Tuesday, 15 December 2020, North Rhine-Westphalia/Republic of Poland: Under the chairmanship of the Marshal of Lubusz, Elżbieta Anna Polak and Minister for European Affairs of NRW, Dr. Stephan Holthoff-Pförtner, representatives of the 16 German Länder and the 16 Polish voivodeships discussed the potentials of interregional cooperation, in particular, the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Due to Corona, the Committee for Interregional Cooperation met as a video conference. Minister Holthoff-Pförtner as per statement below: “In times of crisis and need, our cooperation based on trust proves particularly valuable. Germany and Poland are strongly affected by the pandemic and face the same challenges. Close exchange and strong professional networking are a great benefit for all involved. The intergovernmental commission is a platform for this important cooperation.”
Prof. Dr. Hugo van Aken, Chairman of the Board and Medical Director of Münster University Hospital, and Dr. Marek Działoszyński, Chairman of the Board of the University Hospital in Grünberg (Zielona Góra), reported on the pandemic response from the perspective of the hospitals involved.
Münster is responsible for coordinating international patient admission in North Rhine-Westphalia. The University Hospital Grünberg, one of the largest hospitals in the Polish-German border region, has been converted into a COVID 19 priority hospital. The Minister continued: “Coordinated cross-border cooperation and exchange is at the core of the European idea and is proving its worth in the Corona crisis. Only together will Europe contain the pandemic. Another sign of pan-European solidarity is the 750 billion euros in reconstruction aid for the regions most affected by the pandemic, which the Council agreed on last week under the German Presidency.”
There are well-practised partnerships between the German Länder and the Polish voivodeships, which are now proving their worth in the pandemic. The German-Polish intergovernmental commission was set up in 1991 by the governments of Germany and Poland. North Rhine-Westphalia and the Lubuskie Voivodeship head the Committee for Interregional Cooperation.
Monday, 14 December 2020, Hamilton, Islands of Bermuda: Her Excellency Rena Lalgie was sworn in as Bermuda’s novel governor, first female, and first governor of Afro-British descent to hold the office.
The mother of two has a long career in public service with her most recent employment being the Director of Office of Financial Sanction Implementation at Her Majesty’s Treasury. As Governor Ms Lalgie’s office is viceregal, representing The Queen as head of state, acting as Commander-in-Chief, and appointing the Premier (currently David Burt since 2017) as well as the eleven members of the Senate.
The Somers Isles, or Islands of Bermuda are a British Overseas Territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. The Governor of Bermuda is appointed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II upon the advice of her British Prime Minister. The Governor is responsible for upholding the Bermudian Constitution and for other duties as assigned by the Queen, or her British ministers.
Mayor Dr. Peter Tschentscher & UN SG António Guterres – Picture by Hamburger Senatskanzlei.
Friday, 18 December 2020, Berlin, Germany: “The Corona pandemic highlights the importance of the United Nations. The World Health Organization, as part of the UN family, is helping to combat the global spread of the Corona virus and ensure equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines and medicines,” said Hamburg’s Mayor Dr. Peter Tschentscher as per statement below.
“The UN enables the international community to work together globally according to common principles. This is of great importance for an international metropolis like Hamburg. With around 100 consulates, more than half of the UN member states are represented in Hamburg. It is in our interest that the UN is involved in securing peace, fighting poverty, and protecting the climate and natural resources. With the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, two important institutions of the UN family are based in Hamburg.”
Mayor Dr. Tschentscher expressed his support for the UN before attending the allocution held by the UN ninth Secretary-General António Guterres at the Bundestag in Berlin. Guterres also held private meetings with Germany’s Federal President Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the country’s Foreign Minister Heiko Maas.
Background information
In June 1945, representatives of 50 states signed the United Nations Charter, which entered into force four months later on 24 October 1945. This was the first time that fundamental values and interests of the world community were formulated.
The UN’s most important goals are to secure world peace and international law, to protect human rights and to promote international cooperation. In 2015, the UN adopted 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (“Millennium Development Goals”), which aim to overcome hunger and poverty, among other things, by 2030. The United Nations has 193 member states.
Hamburg is the seat of two institutions of the UN family: The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, founded in 1996 on the basis of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, adjudicates in disputes concerning the interpretation or application of the Convention. The UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, founded in 1952, is an international research, training, information and documentation centre. It promotes adult education, lifelong learning, informal education and literacy in all regions of the world.
