides them some measure of solace and a feeling that, despite all the harms they suffered and how long they waited, justice is possible.

I would also like to express our gratitude to the diplomatic community and the media, who supported our work for more than two decades. You played a critical role in ensuring that Mladić was finally held accountable for his crimes.

Ultimately, today’s judgment should also remind us of the justice that still needs to be achieved. Throughout the former Yugoslavia, thousands of war crimes suspects from all sides remain to be investigated and prosecuted.

National prosecutors and judges now have the responsibility to continue this work, and my Office pledges to provide them with our full support. Together we can ensure that all victims of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia are able to see those who wronged them answer for their crimes.

Ireland contributes €100,000 to OPCW’s Trust Fund for Syria Missions

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Ireland contributes €100,000 to OPCW’s Trust Fund for Syria Missions

Ireland provides support to the work of the OPCW’s missions and contingency operations in the Syrian Arab Republic

THE HAGUE, Netherlands–8 June 2021–The Government of Ireland is contributing €100,000 toward supporting the activities of the Trust Fund for Syria Missions at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

The Fund supports the Organisation’s missions and contingency operations specifically related to the Syrian Arab Republic. Ireland’s contribution aims to assist in full elimination of the Syrian Chemical Weapons Programme and clarification of facts related to the alleged use of chemical weapons, in accordance with the Chemical Weapons Convention and relevant decisions of the policy-making organs of the OPCW.

The voluntary contribution was formalised on 7 June by the Permanent Representative of Ireland to the OPCW, H.E. Ambassador Kevin Kelly, and OPCW Director-General, H.E. Mr Fernando Arias, at the Organisation’s headquarters in The Hague.

Ambassador Kelly remarked: “Ireland is pleased to make this voluntary contribution to the OPCW Trust Fund for Syria. This contribution serves to demonstrate Ireland’s unwavering support for the Organisation’s efforts towards eliminating the menace of chemical weapons in Syria. Through this contribution, Ireland seeks to follow up our repeated calls for accountability for Syrian victims with practical assistance towards the delivery of that goal.” 

H.E. Mr. Fernando Arias, Director General OPCW and H.E. Mr. Kevin Erik, Ambassador of Ireland.

The Director-General noted: “I am grateful to the Government of Ireland for its assistance in maintaining OPCW’s critical mission in Syria. The international community has a shared responsibility to bring to light all facts related to the existence and use of chemical weapons in that country.”

Ireland has been an active member of the OPCW since the Chemical Weapons Convention entered into force in 1997.

As the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention, the OPCW, with its 193 Member States, oversees the global endeavour to permanently eliminate chemical weapons. Since the Convention’s entry into force in 1997, it is the most successful disarmament treaty eliminating an entire class of weapons of mass destruction.

Over 98% of all declared chemical weapon stockpiles have been destroyed under OPCW verification. For its extensive efforts in eliminating chemical weapons, the OPCW received the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize.

President Agius briefs UN Security Council on progress of Mechanism’s work

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President Agius briefs UN Security Council on progress of Mechanism’s work

Arusha, The Hague, 9 June 2021 – The President of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism), Judge Carmel Agius, yesterday presented the Mechanism’s eighteenth progress report to the United Nations Security Council by video-teleconference from The Hague.

President Agius opened his address by informing the Security Council that, in its Judgement pronounced just a few hours earlier, the Appeals Chamber of the Mechanism had affirmed Mr. Ratko Mladić’s convictions and the sentence of life imprisonment imposed on him by a Trial Chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). Reflecting on the broader impact of the Judgement, the President underscored: “The issuance of the final Judgement sends a strong message to victims of atrocities committed in the former Yugoslavia and elsewhere, that perpetrators of such heinous crimes will ultimately be brought to justice, regardless of their position or how powerful and untouchable they consider themselves to be.” He invited Members of the Council to read the Judgement, which is publicly available on the Mechanism’s website.

In relation to other cases before the Mechanism, President Agius confirmed that judgements in both the Stanišić & Simatović retrial and the Nzabonimpa et al. contempt trial are also expected to be delivered by the end of June 2021. In the case against Mr. Félicien Kabuga, a Status Conference was held on 1 June and a pre-trial work plan was recently announced.  

Turning to the Mechanism’s responsibilities in the area of enforcement, the President conveyed deep appreciation for the invaluable contribution of the 15 United Nations Member States in Africa and Europe that are currently enforcing the sentence of one or more convicted persons. He expressed sincere hope that additional States will step forward and enter into enforcement agreements with the United Nations for the same purpose.

