OPCW Director-General Visits Spain

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OPCW Director-General Visits Spain

OPCW Director-General H.E. Mr Fernando Arias; His Majesty, the King, Felipe VI; Cristina Gallach, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs of Spain.

The Hague, Netherlandsā€”10 September 2020ā€”The Director-General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), H.E. Mr Fernando Arias Gonzalez paid an official visit to Madrid, Spain during the week of 7 September 2020. The highlight of the visit was an audience with His Majesty, the King, Felipe VI, followed the next day by a visit to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, H.E. Ms Arancha GonzĆ”lez Laya.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, H.E. Ms Arancha GonzƔlez Laya and OPCW Director-General H.E. Mr Fernando Arias.

Director-General Arias also had meetings with other high-level officials.

The Director-General provided updates on the OPCWā€™s progress in implementing the Chemical Weapons Convention. Following Spainā€™s previous ā‚¬120,000 contribution to the new OPCW Centre for Chemistry and Technology, the Director-General also provided a status update on the project.  

He expressed his gratitude for Spainā€™s support for the work of the Organisation and the effort to rid the world of chemical weapons.

HH State Counsellor Mƶller welcomes Iceland’s envoy

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HH State Counsellor Mƶller welcomes Iceland’s envoy

State Counsellor Almut Mƶller and Ambassador MarĆ­a Erla MarelsdĆ³ttir – Picture by Hamburger Senatskanzlei.

Wednesday, 9 September 2020, Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, Germany: Icelandic Ambassador to Germany,Ā MarĆ­a Erla MarelsdĆ³ttirĀ made paid her maiden visit to Hamburg, and wasĀ receivedĀ at the city-state’s landmark city hall by the State CounsellorĀ Almut Mƶller,Ā Plenipotentiary to the German Federation, the European Union and for Foreign Affairs.

During the meeting both dignitaries discussed the traditional relations between Iceland and Hamburg but likewise future economicĀ cooperation.Ā 

Ambassador MarelsdĆ³ttir likewise held a tĆŖte-Ć -tĆØte with SenatorĀ Michael Westhagemann, President of the Authority for Economy and Innovation, concerning the collaboration between Iceland and Hamburg in sustainable and renewable energies, and more specifically a possible joint project to build up a hydrogen infrastructure.Ā 

With Senator Michael Westhagemann – Picture by Hamburg Senatkanzlei.

During her stay in Hamburg Ambassador MarĆ­a Erla MarelsdĆ³ttir furthermore met with Icelandic business people based in Hamburg, and paid a visit to theĀ Literaturhaus.Ā 

Ambassador MarelsdĆ³ttir was accredited to Germany on 11 September 2019. In addition to her native Icelandic, she speaks fluent German, English and Swedish. Beyond Germany,Ā  she is non-resident ambassador to Poland, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia. She served once already in Germany when the Icelandic mission was based in Bonn.Ā Ā 

For further information 
Embassy of Iceland in Germany: https://www.government.is/other-languages/botschaft-von-island-in-berlin/die-botschaft/#Tab1
Hamburg State Counsellor Almut Mƶller: https://www.hamburg.de/staatsraete/12997618/almut-moeller/

Hamburg Senate: https://diplomatmagazine.eu/2020/06/12/hamburgs-senate-revealed/

Premier Daniel GĆ¼nter welcomes MarĆ­a Erla MarelsdĆ³ttir

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Premier Daniel GĆ¼nter welcomes MarĆ­a Erla MarelsdĆ³ttir

Premier Daniel GĆ¼nther and Ambassador MarĆ­a Erla MarelsdĆ³ttir – Picture by Schleswig-Holstein’sche Staatskanzlei.

Wednesday, 9 September, Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, Northern Germany: Icelandic Ambassador MarĆ­a Erla MarelsdĆ³ttir paid her inaugural visit to the northernmost Bundesland of Schleswig-Holstein. 
During the meeting with the state’s Premier Daniel GĆ¼nther, discussions were held about the expansion of the already good political, economic and cultural relations between Schleswig-Holstein and Iceland. 

 At the Christian-Albrecht University in Kiel, the ambassador met the Icelandic lecturers and professors of Scandinavian studies.

For further information:
Government of Schleswig-Holstein:Ā https://www.schleswig-holstein.de/DE/Landesregierung/I/Ministerpraesident/Timeline/timeline_node.html

The Austrian Ambassador, H.E. Ms. Astrid Harz

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The Austrian Ambassador, H.E. Ms. Astrid Harz

Her excellency Astrid Harz is, as of September 10th 2020, the credited Austrian Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Permanent Representative to OPCW.

