The ambassadors’ visit to the Peace Palace, a symbol of Peace and Justice in the world

Diplomat Magazine
-
0
The ambassadors’ visit to the Peace Palace, a symbol of Peace and Justice in the world

In the picture, the Ambassador of Panama, H.E. Ms. Elizabeth Ward Neiman, who came to the city’s emblematic Peace Palace, with Mr. Erik De Beaedts, Peace Palace & Carnegie Foundation Director-General.

Mr. Erik de Baedts, General Director of the Carnegie Foundation-Peace Palace and Treasurer of the Hague Academy of International Law since 2015, individually welcomed to the Peace Palace the ambassadors that have presented their credentials in the Netherlands throughout 2020 and 2021.

As part of a program started in 2019, the Peace Palace would normally organize, in collaboration with Diplomat Magazine, a private group reception at the Palace for the new ambassadors. However, in light of the anti-COVID regulations, the traditional group reception has now morphed into a set of individual visits to the Palace, under the personal guidance of its General Director Mr. De Baedts.

“Until now I’ve had the pleasure to welcome the ambassadors of Egypt, Panama, and Rwanda. They all showed a sincere interest in the Peace Palace and in all the activities that the institutions hosted here undertake to promote peace through law” – Mr. de Baedts said.  

“The ambassador of Panama, H.E. Ms Elizabeth Ward Neiman, was very much interested in the architecture and the cultural heritage of the Peace Palace, whereas with the ambassador of Egypt, H.E. Mr. Hatem Elsayed Mohamed Kamaleldin, there was an interesting exchange on how to deal with extremist narratives and how to promote peace and tolerance between people with various backgrounds and faiths” – the General Director continued, describing his meetings with individual ambassadors.

H.E. Mr. Olivier Jean Patrick Nduhungirehe, Ambassador of Rwanda and Erik De Beaedts, Director General of the Peace Palace.

“I met H.E. Mr. Olivier Jean Patrick Nduhungirehe, ambassador of Rwanda the day after I laid a wreath at the monument opposite the Peace Palace to commemorate the victims of the Second World War. I learnt a lot from the dynamics that have taken place in Rwanda over the past decades. We share an interest to prevent dynamics of exclusion and persecution of minorities from taking place” – Mr. de Baedts said.

The Peace Palace hosts two of the most important Courts in the world: the United Nations’ International Court of Justice, which is the only main UN organ located outside of New York; and the Permanent Court of Arbitration. In addition, the Palace also hosts The Hague Academy of International Law.

The Peace Palace was built after the First Hague Peace Conference of 1899. It finally opened its doors in 1913, thanks to a donation from the philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, who established the Carnegie Foundation to build and maintain the Palace in perpetuity. The Carnegie Foundation also manages the Peace Palace Library and hosts the Academy.

The Palace has been designated as a National Monument and carries the European Heritage Label – recognitions that testifies to its high cultural, historical and architectural value.

In addition to the aforementioned functions, the Peace Palace also facilitates conferences during which important international law concepts are elaborated. At the same time, The Hague Academy of International Law, since its establishment, has educated more than 50,000 students and lawyers from all over the world, including future ambassadors and judges of many countries.

The meeting between the Peace Palace’s General Director and the new ambassadors, jointly organized by the Peace Palace and Diplomat Magazine, wants to symbolize the need for cooperation and solidarity in the complex efforts aimed at reaching peace among all countries in the world. “I wish the ambassadors a successful tenure in The Hague and I hope to see them more often once the Palace can open up again after the pandemic” – concluded General Director de Baedts.  

Dominic Ongwen sentenced to 25 years of imprisonment

Diplomat Magazine
-
0
Dominic Ongwen sentenced to 25 years of imprisonment

Dominic Ongwen during the delivery of the sentence before the International Criminal Court on 6 May 2021 ©ICC-CPI

Today, 6 May 2021, Trial Chamber IX of the International Criminal Court sentenced Dominic Ongwen to 25 years of imprisonment following the Trial Judgment in which the Chamber found him guilty for a total of 61 crimes comprising crimes against humanity and war crimes, committed in Northern Uganda between 1 July 2002 and 31 December 2005.