Further with respect to Member States’ cooperation, President Agius reiterated that the Mechanism depends on the international community’s assistance to resolve the longstanding situation of the acquitted and released persons in Arusha. Emphasising the fundamental importance of resettling these individuals, the President noted that the Security Council’s continued leadership, and the cooperation and support of Member States, are essential in tackling this situation once and for all.

President Agius then drew the Council’s attention to his letter of 11 May 2021 informing Member States of the Republic of Serbia’s continued failure to comply with its international obligations to arrest and surrender Mr. Petar Jojić and Ms. Vjerica Radeta to the Mechanism. He noted that over six years have passed since the ICTY first requested Serbia to execute arrest warrants in relation to these accused persons, and that this is the third time that Serbia’s failure to cooperate has been reported to the Security Council. Finally, President Agius emphasised that “Serbia’s inaction not only undermines the effective administration of justice before the Mechanism, but also defies the international community by challenging the Security Council’s authority and the United Nations Charter.”

In concluding, President Agius paid tribute to the Council and the international community at large, whose support he considers to be the “backbone of the Mechanism’s success”. After thanking the Mechanism’s Host States, its enforcement States and all Security Council Members for their unwavering support and admirable commitment, the President encouraged others “to follow suit so that the Mechanism lives up to its potential and that international criminal justice delivers on its promise”.   

Civil Society Reforms in Uzbekistan

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Civil Society Reforms in Uzbekistan

By Eldor Tulyakov, Executive Director, Development Strategy Center Uzbekistan.

Upon Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s election as President of Uzbekistan in 2016, the role of a robust civil society became the cornerstone of development for a new period in the country’s history. Radical reforms have embraced all aspects of our society’s political and social life—with NGOs and civil society institutions the locus for reimagining the state’s role in our lives.

With this purpose in mind, President Mirziyoyev presented a flagship program known as the Strategy of Actions where he outlines the five priority areas for the country’s midterm development: enhancing the role played by civil society institutions in public life, mainly through the media, improving the activities and capacity of non-governmental organizations, developing and introducing effective mechanisms for public engagement in all levels of governance, strengthening the institutional framework, primarily through legal structures, to ensure the effective operation of civil society institutions, support of those institutions, and foster their initiative in exercising public engagement over the activities of state bodies.

Public engagement in the context of the changes underway in Uzbekistan means a constant discourse between state institutions and the people they are obligated to serve. Only then do we make decisions on critical socio-political issues. We provide ample opportunities for the active participation of non-governmental, non-profit organizations in the social protection of the population. Through these means, we will strengthen public health, ameliorate environmental concerns, provide a balanced education for our youth, increase citizens’ medical and legal knowledge, among many other reforms. As a result of we have seen a considerable increase in non-governmental, non-profit organizations, and other civil society institutions’ activities following in the words of the President, “…it is not the people should serve the state, but the state must serve the people.” [1]

In particular, because we submit draft laws, decrees, resolutions, and other normative legal acts for public discussion and examination before adoption, we often avoid the emergence of problems, whether intentional or not, at an early stage in development. The media and social media often play an essential role in fostering public criticism of government agencies and public officials.

In turn, we created Virtual[2] and People’s Receptions[3] of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan to ensure human rights and interests, establish a dialogue with people, carefully study and resolve problems and people’s needs. These structures form a mechanism for in-depth analysis of the effectiveness of both state-run and executive management efforts. We can monitor local issues through objective criteria and assess their activities, thus holding responsible state institutions and officials accountable to society. To further strengthen the legislative basis for accommodating grievances, the Law “On Appeals of Individuals and Legal Entities” was adopted in a new iteration of legislative activity.[4]

Today, People’s receptions in all regions, cities, and districts have switched to an active system of identifying and solving problems through door-to-door visits to families.[5] Through this grassroots effort, we ensure transparency of direct dialogue with the population, identifying solutions to issues at the local level while protecting individuals and legal entities’ rights, freedoms, and legal interests. People’s receptions are empowered to conduct systematic studies of state bodies. Based upon their conclusions, they then introduce submissions to state bodies for consideration. Many of those submissions have proposed disciplinary action against officials who have broken the law, including their dismissal.

In 2020 alone, the President’s virtual reception and People’s receptions received about 1.2 million applications. As a result of the information and eye-witness testimonies provided by the People’s Receptions of the President, 752 senior officials who did not work according to our system’s guidelines were brought to justice.[6] Recently, we observe a trend where all ministries have adopted virtual portals on their websites to receive applications and complaints from citizens. The expansion of this system has meant timely resolution of emerging issues.