Her excellency Astrid Harz, has been nominated on August 3rd, by her Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the Austrian Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Permanent Representative to OPCW. Before, having an impressive career in the diplomatic field, Astrid Harz started as a TV-Presenter at the Austrian Broadcasting Company. Then, she worked as a Junior Professional Officier at the UNDP Praia.

Astrid Harz initiated working in the diplomatic field in 1994 as a Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs AttachƩe. After that, she was the First Secretary in EU Affairs at the Austrain Embassy in Rome. Amongst other positions, she was been Press Counsellor at the Austrian Embassy in Paris and the Director of the Austrian Cultural Forum in Rome. In 2005 she was the Austrian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman.

From 2011 to 2015, she was the Austrian Ambassador to Jordan and Iraq. Then, she worked as the Director at the Department for Environment, Energy, Transport and Telecommunication at the Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs.

From 2018 to 2020, Astrid Harz, worked for the Federal Chancellery of Austria. She was first in the Department for the European Council, the General Affairs Council and COREPER II as the Deputy Director General for Coordination and then as the Action Director General. Soon after that, she was Deputy Director General for EU and Institutional Affairs.Ā 

H.E. Mr. Andrei A. Yeudachenka is the Ambassador of the Republic of Belarus

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H.E. Mr. Andrei A. Yeudachenka is the Ambassador of the Republic of Belarus

H.E. Mr. Andrei A. Yeudachenka has been named the new Ambassador of Belarus to The Netherlands. Having served several senior positions at the  Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, along with a number of postings at missions abroad, Mr. Yeudachenka is bringing with him impressive 25 years of professional diplomatic experience. 

After obtaining a diploma at the Minsk State Linguistic University, he then took up the position of Lecturer at the Minsk Architecture and Construction College. Thereafter, Mr. Yeudachenka switched the sector to public administration, whereby he first served as the Chief of Protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations of the Republic of Belarus. From the 1990s, he has held various positions at the diplomatic corps, among others at the Embassy of the Republic of Belarus to the Kingdom of Belgium, to the Republic of Hungary, and to the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg.

Furthermore, H.E. Mr. Andrei Yeudachenka also served as the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Belarus to the EU, Head of the OSCE Unit, as well as the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Belarus to NATO. Not least, during the years 2006-2011, and 2016-2020, he was the acting First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus.

Besides his native Russian and Belarusian language, Ambassador Yeudachenka speaks English and French; he is married and has three children.

In all of these positions, Mr. Yeudachenka has proved his diplomatic capacities and qualifications, which have been mirrored in his diplomatic rank of the Ambassador. The Embassy of the Republic of Belarus to the Kingdom of the Netherlands will indeed be led by a consummate diplomat. Diplomat Magazine and the whole diplomatic community welcome him in this new experience!
            

H.E. Ms. Elizabeth Ward is Panamaā€™s Ambassador to The Kingdom of the Netherlands

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H.E. Ms. Elizabeth Ward is Panamaā€™s Ambassador to The Kingdom of the Netherlands

H.E. Ms. Elizabeth Ward is the new Ambassador of Panama to The Netherlands. After serving at the Department of International Cooperation of the Panamanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Ward will represent the country to the Netherlands, while also acting as the Permanent Representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

H.E. Ms. Ward brings with her all-around and adroit professional experience, having previously worked in various fields, from investment advisory branch, educational sector, interior design and architectural sphere, to occupying the position of Director of the International Technical Cooperation Department of Panama Pacific Training Center. 

All of these posts led Ambassador Ward to ultimately enter the Panamanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the year 2018, whereas she proved her capacities while serving as the Executive Negotiator. Her main responsibilities at this post included analyzing and determining the strengths and weaknesses of all South American countries,  in reference to multilateral cooperation plans of each country.  

Furthermore, she was in charge of coordinating cooperation efforts in regards to the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA). Not least, she acted as the mentor for other team members, with the aim to obtain maximum performance of the respective MFA department.

Having the academic background in Education and Child Psychology, from which she obtained a degree at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute in Blacksburg, Virginia, Ms. Ward expanded her scholarly purview with a MasterĀ“s Program in ESL (English as a Second Language) at the New Paltz University in New York, and ultimately with a BachelorĀ“s degree in Interior Design at Panamaā€™s Santa MarĆ­a La Antigua University School of Architecture and Design, where she graduated summa cum laude.