The period of his detention between 4 January 2015 and 6 May 2021, will be deducted from the total time of imprisonment imposed on him. The sentence may be appealed before the ICC Appeals Chamber by either party to the proceedings.

Judge Bertram Schmitt, Presiding Judge, read a summary of the Chamber’s decision. He highlighted that the Chamber was confronted in the present case with a unique situation. It is confronted with a perpetrator who wilfully and lucidly brought tremendous suffering upon his victims. However, it is also confronted with a perpetrator who himself had previously endured extreme suffering himself at the hands of the group of which he later became a prominent member and leader.

The Chamber decided to give certain weight in mitigation to the circumstances of Dominic Ongwen’s childhood, his abduction by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) at a very young age and his early stay with the LRA.

The Chamber rejected the Defence’s arguments, recalling its analysis of evidence in the Judgment issued on 4 February 2021, and considered that the mitigating circumstances of substantially diminished mental capacity and duress are not applicable.

The Chamber also rejected the arguments of the Defence concerning traditional justice mechanisms, noting that there exists no possibility under the Statute to replace a term of imprisonment with traditional justice mechanisms, or to incorporate traditional justice mechanisms into the sentence in any other way.  It also noted that Acholi traditional justice mechanisms are not in widespread use, to the extent that they would replace formal justice, and that they are reserved to members of the Acholi community, meaning that their use would mean that some victims belonging to other ethnic groups would be excluded.

The Chamber emphasised that reconciliation, whatever its form, is a process in which victim participation is essential, and noted that it is clear that many victims of the crimes committed by Dominic Ongwen do not support the idea of traditional justice in the present case, and that they have also criticised the fact that submissions in this regard were made to the Chamber without consulting them. 

Judges of ICC Trial Chamber IX pronouncing the sentence against Dominic Ongwen on 6 May 2021 ©ICC-CPI

The Chamber analysed one-by-one the gravity of each of the 61 crimes for which Dominic Ongwen was convicted, finding several aggravating circumstances applicable to some or even most crimes. Aggravating circumstances included particular cruelty, multiplicity of victims, the victims being particularly defenceless, and discrimination on political grounds and discrimination against women. The Chamber imposed individual sentences for each crime, taking the mitigating circumstance of Dominic Ongwen’s childhood and abduction by the LRA into due account. The highest individual sentences were of 20 years. Other sentences pronounced for individual crimes were of 14 or 8 years of imprisonment.

In its determination of the joint sentence for all the crimes for which Dominic Ongwen was convicted, the Chamber declined to sentence Dominic Ongwen to life imprisonment, considering his individual circumstances and in order to envisage a concrete prospect for Dominic Ongwen to eventually re-build his life.

The Chamber then, by majority, decided to impose a joint sentence of 25 years of imprisonment. The Majority, composed of Judge Bertram Schmitt and Judge Péter Kovács, is of the view that this joint sentence adequately reflects the strongest condemnation by the international community of the crimes committed by Dominic Ongwen and acknowledges the great harm and suffering caused to the victims. At the same time, the Majority held that such a joint sentence acknowledges Dominic Ongwen’s unique personal history and safeguards the prospect of his successful social rehabilitation and, consequently, the concrete possibility of future re-integration into society. Judge Raul Cano Pangalangan appended a partly dissenting opinion on this matter as he would have sentenced Dominic Ongwen to a total period of imprisonment of 30 years.

The Chamber also issued today an order for submissions on reparations. It emphasised that the right of victims to reparations is also an essential part of the system of justice at the Court, and stated that it will push forward the reparation stage of the proceedings with vigour and the utmost care.

New Zealand contributes to OPCW

Diplomat Magazine
-
0
New Zealand contributes to OPCW

New Zealand contributes €100,000 to future OPCW Centre for Chemistry and Technology

ChemTech Centre will provide leading-edge facilities and strengthen implementation of Chemical Weapons Convention

In the picture the Permanent Representative of New Zealand to the OPCW, H.E. Ambassador Lyndal Walker, and OPCW Director-General, H.E. Mr Fernando Arias.

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — 6 May 2021 — The Government of New Zealand has contributed a further €100,000 to a special Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Trust Fund to support the construction of a new facility, the OPCW Centre for Chemistry and Technology (“ChemTech Centre”).