Furthermore, responsible officials at all levels, working on the ground in the mahallas, identify gaps in improving the population’s living standards, gather the general opinion of their citizens regarding reforms, and organize their efforts on this basis.[7] Also, the Government has formed a system for organizing regular community, face-to-face receptions with the Presidential Administration officials, ministries and agencies, Khokims of regions, cities, and districts in the outlying regions. In 2020 alone, we held more than 19 thousand such field receptions. We took measures to solve more than 124 thousand issues from approximately 120 thousand representatives of the population.[8]

When drafting annual state programs within the framework of the tasks defined by the Strategy of Actions, officials closely study and consider topical issues raised by the population. We prioritize longstanding problems, proposals submitted by civil society institutions and non-governmental organizations, and critical analysis brought forth by the media and social media networks. After completing a vetting process, we present a draft program for public discussion. It is adopted and sent for implementation only after considering the opinions, proposals, and recommendations of ordinary people, experts, and representatives of international organizations.[9]

In the renewed Uzbekistan, every individual holds the constitutional right to freedom of thought, speech, and belief. Their right to search, receive and disseminate information through their interests is held inviolate, an achievement rightfully acknowledged by the international community.[10] In particular, under the President’s insistence, state bodies opened their “closed doors” and ensured transparency in their activities. The President regularly follows social networks, national and foreign media, and other sources about the societal problems that concern the public. In due course, he sometimes reprimands responsible leaders who are indifferent to resolving these issues. He sometimes applies disciplinary sanctions, even releases them from office, and calls on civil society institutions to be uncompromising in these processes.[11]

Under the initiative of Shavkat Mirziyoyev, public officials introduced effective mechanisms of this institution into the law “On Public Control” adopted in 2018.[12] This law regulates Government and Governmental organizations’ relations with citizens, citizens’ self-government bodies, non-governmental, non-profit organizations, and the media in organizing and furthering a public discourse over the implementation of legislative acts.

Also, by the Decree of the President, Public Councils were created as branches of state bodies. These councils are called upon to exercise a mechanism of accountability over a state body and its officials on implementing adopted regulations, programs, agreements, contracts, projects, and programs implemented within the social partnership framework. Besides, these councils take an active part in systematic monitoring and comprehensive analysis of public opinion on the activities of a state body on the most critical issues affecting the rights, freedoms, and legitimate interests of citizens, the development and implementation of state programs, and other programs in the field of combating corruption. Thus, accountability to the public is essential for building a stable and free civil society in the new Uzbekistan. Accordingly, organizing fruitful cooperation between state and public organizations and ensuring the effectiveness of reforms – is the core of the updated policy.

One must openly admit that although there are about 9,200 non-governmental, non-profit organizations in Uzbekistan[13], many of them have not found their place and role in the public life of Uzbekistan and have shown negligible results from their activities.  Meanwhile, citizen participation, citizens’ self-governing bodies, non-governmental, non-profit organizations, and the media engaged in the current reforms lagged woefully behind international standards. In particular, most civil society institutions, having legal powers to hold public hearings, to discuss issues related to state bodies and their officials, issues of great social significance, did not pay due attention to this responsibility.

Under the President’s initiative, facilities to house NGOs are being installed in all regions of the country, which, one by one, are transferred to the disposal of independent institutions of civil society. Also, they are provided with training on legal issues pertaining to their field to participate and receive national and international grant competitions. Practical assistance is provided in establishing close cooperation with international organizations. In short, to establish social justice, NGOs are actively supported, which serve to further equality, mutual responsibility, and accountability in the individual, society, and the state.[14]

Nevertheless, due to concrete support by the Government, activities among institutions engaged in the civil sphere have increased. In particular, one should note that last year, in the context of a pandemic, under the initiative of NGOs, NGOs carried out a tremendous amount of work in the fight against coronavirus. Charity events and all efforts to protect the health of citizens were highly effective.[15]

The adoption in March of this year by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of a resolution[16] and a decree[17] aimed at strengthening the development of civil society represents another step towards the development of civil society in Uzbekistan.  These two legal documents aim to ensure transparency among NGOs so that stakeholders can be aware of their activities. Ensuring civil society institutions’ transparency has been noted as one of the main directions of the “Concept for developing civil society in 2021–2025.” This decree goes a long way in adding teeth to these efforts in the form of a legal document.

