On 11 June 2020 the Government of the United States announced new measures against the International Criminal Court (ICC). These measures are unprecedented. They undermine our common endeavor to fight impunity and to ensure accountability for mass atrocities. I deeply regret measures targeting Court officials, staff and their families.
The Court is independent and impartial. The ICC is a court of law. It operates in strict adherence to the provisions of the Rome Statute.
The Rome Statute system recognizes the primary jurisdiction of States to investigate and prosecute atrocity crimes. As a court of last resort, the ICC is complementary to national jurisdictions. This is a cornerstone of the Statute.
To further strengthen the Rome Statute system, the Assembly of States Parties and the Court have embarked on a wide-ranging review process. The aim is to ensure effective and efficient accountability for atrocity crimes.
I will convene an extraordinary meeting of the Bureau of the Assembly next week to consider how to renew our unwavering commitment to the Court.
I call upon the States Parties and all the stakeholders in the Rome Statute system to reiterate once more our relentless commitment to uphold and defend the principles and values enshrined in the Statute and to preserve its integrity undeterred by any measures and threats against the Court and its officials, staff and their families.
Monday, 8 June 2020, Berlin, Federal Republic of Germany: Federal President Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier granted an audience to Georgia’s novel top envoy to Germany, Ambassador Prof. Dr. Levan Izoria for his accreditation.
Prof. Dr. Izoria is a notable Georgian politician who until his ambassadorial appointment had served as his country’s Chief of Intelligence Service. Ambassador Levan Izoria likewise served as Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs between 2012 and 2015, thereafter as Deputy Head of State Security Service, and subsequently as Georgian Minister of Defence of Georgia from 1 August 2016 until 2019. Ambassador Izoria masters the Georgian, English, German and Russian languages.
He holds a PhD degree in Law from the Georg-August University Göttingen in Lower Saxony (with honours), and a further background as an academician.
In the picture Georgia’s Minister of Defence Levan Izoria, in Washington, D.C., Nov. 13, 2017. (DOD photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brigitte N. Brantley)
Tuesday, 9 June 2020, Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany: In the fight against the corona pandemic, North Rhine-Westphalia is supporting its African partner country Ghana as well as the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and North Macedonia with humanitarian emergency aid amounting to a good 290,000 euros. The funds are to be used primarily for the urgently needed supply of hygiene items and basic sanitary infrastructure.
Minister for European Affairs Dr. Stephan Holthoff-Pförtner: “We stand by our partners and friends in Ghana, Jordan and Northern Macedonia and support the people who are particularly endangered by COVID-19 in this emergency. International solidarity and cohesion fight the virus.”
Around 150,000 euros of the emergency aid will go to Ghana. There, health stations and small outpatient clinics in the less developed regions are to be supplied with mobile washing stations, hygiene articles, face masks and protective clothing. In addition, raw materials are needed to be able to produce disinfectants on site.
In Agbogbloshie, one of the largest electrical waste dumps in the world, and the adjacent informal settlement near the Ghanaian capital Accra, North Rhine-Westphalia is already committed to better working and health conditions within the framework of development cooperation. Corona’s emergency aid will provide mobile washing facilities, a temporary water supply and additional permanently installed toilets and washing facilities.
Since 2007, North Rhine-Westphalia has had a partnership with Ghana that is based on close relations in administration, business and civil society. In Jordan, the State Chancellery has been funding projects to combat the causes of flight since 2016/2017.
The Jordanian refugee camp Azraq is currently receiving increasing numbers of Syrian refugees who are either returning to the camp due to the deteriorating economic situation in the Jordanian cities or are arriving directly from Syria. The emergency aid from North Rhine-Westphalia amounting to around 110,00 Euro is intended to provide the people in the camp with hygiene kits (soap, towel, disinfectant, etc.) and to carry out information measures to educate them about COVID 19 prevention.
In North Macedonia, the work of the Red Cross is promoted, which organises the procurement and distribution of food and hygiene articles to vulnerable population groups. North Rhine-Westphalia is making 30,000 euros available for this purpose, thereby setting an example of European solidarity that goes beyond the area of the current EU.
By Ambassador Macharia Kamau CBS, Principal Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kenya.
On 17th June 2020, the United Nations will be electing 15 states from its 193 Members to take up the Non-Permanent seats at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the period 2021-22. Kenya will be on the ballot vying for the single seat available for Africa having been endorsed by the African Union in August, 2019 as the AU Candidate for the position.