All of the mentioned achievements contributed to Ms. Wardā€™s energetic and proactive character, whereby she has shown to be an executive with a strong analysis ability, adept at identifying areas of strength and weakness in an undertaking, as well as with a capacity to restructure an organization to maximize its economic and human resource potential.

In addition, H.E. Ms. Ward has superior communication and presentation skills with proficiency in English and Spanish, as well as excellent coaching, negotiation and organizational skills, that further her aptness for the new position at the Embassy of Panama to The Netherlands. Diplomat Magazine and the whole diplomatic community welcome her in this new experience!

Brazil celebrated its 199th’s Anniversary

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Brazil celebrated its 199th’s Anniversary

This year, in view of COVID-19’s containment measures, the Embassy of Brazil decided, after careful consideration, not to hold the traditional annual celebration, expressed H.E. Ms. Regina Cordeiro Dunlop, Ambassador of Brazil to The Kingdom of The Netherlands.

“Today, 7th September, 2020, we celebrate the 199th anniversary of the Independence of Brazil. Every year, on this day, the Embassy of Brazil in The Hague invites you to the Official Residence in Wassenaar. In this annual celebration, the Embassy staff, on behalf of the Brazilian Government, brings together Brazilian citizens residing in the Netherlands, representatives of the Dutch Government and the diplomatic corps accredited to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, as well as local counterparts from various sectors , to assemble those all those who, in an invaluable manner, participate in the strengthening and deepening of the bilateral relations between our countries.” Ambassador stated.

“We take this moment to express our sympathy to those who lost their loved ones in the Netherlands, in Brazil and around the world.Ā During this period of social distancing, the Embassy has been publishing in its social media information about Brazil, covering aspects of a cultural, educational, scientific and economic nature, which we hope are contributing to keep us closer.”

H.E. Ms. Regina Cordeiro Dunlop, Ambassador of Brazil.

“On this very important date for us Brazilians, however, we could not fail to pay tribute to our country and connect with those who, every year, honor us with their presence on 7th September. ”

Ambassador Cordeiro Dunlop expressed: “May this message bring us together today and may we all, even without the warmth provided by your presence, celebrate Brazil and the Brazilian people. “

If you wish to visit the social pages of the Embassy, ā€‹ā€‹you can find them at the following addresses:  https://www.facebook.com/EmbaixadaDoBrasilNosPaisesBaixos/https://www.instagram.com/embaixada_brasil_paises_baixos/

H.E. Ms. Marisol Flavia AgĆ¼ero Colunga is Peruā€™s new Ambassador in The Hague

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H.E. Ms. Marisol Flavia AgĆ¼ero Colunga is Peruā€™s new Ambassador in The Hague

From September 7th, 2020, Peru has a new Ambassador to the Netherlands: H.E. Ms. Marisol Flavia AgĆ¼ero Colunga. A specialist in maritime affairs and the law of the sea, Ambassador AgĆ¼ero Colunga has been appointed Ambassador after a long diplomatic career that brought her to serve her country in a number of different roles, both in Peru and abroad. 

After gaining a Bachelor in International Relations from the Diplomatic Academy of Peru in 1990, Ms. AgĆ¼ero Colunga joined her countryā€™s diplomatic corps in 1991 with the role of Third Secretary. In parallel to her new work as a diplomat, however, she continued to pursue her studies, not only by earning a Bachelor of Law (1992, Pontificia Universidad CatĆ³lica of Peru) and a Master in International Maritime Law (2006, International Maritime Law Institute of Malta), but also by following a number of courses at the Diplomatic Academy of Peru.

Throughout her career as a diplomat, Ms. AgĆ¼ero Colunga worked extensively both in Peru and abroad. Back at home, her work focused heavily on maritime issues. After several years working on this topic, she started to assume increasing responsibilities, becoming head of the Department of Maritime Affairs in 1999 and advising Peruā€™s foreign minister on law of the sea issues in 2006. Throughout the second half of the 2010s, Ms. AgĆ¼ero Colunga also took up other advisory roles, both at the General Directorate of Treaties and at the Diplomatic Academy of Peru, of which she became Deputy Director in 2018. 

