The State Secretary for Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Norway, H.E. Mr Audun Halvorsen
THE HAGUE, Netherlands – 28 August 2019 – The Kingdom of Norway has made a voluntary contribution of €100,000 toward supporting the activities of the Trust Fund for Syria Missions at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
This voluntary fund supports the Organisation’s special missions and contingency operations related to the Syrian Arab Republic including the work of the Declaration Assessment Team (DAT), the Fact-Finding Mission (FFM), and the Investigation and Identification Team (IIT). The Norwegian contribution aims to equip the OPCW with the means to maintain its professional and impartial standards in addressing the threat from chemical weapons use.
OPCW Director-General, H.E. Mr Fernando Arias, and Permanent Representative of Norway to the OPCW, H.E. Ambassador Martin Sørby, marked the voluntary contribution during a ceremony today at the Organisation’s headquarters in The Hague.
Expressing his gratitude for Norway’s on-going support for the OPCW, the Director-General remarked: “The work of the OPCW is sustained by the humanity’s desire to live in a world free of chemical weapons and underpinned by the support of State Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention. I want to express my thanks to Norway for its tangible commitment to countering the threat posed by chemical weapons use.”
The European Union and the following OPCW Member States have so far contributed to the Fund this year: Australia, Canada, Germany, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America.
The Director-General has appealed to all OPCW Member States in a position to make voluntary contributions to do so, emphasising that “identifying perpetrators will advance existing endeavours to tackle the re-emergence of use of chemical weapons”.
Dr. Luka Müller-Studer & HM King Tupou VI – Picture by Honorary Consulate of Tonga in Zürich.
King Tupou VI exits the church after his coronation ceremony in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, July 4, 2015. The U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific Band participated in the coronation ceremonies alongside bands from Tonga, Australia and New Zealand. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Brittney Vito/Released)
Friday, 23 August 2019, Zürich, Canton of Zürich, Swiss Confederation: His Majesty The King of Tonga, Tupou VI, opened an Honorary Consulate located at the Zollstrasse 62, CH-8031 Zürich, a first in Switzerland. Honorary Consul of Tonga is Dr. Luka Müller, a lawyer by profession, and husband of TV presenter and singer Sandra Studer. Consul Dr. Müller-Studer likewise owns a small hotel in the capital Nuku’alofa on the island of Tongatapu. Through a foundation he invests in solar energy, agricultural and development projects in the South Pacific country.
The Kingdom of Tonga is inhabited by over 100,000 people, comprises 176 islands, whereof merely 36 are inhabited. The country is going through economically difficult times: the kingdom exports tropical fruit, however, foreign fishing fleets and cheap agricultural products are damaging its own economy.
Most of what the inhabitants of Tonga need for their daily lives is imported. Tourism is poorly developed. The country is dependent on development aid and money that Tongans transfer abroad to their relatives.
Thursday, 15 August 2019, Free Hanseatic City of Bremen: Bremen’s novel state government – the Senate of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen – was elected today by the Bremen Legislative. Dr. Andreas Bovenschulte serves as President of the Senate and Mayor.
Bremen’s regional government is comprised of: Mayor Dr. Andreas Bovenschulte The President of the Senate Senator for Religious Affairs Senator for Culture
Mayor Dr. Maike Schaefer Senator for Climate Protection, Environment, Mobility, Urban Development and Housing
Senator Ulrich Mäurer Senator for Home Affairs (Interior)
Senator Anja Stahmann Senator for Social Affairs, Youth, Integration and Sport
Senator Dr. Claudia Bogedan The Senator for Children and Education
Senator Claudia Bernhard Senator for Health, Women and Consumer Protection
Senator Dr. Claudia Schilling Senator for Science and Ports Senator for Justice and Constitutional Affairs
Senator Dietmar Strehl Senator for Finance
Senator Kristina Vogt Senator for Economics, Labour and European Affairs
Friday, 12 July 2019, Washington D.C., USA: World Bank Group President David Malpass announced as per statement below, the appointment of Ms Anshula Kant in the capacity of Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer of the World Bank Group.
Ms. Kant (born 7 September 1960), an Indian national from the city of Roorkee, is currently a Managing Director of the State Bank of India (SBI), where she previously served as Chief Financial Officer.
She is a graduate in Economic Honours from Lady Shri Ram College for Women and holds a Post-Graduate in Economics from Delhi School of Economics.
As Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer, Kant will be responsible for financial and risk management of the World Bank Group, reporting to the President. Among other key management duties, her work will include oversight of financial reporting, risk management, and working closely with the World Bank CEO on mobilization of IDA and other financial resources.