Kenya is persuaded that global challenges are only surmountable if the world’s rules based multilateral system is deployed in a manner that attracts consensus not only in the appreciation of the challenges, but also in the evolution of practical response strategies. The 10-point Agenda that Kenya promises to champion in the Security Council is largely premised on the SDGs. The process leading to the adoption of the SDGs was multilateral diplomacy at its best demonstrated by building of bridges between diametrically opposing opinions resulting in some of the most profound commitments ever by Member States in the history of the United Nations. Kenya was at the very centre of this process.
In 2013-2014, the world entrusted Kenya and Hungary with co-facilitation of the international negotiation process that created the global sustainable development goals (SDGs). The mandate was clear but the task was not easy. Collecting and collating ideas from all stakeholders and refining them into simple consumable thoughts was just one part. Moderating the concepts and diverse schools of thought and building consensus around them was another critical part. Most importantly was to provide sound leadership to guide the parties navigate the complex terrain of positions held by different countries and groupings.
The end of the SDGs formation ushered in deliberations on the Post 2015 development Agenda in September, 2014. Because of its impressive leadership in the SDGs process, Kenya was again appointed by the President of the 71st session of UN General Assembly to co- facilitate the 2030 UN Agenda design process together with Ireland. The process successfully culminated in the adoption of the 2030 UN Agenda for sustainable development at a summit in New York in September, 2015.
Subsequently, and as a follow up, Kenya has, and continues to work on global multilateral projects, such as the Sustainable Blue Economy Conference with Japan and Canada, and many others on various issues of interest and concern, ranging from climate change, among others, to the International Conference on Population Development (ICPD), co-hosted in November 2019 with UNFPA and Denmark. These milestones are a seminal legacy of Kenya’s great multilateralism spirit.
Kenya’s skills in multilateral diplomacy, as demonstrated in the SDG process, SBEC and others, will be exemplified in the Security Council in at least three ways: First, Kenya will bring on board consensus building capabilities, more so within the context of unprecedented challenges occasioned by the global COVID-19 pandemic and other existential threats. Second, the Council will benefit from Kenya’s objectivity and trustworthiness which is necessary particularly in helping countries in conflict to arrive at common understanding of various issues. Third, Kenya’s consistency will bring in an element of certainty particularly on any Kenya-led agenda. These three qualities are crucial for building peace and security in our world.
Kenya’s leadership in multilateral diplomacy has stood out even during these extraordinary times of global COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, President Uhuru Kenyatta, who is the current chair of the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States and a member of the Bureau of African Union Heads of State and Government, has been engaging world leaders and institutions in proffering solutions for concerted response measures to the COVID-19 pandemic. He hosted the First Extra Ordinary Summit of the OACPS on 3rd June 2020 under the theme “Transcending the COVID-19 Pandemic: Building Resilience through Global Solidarity” whose focus was addressing current and post COVID-19 challenges. Additionally, Kenya has initiated many webinars and virtual meetings at technical and ministerial levels.
The SDGs/2030 Agenda process is only one of many instances that show cases Kenya’s leadership in multilateral diplomacy. The country has demonstrated thought and practical leadership in many other areas which will be useful in the pursuit of the 10 point agenda once in the Council.
As a proven team player and stickler of a rules based multilateralism as well as its rich experience, Kenya is a safe pair of hands and stands ready to deliver on its promise as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. Kenya is ready to serve.
The Government of the United States announced visa restrictions and economic sanctions against ICC staff and their immediate family members, in a series of unprecedented measures against officials at The Hague Prosecutor’s office investigating or prosecuting U.S. personnel, as well as international lawyers and human rights investigators acting without Washington’s consent.
This U.S. Government’s actions appear after ICC appeals judges authorized an investigation last March into allegations of war crimes committed in Afghanistan more than a decade ago by U.S. military and intelligence personnel. The ICC will also investigate possible crimes by the Afghan Government Forces and the Taliban militants in Afghanistan. The broad announcement by the U.S. Government leaves open doors to include witnesses from a broad range of fields, including academics, public servants, businesses, NGOs, suppliers, and the like.