The contribution was formalised during a ceremony between the Permanent Representative of New Zealand to the OPCW, H.E. Ambassador Lyndal Walker, and OPCW Director-General, H.E. Mr Fernando Arias, which was held yesterday at OPCW Headquarters in The Hague.

Ambassador Walker stated: ““New Zealand is proud to contribute a further €100,000 to the construction of the new OPCW Centre for Chemistry and Technology. Our total contribution of €200,000 demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to disarmament and our strong support for the OPCW’s vital role as the world’s chemical weapons watchdog. The new Centre will enable the OPCW to future-proof its work, respond to the concerning re-emergence of chemical weapons, and enhance international cooperation. We look forward to construction starting soon on this important project.”

The Director-General expressed: “I am grateful to the Government of New Zealand for its further support to the ChemTech Centre project – a new leading-edge facility that will ensure the OPCW remains adequately prepared and robustly equipped to address future challenges for the Chemical Weapons Convention. The project is progressing swiftly as construction is scheduled to begin this summer.”

Both delegations during the ceremony.

Director-General Arias also thanked all the OPCW States Parties and other donors that have supported the project to date. He emphasised the important role the new ChemTech Centre will play in strengthening the OPCW’s ability to address threats from chemical weapons use and enhance capacity building activities to the benefit of all 193 Member States.

So far, 47 countries, the European Union, and four other donors have contributed or pledged to contribute financially to the ChemTech Centre project, and €33.6M has been raised.

States Parties are encouraged to continue participating in this important project. Further voluntary contributions will be used to finance equipment and activities related to International Cooperation and Assistance involving the ChemTech Centre.

Europe-Canada: dialogue on future management of raw materials

Diplomat Magazine
-
0
Europe-Canada: dialogue on future management of raw materials

By Domenico Letizia.

A new important meeting took place between representatives of the European Union and officials and business people of Canada. The third meeting of the bilateral dialogue focused on raw materials established under the strengthening of CETA opportunities took place.

The deepening on new opportunities and synergies was born following the analysis of the economic sector on the mechanisms of raw materials after the spread of the health pandemic. Particular importance was given to recovery and recycling models related to raw materials and how to jointly affect climate and environmental protection.

Both sides expressed a strong interest in establishing stable relationships on common interests through the mutual integration of their respective commodity chains, cooperation in Research and Innovation, levelling of environmental, social and governance criteria. Further impetus to the opportunities of the CETA agreement was achieved as a result of the common vision to look forward to the EU-US-Japan Trilateral Conference on Critical Materials as an important forum to address global challenges related to raw materials and criticality analysis with countries sharing environmental and social concerns.

The recent opening of the EU-U.S.-Japan Conference on Critical Materials to Canada and Australia is an important step in ensuring greater coordination activity between Canada and Europe in the immediate future. Canada is among the largest per capita producers and consumers of energy in the world. Its prosperity and competitiveness in the energy sector are linked to achieving sustainable economic growth and a transition to a low-carbon future.

Canada’s energy industries operate in free markets, where investment by Canadian and foreign companies ensures an efficient, competitive and innovative energy system. International energy trade is a vital part of the Canadian economy. In 2018, Canada traded energy with 165 countries, totaling C$132.2 billion in exports and C$50.5 billion in imports. The country has a wide variety of energy resources, producing primary energy, from crude oil (45%), natural gas (33%), hydroelectricity (7%), coal (6%), other renewables (4%), natural gas liquids (4%) and nuclear power (2%). In 2018, Canada ranked third in global crude oil reserves, behind Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. 96% of Canadian reserves are concentrated in the oil sands, whose production in 2018 (2.91 million barrels per day) has exceeded conventional oil production (1.64 million barrels per day) since 2010. In 2018, Canadian coal production reached 63.3 million tons, of which 34 million tons were for export.