The Rt Hon Stephen Harper together with Bavarian State Minister Dr. Florian Herrmann.
The Rt Hon Stephen Harper, former Prime Minister of Canada, now chairman of the International Democratic Union (IDU), on a visit to Munich.
State Minister Dr. Florian Herrmann said:..“It was a pleasure to welcome Stephen Harper at the State Chancellery of Bavaria I maintains close relations with Canada for many years, just over the Bavarian partner province of Québec and our local representation.
We had a very interesting and entertaining exchange on the political situation that challenges us in Germany, Europe and across the Atlantic. “
The Rt Hon Stephen Harper and Dr. Florian Herrmann during the meeting.
The Indonesian Embassy in The Hague held a “Journalists Gathering” at the Indonesian restaurant, Ron’s Gastro Bar in Downtown Amsterdam on August 7, 2019.
On display were works by the famous Italian artist Romualdo Locatelli (1905-1943) among them the famous piece “Javanese Girl”
Admiring the “Javanese Girl” by Romualdo Locatelli.
Present at the event were a good number of Dutch journalists from various media houses: Belindo Magazine, Diplomat Magazine, Groenteman met Veeninga, The Holland Times, KPN Planet and De Telegraaf
The event was opened by the Indonesian Ambassador in the Netherlands,
H.E. I Gusti Agung Wesaka Puja.In his inaugural remarks, Ambassador Puja warmly welcomed the journalists and expressed his admiration for the various paintings by Locatelli which are full of exoticism, mystery and realistic elements.
Furthermore, the Dutch curator of Italian descent,Gianni Orsini, who is also a biographer and art expert, presented the biography book ‘Romualdo Locatelli, Eternal Green under an Eternal Sun’.The biography focuses in detail on the last four years of Locatelli’s brief but meaningful life, from 1939 to his tragic disappearance at the age of 37.
The biography also recounts his golden period, the period when he was living in Italy, North Africa, Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines.
Today, after 75 years, the story of his life and his mysterious disappearance has become part of the mythological dimension.
H.E. Mr. I Gusti Wesaka Puja, Ambassador of Indonesia.
Before travelling to Indonesia (Dutch East Indies), Locatelli had close relations with the Italian Royal family, political elites and religious leaders. This has heightened the momentum of his career.
An example of one of his famous paintings in Europe is the one featuring the two sons of the heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Italy and that of Benito Mussolini’s daughter.
During his stint in Java(January-September 1939) and Bali(September 1939-1940), Locatelli produced rare and valuable works. In addition to the painting “Java Girl” which was also exhibited at this the event, one of his paintings of a Balinese girl entitled “Smoking”was sold for 4,200,000 HKD on March 31, 2019, at an auction held at the Modern and Contemporary Southeast Asian Art Evening Sale, Hong Kong.
Journalists during the lunch at Ron’s Gastro Bar in Amsterdam.
Orsini, a biographer, has a strong interest in art and Indonesia, this is due to his grandfather who was a well-known Italian sculptor who lived in Batavia (Jakarta) 1892 the city where his father was born. After completing his education at the Technical University in Delft, Orsini then chose to pursue arts, especially painting. The books he wrote include a biography of G.P.Adolf (2008), W.G. Hofker (2013), Blackmann (2017), as well as a book collection of the Pasifika Museum collection in Nusa Dua Bali (2017).
The journalists and guests were treated to typical dishes of the contemporary archipelago. As an appetizer, the guests were served with tacos, tuna tartar, tartar meat, and satay wrapped around the lemongrass stem. As for the main course, an Indonesian food menu was served with a typical Dutch serving, rijsttafel. The treats were in great demand by all. There was: balado fish, rendang, satay goat, chicken satay, fresh vegetables, lodeh vegetables, balado eggs, fried rice, and not to forget fried bananas and sambal. And for dessert, a passion fruit ice cream was served.
Two journalists from Groenteman met Veeninga, Djoeke and Cora said they were very impressed with this “gathering” program. Cora also had a special interest in Dutch East Indies art and was himself a biographer. While Djoeke was very happy to be able to participate in this activity. He has several times held journalistic activities in Indonesia. Indonesian cuisine is one of his favourite dishes, sometimes he even prepares Indonesian fish soup.
Ron’s Gastro Bar, Amsterdam.
Roy Lie Atjam from Diplomat Magazine said that he regularly covers the activities organized by the Indonesian Embassy in The Hague. He also felt very pleased to be able to take part in this luncheon. Nanda from The Holland Times made similar remarks.