It was on a quiet autumn afternoon in The Hague where I met Sadat Rahman. This Bangladeshi teen has won the 2020 International Children’s Peace Prize for setting up the social organization and mobile app “Cyber Teens”, which is designed to help in the fight against Cyberbullying in south-western Bangladesh. The Children’s Peace Prize is an initiative of the international children’s rights organization known as Kids Rights. The prize was first launched in 2005 during an International Conference of Nobel Peace Laureates in Rome, chaired by Mr Mikhail Gorbachev.
There were 142 applicants from 42 countries that took part in the 2020 contest. The Kids Rights’ Expert Committee selected Sadat Rahman as the winner. By winning the award, Sadat Rahman now has an international platform from which he will be able to spread his message worldwide. The prize is presented to the winner by a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
From left to right Md Sakhawat Hossain, Sadat’s father, Sadat and Ms Nawrid Sharmin from the Embassy of Bangladesh.
The Kids Rights organization described Sadat Rahman as a changemaker and social reformer. Sadat was prompted to action after a 15-year-old girl committed suicide due to cyberbullying. He started a social organization called ‘Narail Volunteers’ with the help of his friends. This organization won the ‘Youth Innovation Challenge 2019’ of the non-governmental organization Action Aid and got the funding he needed to get his project off the ground. Sadat Rahman has been presented the Joy Bangla Youth Award for his work in 2018.
The International Children’s Peace Prize was presented to Sadat Rahman in The Hague on 13 November 2020 by none other than Human Rights Activist and Nobel Prize Winner Malala Yousafzai. The prize consists of a trophy and a sum of Euro 100,000 which is to be used for the financing of projects. In 2019, the Swedish child environmentalist Greta Thunberg and Cameroonian Divina Malam jointly received the prestigious award.
Ms. Rouma, Sadat Rahman (in Cyberbully Tshirt) Mr Biswajit Roy.
Sadat Rahman is a man of many talents. He is a phenomenal, vigorous and courageous young man with a keen sense of humor and always wears a friendly smile. This bright 17-year-old studies Arts-Humanities at the Abdul Hai City College in his hometown of Narail in south-western Bangladesh, where he has embarked on the initiative to tackle the emerging problem of cyberbullying in Bangladeshi society. Sadat is very pleased that he was able to make a small indirect contribution to the Bangladesh Vision 2021 – Digital Bangladesh. He even had the opportunity to meet the Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina some time ago. Prime Minister Hasina’s ICT advisor, Sajeeb Wazed referred to Rahman as one of the country’s silent young changemakers.
Sadat’s philosophy is that one should “believe in yourself and not to wait for anyone, not even the government to assist you” Take the initiative and get moving, kindred spirits will automatically join. When asked where he gets his inspiration from, he responded with a smile and said “the creator gave me a brain and I am making good use of it.”
Sadat Rahman receives a lot of co-operation from the local police superintendent. He mentioned that whenever he would approach the police with evidence of wrongdoing, the police is willing listen and takes the necessary action. Sadat also noted that when teenagers are facing problems, they hesitate to approach parents, the police or other adults. They would rather prefer to approach their peers. However, teenagers need emotional assistance and mental support. When Cyber Teens is unable to offer the needed assistance, these teenagers are referred to the professionals. Sadat added that it is often sufficient to lend a listening ear that would allow them feel safe so that they will confide in you.
The police may not always have the time to do this and there is also the element of shame among those suffering from cyberbullying. As for the phenomena of Cyberbullying, parents and police are not trained to deal with such problems, and at the moment, The Criminal Investigation Department of the Dhaka Police(CID) is the only institution that investigates Cybercrime. Cyberbullying starts with parents buying their children fancy mobile phones, games and PCs but they are not always aware of the capabilities of these devices. Therefore, a balanced approach is required when considering what type of device that a parent should get for their child.
As a result of parents lacking the needed insight, they are unable to monitor their children’s activities and are unable to guide, instruct and protect them from the potential dangers in cyberspace. Cyber teens seek to fill that void. According to Sadat Rahman, there are four cardinal agents that ought to be considered in helping to prevent teenagers from falling prey to cyberbullying. These are Awareness, Empathy, Counselling and Action. These are the main drivers.