The White House statement explained that “The International Criminal Court’s actions are an attack on the rights of the American people and threaten to infringe upon our national sovereignty”. To support their actions, the U.S. administration said that they have “strong reasons to believe” that there is “corruption and misconduct” at the highest levels of the prosecutor’s office.
The U.S. Government’s coercive measures also include blocking properties and bank accounts that these officials may have under U.S. jurisdiction.
In a statement, the International Criminal Court expressed their regret at the announcement by the Government of the United States of “further threats and coercive actions, including financial measures, against the Court and its officials” and stressed the need for sustained cooperation and global support for the Court.
“The ICC stands firmly by its staff and officials and remains unwavering in its commitment to discharging, independently and impartially, the mandate bestowed upon it by the Rome Statute and the States that are party to it.”
These are the latest in a series of unprecedented attacks on the ICC, an independent international judicial institution, as well as on the Rome Statute system of international criminal justice, which reflects the commitment and cooperation of the ICC’s 123 States Parties, representing all regions of the world.
“These attacks constitute an escalation and an unacceptable attempt to interfere with the rule of law and the Court’s judicial proceedings.” said the ICC statement. “They are announced with the declared aim of influencing the actions of ICC officials in the context of the Court’s independent and objective investigations and impartial judicial proceedings. An attack on the ICC also represents an attack against the interests of victims of atrocity crimes, for many of whom the Court represents the last hope for justice. The U.S. sanctions against the ICC staff are an unacceptable attack and obstruction against international justice”, The Court stated.
Last week, ten ICC States members who are also members of the United Nations’ Security Council, issued a statement reconfirming their “unwavering support for the Court as an independent and judicial institution”.
This week the ICC will call for an extraordinary meeting of the Bureau of the Assembly to renew “the unbreakable commitment with the court” of the 123 States Parties.
ICC
The United States Government maintains a controversial relationship with the ICC since a while; openly showing its opposition to the Court’s decisions in several cases, notably since November 2017 when the Office of the Prosecutor requested to open an investigation into the war in Afghanistan.
This request was initially denied. One of the reasons of the chamber’s refusal last year, among other issues, was the consideration that its chances of success were “extremely limited.” That decision was reversed in the Appeal Court in March this year, which allows the ICC’s Chief Prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, to issue arrest warrants against suspects.
In a document, the ICC warns that there is a “reasonable basis” to believe that CIA members practised torture against detainees at secret U.S. intelligence centres located in Poland, Romania and Lithuania.
The United States is not a State Party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. However, Afghanistan, Poland, Romania and Lithuania are States Parties to the Statute, allowing the ICC to exercise its jurisdiction into alleged war crimes or crimes against humanity when the authorities of the country concerned do not carry out credible investigations.
Still, the ICC remains concerned that investigations under President Obama on U.S. military activities in Afghanistan did not go to the chain of command and did not include actions by the CIA.
In its capacity of OSCE’s Chairman for 2020, Albania intends to promote the role of women in peace processes, conflict prevention and resolution – a commitment that the 2021 OSCE Chairman, Sweden, will take care of next year.
Albania’s OSCE Chairmanship in 2020 was supposed to bring about a major international conference in Tirana on the role of women in peace and security issues. While the pandemic forced the Albanian government to cancel the conference, it did not diminish Tirana’s commitment to this important topic. Hence, the decision to organize a webinar – in cooperation with OSCE’s High Commissioner on National Minorities and the Organization’s next Chairman, Sweden – on the role of women in conflict prevention and resolution.
H.E. Ms. Adia Sakiqi, Ambassador of Albania.
The Albanian Embassy in The Hague, led by H.E. Ambassador Adia Sakiqi, played an instrumental role in the organization of the event. After welcoming the participants, the Ambassador outlined the progress made by her country, especially from a legislative perspective, to foster gender equality. On the domestic front, she mentioned for instance the government’s Third Strategy on Gender Equality, the 2018 National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, as well as the law “On Gender Equality in Society”, which fosters gender equality in all public institutions.
At the same time, the Ambassador also stressed that Albania’s commitment to the relevant international legal instruments, such as UN Security Council Resolution 1325, the CEDAW Convention of 1993, and the Istanbul Convention of 2014.