According to the Decree, beginning April 1, 2021, an Index measuring the transparency of non-governmental and non-profit organizations will be introduced. At the end of each year, we will formulate their rating based on a matrix of non-governmental, non-profit organizations’ activities. Factors contributing to this matric will be the degree of social partnership, the effectiveness of allocated subsidies, grants, social orders, and other vital indicators.

Also, from now on, information on the activities of non-governmental, non-profit organizations will be posted on their official website, the website www.e-ngo.uz, or on other open-source information portals. Based on the data and assessments made by the public, we will formulate an index of NGO openness at the end of each year. Simultaneously, the primary indicators are summarized in real-time and will be available for general review. In deciding the Openness Index’s final result, broad participation of governmental and non-governmental organizations, particularly the public, is ensured. Based on the results of the Openness Index, lists (ratings) will be formed for “the top 20 most transparent non-governmental, non-profit organizations” and “the top 20 most active non-governmental, non-profit organizations”.

The aim is for the proposed rating system to popularize and further the acceptance by the mainstream society of the positive work conducted by non-governmental and non-profit organizations—thus making them a role model for others. Recommendations (vouchers, certificates) for receiving state grants and social orders within the social partnership framework will be issued. According to newly established procedures, the state will take proper measures to strengthen the material and technical infrastructure (office equipment, computers, other technical means, provision of buildings, etc.) for these nascent organizations. Moreover, through these new measures, we foresee further developing cooperation with government agencies and international organizations.

In conclusion, one should take special note that the President is deeply aware of how important and necessary the third sector’s role is on the path of Uzbekistan’s progressive development. In this regard, the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev promotes ideas and initiatives that promise to establish a systemic and effective dialogue between citizens and civil society institutions under international standards. He seeks a multi-vector approach that combines all levels of society’s efforts to develop a State that ensures the adherence to our values as a country and a practical approach to the betterment of the lives of its citizens.

[1] Tulyakov E. Reforms in the public administration system are a bold step towards the third renaissance https://strategy.uz/index.php?news=1070

[2] Information and legal portal https://www.norma.uz/uz/bizning_sharhlar/prezident_virtual_qabulhonasining_yangi_talqini_ishga_tushirildi

[3] National legislation database https://lex.uz/docs/4166965  

[4] National legislation database. https://lex.uz/docs/3336171 

[5] National legislation database. https://lex.uz/docs/4166965

[6] Site of the newspaper “Yangi Ozbekiston”.https://yuz.uz/news/2020-yilda-prezident-xalq-qabulxonalariga-1-milliondan-ortiq-murojaat-kelib-tushgan

[7] Governmental portal of the Republic of Uzbekistan. https://gov.uz/uz/pages/government_sites

[8] Applications and suggestions received by the People’s Receptions serve as the basis for large projects and programs. “Yangi Uzbekiston” newspaper, 2021 January 5, No. 2.http://online.anyflip.com/brpug/atkd/mobile/index.html

[9] Development Strategy Center website.https://strategy.uz/index.ph p?news=119&lang=uz

[10] Website of the newspaper “Yangi Uzbekistan” https://yuz.uz/news/soz-erkinligi-barqaror-taraqqiyot-masalalariga-hamnafas 

[11] Mirzieyov Sh. Our people need gas, and many of them are paying for it honestly and on time. https://review.uz/oz/post/xalqimizga-gaz-kerak-ularning-kopchiligi-buning-uchun-tolovlarni-oz-vaqtida-halol-qilib-tolab-kelmoqda-shavkat-mirziyoyev

[12] National legislation database. https://lex.uz/docs/3679092  

[13] Portal of non-governmental non-profit organizations of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan  http://e-ngo.uz/

[14] Sattarova G., “On the support of NGOs within State program”https://uza.uz/uz/posts/davlat-dasturida-nntlarni-qollab-quvvatlash-xususida_240877

[15] Site of the charitable public fund of Uzbekistan “Mahalla”. https://obfm.uz/uz/news/2020/09/22/pandemiya-davrida-saxovat-va-komak-jamgarmasi-ehtiyojmand-oilalarga-qariyb-105-milliard-som-naqd-pul-tarqatdi

[16] Website of the National Information Agency of Uzbekistan. https://uza.uz/uz/posts/nodavlat-notizhorat-tashkilotlarini-davlat-tomonidan-qollab-quvvatlash-ularning-faoliyati-erkinligi-huquqlari-va-qonuniy-manfaatlari-himoya-qilinishini-taminlashga-oid-qoshimcha-chora-tadbirlar-togrisida_245986