Cyberbullying needs to be combated, according to Sadat Rahman, “it is a war and I am a warrior.” To date, the Cyber Teens app has reached about 450,000 teenagers and brought 300+ cases of cyberbullying before the police of which eight cases have been arrested. Evidence has thus proven that the cyber teen approach is effective. Furthermore, Sadat Rahman has been promised support from international organizations, including Europol, the European Union’s law enforcement agency.
Sadat Rahman, the man, can be characterized as energetic, unfazed, dedicated, genuine, good-humored, cheerful, jovial and charming. Sadat Rahman concluded his discourse at the prize remittance ceremony by stating: “I feel proud to represent Bangladesh to the world with my work, my ultimate success would be when one day, no one will need to use my app and there will be no cyberbullying anymore.”
It has been an enormous pleasure working briefly with Sadat Rahman. We wish him every success with his present and future projects.
HRH Princess Norodom_Arunrasmy – Picture by Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer.
Saturday, 21 November 2020, Kingdom of Cambodia: His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni of Cambodia issued a royal warrant appointing his half-sister, HRH Princess Norodom Arunrasy, Counsellor in the Royal Government with the rank of Deputy Prime Minister.
Princess Arunrasmy’s (65) appointment was made at the behest of Prime Minister, Samdech Techo Hun Sen as indicated in the regal fiat.
The princess is already member in His Majesty’s Supreme Royal Council. She is a former diplomat having served as her country’s Ambassador to Malaysia from 2005 to 2018. On 23 April 2018, she was appointed senator. She was born in 1955 as the last daughter of the late King Father Norodom Sihanouk and Mom Manivan Phaninvong, a Laotian lady.
Arunrasmy is married to former Royal Khmer Ambassador Keo Puth Rasmey in second nuptials, and is mother to five children, including Prince Sisowath Norivong, Prince Sisowath Nando and Sisowath Sirikith Nathalie from the first wedlock, and Princess Ponita Rasmey as well as Prince Keo Khemoni Rasmey from the current marriage.
The new Deputy Prime Minister speaks in additional to her native Khmer, some Laotian and Thai, and fluent English and French.
Monday, 7 December 2020, Berlin-Tiergarten, Federal Republic of Germany: At Bellevue Palace, German Federal President, Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier welcomed the accreditation of Nipponese Ambassador Hidenao Yanagi.
For Ambassador Yanagi his accreditation entails a return to Germany wherein he has served a few times in the past. Already from 1996 to 1999 he worked in the capacity as First Secretary at the Japanese Embassy in Germany. After serving in India as Minister Counsellor he once more continued his career in Germany in the former diplomatic rank from 2009 to 2012.
After serving from 2012 through 2014 as Deputy Head of Department at the Office of the Foreign Minister in charge of the South Pacific, and Southeast and Southwestern Asia, he returned to Germany as General Consul in Munich responsible for Bavaria, and Baden-Württemberg.
His first ambassadorship took him to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan from October 2017 until his appointment as Ambassador to Germany in September 2020. Ambassador Yanagi (b. 16 October 1958 at Tokyo) speaks his native Japanese in addition to English, German and some Arabic.
In the picture Ambassador Hidenao Yanagi at the Representation of North Rhine-Westphalia – Picture by NRW Landesvertretung, Michael Setzpfandt.
President Trump and Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jabr Al-Sabah – Picture by US-Department of State.
Sunday, 20 December 2020, State of Kuwait: Kuwait and the Gulf states are in mourning after the passing of the late Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jabr Al-Mubarak Al Sabah, son of the late Emir Sabah IV, aged 72. He died merely 80 days after his father.
Sheikh Nasser, who held various government posts over the years including minister of defence and first deputy prime minister, had been considered a top contender for crown prince following the accession to the Kuwaiti throne of His Highness The Emir, Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Jabr Al Sabah. For many years he served as Minister of Amiri Diwan from 2006 through 2017, the princely court of the State of Kuwait.
In September he still represented his father at a ceremony held at the White House granting the late Emir Sabah IV the Legion of Merit received directly from the hands of President Donald Trump.