H.E. Ms. Annika Markovic, Ambassador of Sweden to the Netherlands
“As always, implementation has its challenges” – Ms. Sakiqi admitted. At the same time, however, she expressed her optimism regarding Albania’s progress. “Our numbers are modest, but the tendency is to go upwards” – she stressed, noting that women make up a significant part of the country’s political class (half of the current cabinet and one third of the Albanian Parliament), as well as of Albania’s public sector (43% of the public workforce, and 35% of the new officers joining the country’s army in 2019).
This progress has been recognized by international rankings, with the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap 2018placing Albania 34th out of 149 countries for the number of women involved in public affairs and women political empowerment, and 5th worldwide for wage equality for similar work. Still, Ms. Sakiqi stressed that “we should not be easily pleased and satisfied”, calling for further efforts in this important domain.
Ambassador Marie Jacobsson, Principal Legal Adviser on International Law at the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Following Ms. Sakiqi’s remarks, H.E. Ms. Annika Markovic, Ambassador of Sweden to the Netherlands, took the floor to moderate the webinar. She thus introduced the three keynote speakers: Ms. Indi Milo, an Albanian career diplomat with extensive experience in human rights and security issues, currently Head of the Albanian Chairmanship Task Force; Ambassador Lamberto Zannier, former Secretary General of OSCE and currently High Commissioner on National Minorities; and H.E. Ambassador Ms. Marie Jacobsson, Principal Legal Adviser on International Law at the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, with extensive experience of high-level international law negotiations.
Ms. Indi Milo, Head of the Albanian Chairmanship Task Force.
First, Ms. Milo spoke about the ways in which a wider participation of women can be fostered across the OSCE area. “OSCE chairmanship is very important for us this year; we want to refocus on existing commitments and redouble our efforts and implementation of the three dimensions of the topic. The first one is the military-political dimension; we can commit the inclusiveness of women as mediators, facilitators or moderators, in formal processes in OSCE. The second dimession is the invironnement and we can warantie the full participation of women in climate security activitites. The third dimenssion is that women are under represented in democratic processes, as decision makers and in democratic policy making, OSCE has an outstanding expertise in these topics. Specifically in elections participation of women in political parties. ” she explained.
Regarding the actual situation Ms. Milo declared: “During COVID -19 pandemic we specially encourage share work and parental responsibilities between women and men, research showed that this pandemic is further wide than the gender gap.
Women need full participation in peace, security processes and decision making as well and in detection of conflict related violence.
The contribution of Mr. Zannier focused instead on inclusivity more at large, describing how inclusive societies can contribute to conflict prevention efforts.
“We felt the need to have a panel on gender and to focus on serious challenges of women in the context of the role of women in conflict prevention & resolution, which is an issue that doesn’t play out in the same way in every country. In some places, we do see diverse problems that need to be recognized and addressed as a minority.
COVID-19 is impacting minorities communities in a disproportional way; we see increasing discrimination and hate speech. We also have seen limited access to healthcare, and some services like education services, the information in minority languages, some times been not good enough and members of minorities communities are in a disadvantage in comparison to the majority.” said Ambassador Zannier.
Ambassador Lamberto Zannier, High Commissioner in National Minorities.
“Gender adds a different element to on top of that. In general, regarding women we have seen a higher rate of unemployment compared to a previous economic recession, increasing labour force, domestic work, work in agriculture, increasing responsibility to child care, also on top of this increasing domestic violence.” He added.
The speech of Ambassador Jacobsson shifted the focus back to women’s right to participate to conflict prevention and conflict resolution efforts – exemplified by the Swedish initiative on Women’s Mediation.
“Women need to sit at all forums and contribute to a sustainable, inclusive peace for the benefits of men and women alike. I’m an international layer, mediation for me has a specific meaning, we use mediation in all context to include everything, prevention during conflicts and post conflicts measures, and that is important. In Swedish Women Mediation Network, we want to support women peacebuilders and assist in their effective participation at the various stages of the peace process.” ambassador Jacobsson said. “And we can say, about the adoption of the UN Security Council resolution 1325, that promotion of gender equality is not only a woman or a matter of women; it is also a very clear and an important matter to ensure that we have sustainable peace and security for all.”
“The second issue that we promote is that we need and recognized that peace must be built from below. It is absolutely essential to support civil society and local peacebuilders and to ensure that their voices are heard, and it’s not only about gender inclusion, is about of recognizes that conditions for peace most be based in the rule of law and that they are set on the local level. Thus you need to connect the local community, civil society, government, and international community to help create conditions to a truly inclusive and legitimate peace process.”