[17] Website of the National Information Agency of Uzbekistan. https://uza.uz/uz/posts/2021-2025-yillarda-fuqarolik-zhamiyatini-rivozhlantirish-koncepciyasini-tasdiqlash-togrisida_246489

Culture must be at the heart of our response to the COVID-19 crisis

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Culture must be at the heart of our response to the COVID-19 crisis

UAE Minister of State Zaki Nusseibeh and King Tupou VI of Tonga. Picture by Gabby Wantok Abariga

By Minister of State Zaki Nusseibeh, Cultural Advisor to HH The President of the United Arab Emirates, Chancellor of United Arab Emirates University 

There can be no doubt that the coronavirus pandemic presents a serious challenge to humanity. Yet we must ensure that it is our core humanity, and the values of collaboration, compassion and creativity, that remain at the very heart of our response to this crisis. 

Given my responsibility for overseeing the UAE’s cultural diplomacy, I understand the vital role that culture plays in expressing and reinforcing these values. So, despite the obvious practical challenges, now is not the time to pause our cultural diplomacy; instead, we must accelerate it. 

Therefore, whilst theatres, concert halls and galleries are closing, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation is working hard to keep the stage lights shining. Several UAE ambassadors have been hosting a series of online discussions with cultural leaders in their host countries, from Australia to Singapore, from the UK to Japan, and from Chile to the United States.

This global dialogue has revealed that cultural institutions everywhere are struggling to deal with the impact of the pandemic, but they are also innovating and finding new ways to reach their audiences. Most importantly, the conversations have consistently highlighted how cultural exchange can help to ensure we emerge stronger from this human tragedy, with our progressive values reinforced. 

The first of those values is collaboration. We cannot defeat this virus alone. We depend on others in our community to behave responsibly and care for each other, and the same is true of the international community. Countries should not put up walls in response to this threat; they must recognize that the only way out of this pandemic is through cooperation. So, we need to break down barriers and show we are all in this together. 

One of the best ways to do that is by connecting to our common humanity through culture. As one UAE ambassador put it in the symposium: “It is our duty to reach the hearts and minds of the people of the countries we are in.” Cultural exchange can be a powerful antidote to the politics of division. 

In the Japanese edition of the symposium, we learned how these human connections can be reflected in architecture. Ahmed Bukhash’s design for the Expo Live Pavilion was inspired by a meeting in a Bedouin tent between the late Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid which initiated the cooperation that led to the founding of the UAE. But the Pavilion’s design is also influenced by Japanese origami art, so the spirit of collaboration between two emirates is today intertwined with that between two nations.

The second value that will help us defeat this virus is compassion. There is a risk that people and countries turn inwards during this crisis, to focus exclusively on the needs of their own families or citizenry. This is of course their primary responsibility. But this pandemic has revealed that we are only as strong as the weakest link and the only way for humanity to emerge stronger from this crisis is if we care for the vulnerable. 

The symposia have heard from cultural leaders about the role of culture in engaging, entertaining and even providing solace to vulnerable people in these stressful times. When people are isolated, when loved ones are sick, and when the world outside appear alienating, cultural engagement can make people feel part of a shared experience, that they are not alone. 

It is this same compassion that is reflected in the provision of aid to vulnerable communities around the world. As of mid-May, the UAE had provided 523 tonnes of medical and food aid to 47 countries. As the UAE ambassador to Chile reminded viewers of the symposium, it is important to send a message that ‘we don’t forget anyone’. 

An act of kindness can say a lot about a country’s culture. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, said recently that he will ‘always remember the friends and partners who have supported us during this difficult time.’ As such, it can also serve as a powerful example of public diplomacy. 

The third value is that of creativity. The production of culture always demands creativity, but the COVID-19 pandemic has required even more extraordinary innovation in the methods of producing cultural output and delivering it to audiences. 

In the symposium, we heard about the Aga Khan Museum’s experience with their ‘Museum Without Walls’, where visitors can tour its collections online. During the crisis, the curators have been doing 3D ‘video walk-throughs’ of their collections, to bring the collections to life for viewers. 

Indeed, despite the challenges, we have heard how many are seeing this as an opportunity to experiment. They recognize that going online gives them the chance to reach a much wider audience. They are putting their creative minds to work on questions such as how to maintain the same quality of experience in the digital space. This innovative process will have lasting benefits. 