Sheikh Nasser Sabah likewise served as an honorary member of the Board of Trustees of the Metropolitan Museum in New York. Alongside his now widow, Sheikha Hussa Sabah Al-Salem Al Sabah, he co-founded in 1983 the world renowned Dar Al-Athar Al-Islamiyyah collection of Islamic art and antiquities.
Wednesday, 4 November 2020, Berlin-Tiergarten, Federal Republic of Germany: The Kingdom of Denmark is now represented in Germany by HE AmbassadorSusanne Christina Hyldelund, a career diplomat who began her diplomatic service in 1996. She presented her letters of credence from Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II before German Federal President Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier at Bellevue Palace located in central Berlin.
This is Hyldelund’s first ambassadorship after serving abroad for Denmark in Shanghai (General Consul), Warsaw and Washington D.C. She is deemed as an expert on trade matters, which is a focus of the strong relations between Denmark and Germany on one side, and vis-à-vis Switzerland and Liechstenstein on the other hand.
In fact previous to her ambassadorial appointment she was the Director for Trade and Global Sustainability at the Danish Foreign Ministry from 2017. Between 2014 and 2017 Ambassador Susanne Christina Hyldelund was the Head of the Danish Trade Council, and from 2012 to 2014 the Head of Invest & Innovation, an arm of the Danish Foreign Ministry.
Ambassador Susanne Christina Hyldelund holds a degree in Business Administration from Aarhus Schoolf of Economics.
Saxony’s Premier Michael Kretschmer and the Czech Ambassador to Germany, Tomáš Kafka. Picture by Sächsische Staatskanzlei.
Monday, 19 October 2020, Dresden, Free State of Saxony, Germany: Saxony’s Premier Michael Kretschmer received the Czech Ambassador to Germany, Tomáš Kafka, for his inaugural visit to the State Chancellery.
A highlight of Saxon-Czech relations is the fact that Ambassador Kafka was honoured in 2001 already with the Federal Cross of Merit for his service as chairman of German-Czech Future Fund.
Kafka was accredited on 20 August 2020 before Federal President Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Before arriving to Germany he served as Deputy Minister for European Affairs of the Czech Republic.
Ambassador Kafka already served once in Berlin at the outset of his diplomatic career between 1991 and 1995 in the capacity of Attaché for Culture, Press, Research and Education at the then branch office of the Embassy of the Czech and Slovak Federative Republic. His first ambassadorship took his to Dublin as ambassador to Ireland from 2008 to 2013.
UNWTO SG Zurab Pololikashvili – Picture by Bulgarian Presidency of the EU through Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
The incumbent sixth Secretary-General of the UN World Tourism Organisation, Zurab Pololikashvili (born at Tbilisi on 12 January 1977) is a Georgian national at the helm of the UNWTO since 1 January 2018. Previously he served as Georgia’s resident ambassador in Spain with co-accreditations to Andorra, Morocco and Algeria. Besides his native Georgian, he is fluent in four out of five official languages in the UNWTO, all except Arabic. During his mandate as Secretary-General of UNWTO, Zurab Pololikashvili has advocated for tourism as a significant player in delivering sustainable solutions for people locally, the planet, prosperity and even for the attainment of more peace.
Pololikashvili has widened the scope of UNWTO’s work, including innovation, digital transformation, investment as well as online education, which are distinctive features of tourism as a sector spearheading new business models, people-to-people interaction, and leveraging social impact and development potential.
He is running for a second term as UNWTO Secretary-General for elections to be held on 18 January 2021. His focus lies on reactivating the tourism industry by working hand-in-hand with international, and national health authorities. He supports all UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly to deter perilous effects of climate change in the tourism industry. He is particularly competent as a diplomat dealing with international, and national restrictions as a former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia. As a man of entrepreneurial acumen holding business degrees, Pololikashvili is a right man dealing with the 500 private business associations members of the UNWTO. As a former Minister of Economic Development Pololikashvili is likewise highly qualified in scheming programmes aimed at alleviating poverty through the development of tourism, or aiding various countries with his expertise on the field.
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is the United Nations specialised agency founded in 1974, entrusted with the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.
UNWTO’s membership includes 159 countries, six affiliated members (sub-countries), two observer states and over 500 affiliate members representing the private sector, educational institutions, tourism associations and local tourism authorities. Its headquarters are in Madrid, Kingdom of Spain.
The official languages of UNWTO are Arabic, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