Currently, nearly 20% of Canada’s total energy supply comes from renewable sources. Canada has 7% of the world’s renewable freshwater with a hydroelectric capacity of 80,764 megawatts, available to a population that represents only 0.5% of the world’s population. The mining industry has a considerable weight in the Canadian economy, and is supported by a great diversity of resources: there are over 60 metals and minerals present in the territory that make up the great geological endowment of the country. Thanks to its rich resources Canada is a world producer of uranium and cobalt, aluminum and tungsten, with important resources of platinum, sulfur and titanium, nickel and diamonds. Fifty-seven percent of the world’s mining companies are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

These dynamics have generated an important debate between Europe and Canada regarding the development of the R&I sector along the commodity value chain. In Canada, the main elements of the research strategy for the commodity value chain want to explore how best to strengthen research and innovation cooperation with European research. The important meeting that took place between the representatives of the European Union and the institutional and business realities of Canada focused on the dynamics of sustainability and innovation characterizing the interaction with stakeholders, in particular on four topics: increased investment; environment and social license to operate with responsible extraction of raw materials; common procedures and jurisprudence and innovation processes.

Stakeholders believe it is essential to work on an economic system that follows the principles of green economy, digital and climate neutrality. Due to the uncertainty surrounding the health pandemic, the date of the next dialogue meeting has not been set precisely, and will take place in mid-2021.

___________________

Published by the Canadian Chamber in Italy.

Virtual Counselling for Migrants Opting for Voluntary Return

Diplomat Magazine
-
0
Virtual Counselling for Migrants Opting for Voluntary Return

IOM the Netherlands is launching virtual counselling support for migrants considering return to 10 selected countries. Direct contact with our staff in countries of origin makes it possible for them to exchange information in their native tongue. Also, reliable and up-to-date information can be shared on diverse topics such as housing, medical support and economic possibilities.  

The virtual component of the return support is an addition to the existing counselling offered by our staff in the Netherlands. Next to information about the current situation in the country of return, migrants can be informed in advance about the post-arrival assisted voluntary return and reintegration procedures. This way, both the migrant and IOM can manage expectations and prevent misconceptions. Moreover, it gives migrants the opportunity to make a well-informed decision about their return. 

The concept of virtual counselling was introduced last year by IOM Germany. Learning from their positive experiences, we will make virtual counselling available to all migrants from the selected countries who are considering return from the Netherlands starting in April. IOM staff in the selected countries of origin are currently being trained in this new way of counselling.

For now, virtual counselling will be offered to migrants from Algeria, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guinee Conakry, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan and Vietnam. They will receive information on how to contact the virtual counsellor via our counselling team in the Netherlands, once they have indicated their interest in voluntary return. Contact with the country of origin can be established together with the Dutch IOM counsellor or independently.   

For more information please contact Ilse Waindrich and/or Lisa van de Pol: iomnlavrreintegration@iom.int

Published by IOM News Netherlands.

MATCH: Remote Recruitment from Nigeria and Senegal

Diplomat Magazine
-
0
MATCH: Remote Recruitment from Nigeria and Senegal

“Good ICT staff is hard to find; and once you do find someone, the turnover rate is high. People have another job offer in no time,” says Guido Geerts, CEO of Delft Imaging Systems. Guido supports our MATCH project, aimed at supporting Dutch companies from all sectors that have struggled for years to find the right staff.

The pandemic has been a source of challenge, but also innovation for the MATCH project team. While the physical relocation of highly skilled employees from Senegal and Nigeria is near-impossible under current travel restrictions, Dutch companies have responded positively to the project’s offering to support remote work and upskilling. 

As the world adjusts to working-from-home arrangements and online meetings, remote work is becoming more and more appealing to Dutch companies who want to tap into highly skilled talent pools within Africa, and who want to establish a stronger foothold for themselves. 

The MATCH project recently supported a Dutch company active in seed and agriculture technologies. They struggled to find the right staff member through their own recruitment efforts, and so MATCH stepped in to find their ideal candidate from a pool of thousands of highly skilled Nigerians.

“This is a win:win:win arrangement” confirms Mia McKenzie, MATCH focal point for the Netherlands: “The company was looking for an extremely specific profile, and we made it happen. Now this successful candidate is receiving a 6-month training in Senegal and will return to Nigeria to build the Dutch company’s base there. Through MATCH, the company benefits from highly skilled staff and the recruit now has a promising career path ahead of him. Also, Nigeria is going to reap the rewards of competence that the recruit will return from Senegal with – not to mention the possibilities for further recruitments once this Dutch company scales up its business in Nigeria.” 