“And then thirdly, we believe that the international community needs to step part of the effort to support sustainable peace processes.”
These introductory remarks were then followed by a lively debate among all the participants, who engaged in a Q&A session.
Wednesday, 10 June 2020, Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, Germany: Dr. Peter Tschentscher was elected First Mayor of Hamburg by the Hamburg State Parliament (Bürgerschaft). Consequently he appointed the members of the Senate (state government) who were subsequently confirmed by the Hamburg State Parliament.
Dr. Peter Tschentscher, First Mayor Senator Katharina Fegebank, Deputy Mayor and President of the Authority for Science, Research, Equality and Districts Senator Dr. Dorothee Stapelfeldt, President of the Authority for Urban Development and Housing Senator Ties Rabe, President of the Authority for Education and Vocational Training Senator Jens Kerstan, President of the Authority for Environment, Climate, Energy and Agriculture Senator Dr. Melanie Leonhard, President of the Department of Labour, Health, Social Affairs, Family and Integration Senator Andy Grote, President of the Ministry of the Interior and Sport Senator Dr. Carsten Brosda, President of the Authority for Culture and Media Senator Dr. Andreas Dressel, President of the Tax Authority
Senator Michael Westhagemann, President of the Authority for Economy and Innovation Senator Anna Gallina, President of the Authority for Justice and Consumer Protection Senator Dr. Anjes Tjarks, President of the Authority for Transport and Mobility Turnaround
Monday, 8 June 2020, Republic of Burundi: Burundi’s government announced by Twitter that President Pierre Nkurunziza (55) passed away after heart attack.
Nkurunziza died at a hospital in Karuzi, eastern Burundi. As per governmental statement there shall be a period of national mourning for seven days from that Tuesday of his demise, and that flags are being flown at half-mast.
In power since 2005, Nkurunziza was due to be replaced in August by political ally General Évariste Ndayishimiye, who was declared earlier this month the winner of the latest presidential ballot held in May. Hitherto Nkurunziza was the longest serving president since the foundation of the Burundian republic in 1966.
Nkurunziza was chosen to lead the country following a 1993-2005 civil war that killed approximately 300,000 people.
The government already had approved legislation meant to bestow upon Nkurunziza the title of “Paramount Leader” once he stepped down from the presidency.
President-elect Évariste Ndayishimiye is due to take office on 26 August 2020. According to the constitution, the president of the National Assembly, Pascal Nyabenda, becomes acting president till then.
“As the world continues to navigate the uncertain and unprecedented era of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the wheels of justice have continued to turn at the International Criminal Court (“ICC” or the “Court”) and in my Office in particular.
We have made every effort to adapt to the current reality of a virtual world, and the Office has maintained a notable degree of business continuity despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, including the closure of the ICC premises since March.”
Fatou Bensouda, Prosecutor, at the International Criminal Court.
HRH Prince Joachim to Denmark, Count of Monpezat, Picture by Steen Brogaard, Kongehuset.
The Danish Ministry of Defence announced that Brigadier general HRH Prince Joachim to Denmark, Count of Monpezat, is due to become the country’s Military Attaché at the Royal Danish Embassy in France (Paris) from 1 September 2020.
The role of Military Attaché in France is of particular diplomatic relevance owing to the deepening defence ties between France and Denmark. In particular Denmark’s armed forces are involved the Sahel region in Africa, the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula and in Estonia; all the latter dossiers are handled through an excellent cooperation with France.
Joachim to Denmark holds the rank of Brigadier general, speaks fluent French -in addition to his native Danish, English and German-, and is rather well-acquainted to French costumes and interests, being himself the son of a French nobleman.
Since September 2019 the prince has been trained at the prestigious École Militaire in Paris. His military training began in 1987 when he became a recruit in the Queen’s Live Regiment. On 1 November 2015, Prince Joachim took up a position as Specialist in the Armed Forces in relation to the implementation of a new overall strength concept intended to strengthen the use of volunteers in the Home Guard and reserve personnel.
Joachim is due to become the second royal to hold this post after his kinsman Colonel Prince Georg Valdemar, (1920-86) a great-grandson of King Christian IX of Denmark, who filled the role in the 1970s after beginning as head for the military office in London.
Defence Minister Trine Bramse hailed the appointment citing the prince’s professional credentials.