At the same time, the diplomatic career often brought Ms. AgĆ¼ero Colunga outside of Peru. Her first experiences abroad included stints in France, Greece, as well as the United Kingdom, where she also served as Peruā€™s Alternate Permanent Representative to the International Maritime Organization. In the 2010s, Ms. AgĆ¼ero Colungaā€™s postings abroad led her to the Netherlands (twice), Romania, and then again to Greece ā€“ three countries where she often focused on consular issues, working as the Head of the Consular Section in the respective Embassies. In addition to these postings, throughout the years Ms. AgĆ¼ero Colunga often represented her country in numerous meetings and international conferences around the world.

After a long diplomatic career that also brought her several decorations from the Peruvian state, in January 2020 Ms. AgĆ¼ero Colunga was promoted to the rank of Ambassador. Later in the year she was appointed to her new job as Peruā€™s Ambassador in The Hague. Diplomat Magazine and the diplomatic community of the Netherlands welcome her and wish her all the best for this new adventure!

Lā€™etĆ  dellā€™oro By Fabrizio Plessi in Venice

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Lā€™etĆ  dellā€™oro By Fabrizio Plessi in Venice

Fabrizio Plessi – Picture by Alessandro Garafalo for Dior.

The Maison Dior is sponsoring the exhibition L’etĆ  dell’oro (literally, the Golden Age) by Fabrizio Plessi. 

One of the pioneers of video art in Italy, this multi-talented artist, whose work has been celebrated in the most prestigious museums, designs in-site installations alongside spectacular monuments and cultural sites.Timed to open the day before theĀ Venice Film Festival, this event ā€“ which was originally scheduled to take place in May 2020, during the Venice Biennale of Architecture ā€“ is being held on the faƧade of theĀ Correr Museum, an exceptional setting in the cityā€™s emblematic Piazza San Marco.

Picture by Christian Dior.

Bridging nature and artifice, primitive and technological elements, traditions and the future, this alchemistā€™s striking works ā€“ veritable golden sculptures ā€“ pay a passionate tribute to theĀ Serenissima, a city close to his heart. An extraordinary iconic symbol, this sunny shade ā€“ which notably illustrates the artisanal craft of gilding of the Byzantine mosaics ā€“ is staged on the windows of the building, playing with the lights and enchanting reflections of the city.

 An ode to the magic of Venice to be discovered from 1 September through 15 November 2020. 

For further informationĀ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u51mH2S25g4&feature=youtu.be

When to contradict your boss?

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When to contradict your boss?

By Barend ter Haar.

Do not argue with your boss, seems like a good rule of thumb if you want to advance in a career. So when in 1997 a captain decided to land a Boeing 747 on visual approach, even though the weather was bad, the first officer and the flight engineer, both of whom realised how much risk the captain was taking, limited themselves to very polite hints like ā€œCaptain, the weather radar has helped us a lotā€. The captain didnā€™t take the hints and crashed the plane against a mountain ridge, killing 228 people.[1]

It is a classic case: a boss values his intuition higher than the technical knowledge of the experts while the experts do not want to contradict him, although they have good reasons to doubt his decision. A deadly disaster can result.

This is exactly what happened in the run-up to the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, which killed hundreds of thousands of people, caused millions of refugees, wasted trillions of dollars and boosted terrorism. In To Start a War: How the Bush Administration Took America Into Iraq,  Robert Draper compellingly describes the astonishing series of events that led to this disaster.[2]

The official reason for the invasion was the alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction by Iraq and the danger that these weapons would be provided to terrorists. These allegations were presented to the UN Security Council by Colin Powell, the widely respected US Secretary of State, with such conviction that many governments, such as that of the Netherlands, supported the invasion out of loyalty to the leader of the free world, without critically scrutinising its rationale.

However, both allegations were based on evidence that was either very weak or false. In reality Iraq no longer had weapons of mass destruction and it did not support terrorism. On the contrary, it was the US invasion that gave terrorism a major boost by plunging the country into chaos that IS gratefully exploited.  

US experts knew how weak the case against Saddam was, but the Bush administration wanted to remove Saddam from power and was only looking for arguments to do so, not for arguments against taking action. So that is what the CIA provided.

What lessons should we learn from this? What to do if your boss, be it a captain or a president, gets stuck in tunnel vision? Should we not challenge him, when the consequences of a mistake can be so catastrophic? 

[1] See Malcolm Gladwell: Outliers, chapter seven: The Ethnic Theory of Plane Crashes

[2] Penguin Random House 2020

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