The project’s aim to bring together African and European expertise, which is interesting for Dutch companies looking to grow their business outside of Europe. Many Dutch companies are making the most of this time of international travel restrictions to recruit, upskill, network and enjoy the benefits of remote recruitment. We can hardly wait to see what the rest of 2021 has in store.

__________________

To learn more about the MATCH project, click here. Interested in discussing your company’s recruitment needs, or to organize a matchmaking session with candidates, please contact Mia McKenzie: mmckenzie@iom.int

Published by IOM News in the Netherlands

Queen Máxima speaking with Togo about digital financial services

Diplomat Magazine
-
0
Queen Máxima speaking with Togo about digital financial services

Her Majesty Queen Máxima had a number of online digital meetings with government representatives of the Togolese Republic on April 22. The meetings concerned digital inclusive finance and the role it will play in economic recovery following the coronavirus pandemic. Queen Máxima is the UN Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA). 

In recent years Togo has undergone positive changes when it comes to inclusive finance. This is partly thanks to mobile banking. In the period 2011 to 2017 the number of people aged 16 or over with a bank account rose from 10% to 45% (Global Findex 2017). In response to effects of the corona pandemic Togo recently launched the Novissi emergency cash transfer scheme, which has so far provided an estimated 820,000 people with financial help. The entire process – from applying for financial support, providing identification and assessing applications to transferring funds to a bank account – takes place digitally.

Queen Máxima spoke with a number of key figures including the Prime Minister of Togo, Victoire Tomegah-Dogbé, Minister of Economy and Finance Sani Yaya, Minister of the Digital Economy and Digital Transformation Cina Lawson and Minister for Financial Inclusion and the Informal Economy Mazamesso Assih. The subjects they discussed included completing the National Strategy on Inclusive Financing and improving access to digital financial services for disadvantaged groups, such as women and residents of remote rural areas. Togo is one of the eight members of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU). The other members are Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger and Senegal.

The African continent is one of Queen Máxima’s priority areas as UNSGSA. In early March she spoke with President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, who was previously also Chairperson of the African Union (Government Information Service news item no. 56 ). In January she paid a virtual visit to Senegal (Government Information Service news item no. 13) and spoke with Governor Tiémoko Meyliet Koné of the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), which serves the countries of the WAEMU.

__________________

Photography by Martijn Beekman.

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania welcomed Russia’s Netschajew for working visit

Diplomat Magazine
-
0
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania welcomed Russia’s Netschajew for working visit

Thursday,  29 April 2021, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany:  The Russian Federation Ambassador to Germany, Sergej Jurjewitsch Netschajew paid a working visit to Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, wherein he encountered the Bundesland’s head of government Manuela Schwesig. 

Together they visited the Nord Stream2 facility, and answered journalists’ questions in the town of Lubmin.

Premier Manuela Schwesig defended the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea gas pipeline against political criticism, and highlighted the economic benefits and suitability for the region. 

Ambassador Sergej Netschajew mentioned during the press conference that he expected the pipeline to be completed in 2021. The talks with Schwesig were mainly about regional cooperation, a planned Russia Day at the beginning of June and remembrance culture. 

The almost completed gas pipeline will one day transport 55 billion cubic metres of natural gas per year from Russia to Germany, and is constantly the subject of political discussions.

In the course of his working visit to Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Ambassador Netschajew alongside Premier Manuela Schwesig, partook in a memorial ceremony in the city of Greifswald, laying wreaths at the Soviet memorial commemorating the town’s surrender to the then Red Army. 

For further information:

 
Russian Embassy in Germany: https://russische-botschaft.ru/de/embassy/botschafter/

Government of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: https://www.regierung-mv.de/Landesregierung/stk/Presse/


———————–

Picture by Staatskanzlei Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Abu Dhabi, the Washington DC of the East

Diplomat Magazine
-
0
Abu Dhabi, the Washington DC of the East

By Mohammed Karim, currently a diplomatic Protocol Manager at Expo Dubai 2020.

The capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Abu Dhabi, now more than ever before, serves as the political capital of the Middle East.

HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince is admired by everyone in the UAE. Under his political leadership, Abu Dhabi is on a role to stabilizing diplomatic relations between various nations. Abu Dhabi initiated the momentous Abraham Accords of 2020, normalizing diplomatic relations between the UAE and Israel. Beyond the latter, Abu Dhabi has strengthened its diplomatic ties with military powers such as Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia to build a fortress for the region.

Furthermore, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), which invests funds on behalf of the Government of Abu Dhabi, has financially helped and developed many neighboring countries and international businesses through heavy investments to further establish Abu Dhabi as the political capital of the Middle East.

Abu Dhabi played pivotal roles in many political events to stabilize diplomatic relations between nations. In September 2020, Abu Dhabi worked with the U.S. to move Israel, Bahrain, and the UAE towards signing the Abraham Accords. This agreement formally normalized diplomatic relations, exchanged embassies and ambassadors between nations, and began international collaboration in many areas including trade, technology, mobility, sustainability, education, healthcare, tourism, and security. Not only that, Abu Dhabi have kicked off a historic project named ‘The Abrahamic Family House”, that will have a church, a mosque and a synagogue all side by side creating a beautiful landmark of peace, tolerance and solidarity.

Abu Dhabi’s role in the Abraham accords agreement has far-reaching implications for trade and financial success of many people across the entire Middle East. A day after the Abraham Accords were signed, Emirates Airlines announced plans to add new flight routes between the UAE and nations signing the agreement by conveniently and directly flying between newly connected nations, business owners will be able to generate more international commercial opportunities within the Middle East. In addition, immediately after the Abraham Accords were signed, UAE’s DP World signed agreements with companies located in other nations to establish direct trade routes across international borders.

Analogous to the Abraham Accords, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi has been proactively mediating between Pakistan & India. Both nations are great allies of the UAE and the population of both Pakistanis and Indians constitute to nearly 15% of the UAE’s total population. It is vital for both great countries to come in peace for a more developed, economic driven & a secure region, away from cold wars and closer to hot business negotiations.

Since the Founding Father of the UAE, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi had also maintained strong diplomatic relations with many world leaders, and in particular the Arab leaders since the 1960’s. Sheikh Zayed’s investment at the time had led to the UAE’s successes now politically and economically.

Egypt is an example of one of the UAE’s allies since the rule of the founding father. Now, MBZ & Egypt have formed very solid ties, focused on economic development and military relations. “The Promised Land” a book by former U.S. President Barrack Obama analyzed MBZ highly as per his one-to-one experience… “Young, sophisticated … and perhaps the savviest leader in the Gulf”. In addition, Obama reminisces that MBZ did not dither when it came to defending Egypt and Bahrain, having their backs as he shares a strong alliance with those nations.

The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi alongside his brother, HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the UAE, visited Egypt in 2019 to boost economic development and serve the mutual interests of both nations. In addition, new partnerships through military firms such as IDEX helped Abu Dhabi and Egypt strengthen military defense ties, with the two nations practicing joint military drills since 2015.

A paragon of how MBZ shares a stark solidarity with the region is the recent incident wherein several senior Jordanian officials were arrested on security grounds for attempting to destabilize Jordanian government. In response, MBZ telephoned King Abdullah II of Jordan to reassure him that Abu Dhabi will support Jordan, and reject any menace destabilizing Jordan and endangering the safety of its people. In addition, the UAE’s media immediately released a 100-year strong alliance of both nations, that are bound to achieve more successes.

Further a conquest for world peace; the UAE insisted in having every nation to be part of the world EXPO 2020 that will be hosted in Dubai from October 2021. Nations that do not have a set budget for such a vast event have been aided by the government of the UAE, assisting them in building their own country pavilions for the vast event. The purpose of such a generous offer is to bring every nation on earth, to one joyful event, hosted by the UAE. A sign for world peace.