However, it would be wrong to paint a picture that is too rosy. We have heard time and again of the struggle of many cultural institutions and their employees, as well as many artists, musicians and writers, as their revenues have disappeared overnight. If we value their work, which we all surely do, we need collectively to make sure that they survive the crisis and open their doors again when it becomes safe to do so. 

This crisis, like all crises, will leave its mark on culture. Our experience will be represented in cultural works that for generations to come will express both the pain of this period and, I hope, the beauty of how humanity came together in response. It will also have a lasting impact on the way we produce and deliver cultural works. 

For now, however, my priority is to ensure that we make use of culture to help us get through this pandemic more united, more compassionate and more creative than ever before. Given what I have seen so far in this global cultural dialogue, I am convinced that we will succeed. 

Source : https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/culture-must-heart-our-response-covid-19-crisis-zaki-nusseibeh/?trackingId=5h82lGkSpwXTP2L6W8TcBg%3D%3D 

Republished with the kind permission of H.E. Minister of State Zaki Nusseibeh.  

Nine Centuries of Jewish Life in Thuringia

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Nine Centuries of Jewish Life in Thuringia

By Tina Beer, State Secretary for Cultural Affairs of Thuringia, Germany

Jewish life is an indisputable part of Thuringia. The Free State in Central Germany and its state government are proud it exists and flourishes. This is expressed in the current theme year “Nine Centuries of Jewish Life in Thuringia”. Based on an initiative of the two large Christian churches in Thuringia, it was initiated to show the influence of Jewish culture in Thuringia over the centuries, the eventful history of its flourishing, its suppression and its revival, also and especially in the countryside, away from the large metropolises. Above all, however, the theme year is intended to sharpen the view of how enriching Jewish life is for our entire society in the present and the future.

Under the auspices of the Thuringian State Chancellery, stakeholders from science, education, culture, museums, archives, private and public institutions and associations came together in autumn 2019. The result was a programme with over 150 events and projects throughout Thuringia. The main projects – in addition to “Torah is Life” and the three music festivals that have been firmly established in Thuringia for years, “Days of Jewish-Israeli Culture”, “Yiddish Summer Weimar” and “Achava Festival” – are the virtual reconstruction of the Great Synagogue in Erfurt and the MENORA project.

Inside Berkach Synagogue (photo courtesy TSK/Michael Reichel)

The interactive portal MENORA (www.juedisches-leben-thueringen.de), set up and maintained by the Thuringian University and State Library (ThULB) in cooperation with the Association for Jewish-Israeli Culture in Thuringia, provides information about historical testimonies, as well as current events.

The portal functions as an event calendar, a topology of Jewish places in Thuringia and a digital exhibition platform all in one. Thanks to state-of-the-art technology, buildings can also be digitally resurrected and become virtually accessible. Therefore, one of the highlighted projects of the theme year is a “virtual reality” reconstruction of the Great Synagogue of Erfurt, which is being created under the direction of the Historic Museums of the City of Erfurt. The striking building was destroyed in the Pogrom Night of 1938 and later demolished.

“Torah is Life” is another unique project: Over a period of two years in total, a specially authorised sofer (a Jewish scribe) will write a new Torah scroll, which will be ceremoniously brought into Erfurt’s main synagogue on 30 September 2021 as a gift from the two Christian churches to the Thuringian Jewish community. This 30 September originally marked the end of the theme year and, just like its beginning on 1 October 2020, is based on the Jewish calendar.

Old Synagogue Erfurt (photo courtesy TSK/Paul-Philipp Braun)

After the opening event for the theme year on 1 October 2020, which was still possible to hold as a face-to-face event in Erfurt’s Kaisersaal with restrictions due to the pandemic, practically all other projects from November 2020 onwards had to be cancelled or transferred to a digital format. In the digital formats, participants were welcomed from far beyond Thuringia.

In order to be able to hold non-digital formats as well, it was decided to extend the theme year until 31 December 2021. All cancelled events are to be made up as soon as possible, as soon as the pandemic allows – even after 2021, if necessary. Although the digitalisation of event formats has taken a quantum leap forward due to the Corona pandemic, we miss coming together for music, culture, readings, discussions, visiting exhibitions. It will soon be possible again – Thuringia is looking forward to it!

More information can also be found at:

https://www.visit-thuringia.com/travel-hotel-holiday-tour/juedische-kultur-geschichte-160409.html.

Thuringia’s State Secretary for Culture, Tina Beer (photo courtesy Thüringer Staatskanzlei – TSK)

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