This year, the first day of Ramadan, the Vice President of the UAE, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum also started a campaign of 100 million meals to the needy around the world. The food distributions started within the region, beginning with Jordan, Pakistan and Egypt and that would moreover expand to all nations around the world. The East being succored first allows World Leaders within the region maintain and strengthen relations with the UAE far away from the political world. Another example of such regional aid, was provided to Iran, a nation that serves as a threat by many sources within the region. During the early stages of the COVID 19 pandemic, the UAE sent 16 tons of medical aid to Iran. at a time where humanity came before the realm of politics.

It may seem surprising that the UAE only became a nation in the year 1971. For being in such a young nation, Abu Dhabi leads the entire Middle East politically – leading nations whose histories go back to ancient historical times. Since 2014, MBZ has led Abu Dhabi through many events that put Abu Dhabi on the political map as the rising capital of the Middle East.

Picture courtesy of Mohammed Karim 

—————–

About the author:

UAE – Flag

Mohammed Karim, 24 years old, currently pursuing a masters in government and diplomacy at Harvard University and is simultaneously working as a diplomatic protocol manager at the Dubai Expo 2020

Rebooting the Rules for Digital Platforms in Europe – the Digital Markets Act

Diplomat Magazine
-
0
Rebooting the Rules for Digital Platforms in Europe – the Digital Markets Act

By H.E. Prof Kristina Sinemus, Hessian Minister of Digital Strategy and Development.

“Too big to care” – this is how Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for Internal Market, described the problem: Digital platforms with considerable market power exercise control over whole platform ecosystems.

They act as “gatekeepers” by limiting access to digital markets for smaller businesses and start-ups. The dependency of many businesses on these gatekeepers often leads to unfair practices. This is why the European Commission presented the Digital Markets Act in December 2020, which is currently being debated in the European Parliament and the Council.

The aim of the new regulation is to enable all market players to operate in a fair digital ecosystem.

Indeed, the time is ripe for a new European framework that ensures fair competition on the Internal Market irrespective of the market power of the platform on the one hand but leaves sufficient room for innovation on the other hand.

Platforms significantly change the way our economies and industries have traditionally been organised. They are the bedrock of future value creation systems. They are  already part of our daily lives – be it as a social networking platform, marketplace or content platform. The European Commission estimates there are over 10 000 online platforms operating in Europe’s digital economy.

A recent study by the German Bundesnetzagentur – the authority ensuring compliance with the Telecommunications Act, Postal Act and Energy Act in Germany – confirms their importance for our economy and SMEs in particular. Between March and August 2020, during the Bundesnetzagentur’s public consultation a total of 210 business customers reported on their experience with marketing and sales activities via digital platforms in Germany. Nearly three quarters of business customers felt they would have considerable difficulties competing successfully in the German market without the use of digital platforms. Overall, half of business customers assume they would not even be able to exist on the market without digital platforms.

Against this background, it is worrying that only 12 out of the 100 biggest platforms in the world are European. Europe is dramatically lagging behind!

It is urgent and important for Europe’s digital sovereignty that it strengthen its platform economy. New innovative platforms and digital services must increasingly be created in Germany and Europe. We have a strong industrial base in Hesse and Germany, and many innovative companies in the information and communications technology sector, for which platforms are becoming increasingly important.

This is why the European Commission’s proposal for a Digital Markets Act is so important. The proposed regulation is designed to ensure contestable and fair markets in the digital sector by providing regulatory safeguards throughout the European Union against unfair behaviour by very large gatekeeper platforms towards other providers and clients with less market power. I fully support this vision: by creating the right regulatory framework, we allow smaller platforms and start-ups to enter the market and to grow, strengthening our European platform economy in the process.

At the same time, we ensure fair market conditions for all companies on the Internal Market, in particular SMEs that need platform services for their business. However, we must strike the right balance. Yes, we need to tame the gatekeepers.

Big platforms must not be “too big to care”. They have to respect European rules. However, we must not over regulate either. We need to avoid burdensome requirements that could hamper innovation. The behavioural obligations set by the Digital Markets Act should be complemented by a general clause that gives a certain flexibility regarding new business models and behaviour in order to make the new regulation future-proof.

________________

For further information Hessian Ministry for Digital Strategy and Development: https://digitales.hessen.de//

Photography by HMinD Hessian Ministry of Digital Strategy.

1...221222223...858Page 222 of 858