“Journalists Gathering”is an initiative of the Indonesian Embassy in The Hague, its aim is to embrace the Dutch media and strengthen relations with them. “Journalists Gathering” is also a means to promote culture, in this case through the beauty of paintings, and also to further promote the delicacies of the archipelago’s cuisine which is rich in herbs and spices.
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — 21 August 2019 — The Government of New Zealand is contributing €64,000 toward the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons’ (OPCW) Trust Fund for Syria Missions in support of the operations of the team tasked with the identifying the perpetrators of chemical weapons use in Syria, as determined by the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission.
The team was created pursuant to the decision on addressing the threat from chemical weapons use adopted by the Conference of the States Parties at its Fourth Special Session in June 2018.
OPCW
The donation was formalised through a formal exchange of letters between the OPCW Director-General, H.E. Mr Fernando Arias, and the Government of New Zealand through the Permanent Representative of New Zealand to the OPCW, H.E. Ambassador Lyndal Walker.
At a ceremony at OPCW Headquarters today, the Director-General expressed his gratitude to the Government of New Zealand for its contribution and continued support of the Organisation, adding that all OPCW Member States in a position to make voluntary contributions were encouraged to do so.
Ambassador Walker remarked: “New Zealand remains a strong supporter of the OPCW and its work towards a world free of chemical weapons. New Zealand’s contribution to the Trust Fund for Syria Missions will assist
If your company does business with China, or you are planning a holiday there, consider learning the basics of Chinese. Not only can this help you communicate better with your Chinese colleagues or friends, it can help you immerse into the culture in a unique way and enrich your travel or business experience. There is no better way to learn about a people and their way of life than to learn something of the language.
Kickstart School introduces ‘Communicating in Chinese Level I, II and III’. These are introductory courses designed for beginners and are taught in English. Students learn in a small group using a textbook with extra practice exercises on Kickstart’s online learning platform, KickstartNet.
Instructor Xiyu Wang explains that the course focus is on building a solid foundation in Mandarin Chinese for anyone from those who are simply curious about Chinese to those who intend to further their Chinese studies. Integral to the course is understanding of culture, exploration of grammar and frequently used vocabulary, and functional communication. Xiyu uses pinyin – the common method of spelling out Chinese sounds using the English alphabet – to help make pronunciation easy to learn. Once the link between sound and character is made, says Xiyu, students will be able to pronounce Chinese like a native speaker.
After 24 hours of Chinese instruction at Kickstart School, you will:
have a good grasp of pronunciation and the tonal system
know about pinyin
be able to recognise Basic characters
have an idea of how to build up and write a character
have an idea of the basic grammar
be able to tell Chinese speakers about family relations and tell your age
be able to make appointments with people (time, clock, numbers, days, months)
know how to meet and greet Chinese speakers
be able to ask the price in shops, talk about money, and count
Contact Kickstart School today to find out how to get started on your Chinese language journey. We can also provide tailor-made (in-) company Chinese training for individuals and groups. Prices can be obtained at your request.
Not interested in Chinese? Kickstart School is also here for your Dutch and English learning needs! We offer Dutch and English courses at all levels for both adults and children in general language, communication, business, and exam preparation. No time for a course? Call about booking a private tutor who can work with your schedule needs. Don’t hesitate to get in touch, sign up for a course (or two), and let Kickstart take you further with your Dutch, English, or Chinese language learning!
I.A. Kuwait, Tanzania, Uzbekistan, Republic of Korea, Kosovo and Senegal
With nearly seventy participating countries, the two-day Embassy Festival will be bigger than ever this year. There isn’t an event in the world where somany embassies unite to present and celebrate culture. Thanks to the collaborations with the embassies, the Embassy Festival is able to present an authentic and worldly experience with four stages offering music (classical, traditional and contemporary) and dance.
There’s also an International Market present with many culinary and cultural discoveries to be made. The free festival will take place on Friday 6 and Saturday 7 September at the Lange Voorhout in The Hague. Although most embassies reside in The Hague – The International City of Peace and Justice – there are also more and more embassies from Brussels that have joined in. Mongolia, Nepal, Uzbekistan and Haiti will make their way to The Hague to participate in the colorful unity that the Embassy Festival inhabits.
A culinary adventure is a given when visiting the Embassy Festival. Cozonaci (Romania), Biko (Phillipines), Dolma (Azerbaijan), Banhm (Vietnam), Sirnica (Bosnia & Herzegovina), Khachapuri (Georgia) and Kürbiskernöl (Australia) are just some of the delicious treasures that can be tasted and discovered. And it’s not just one’s taste buds that are in for a treat.
The countries participating have much more up their sleeve to tickle the curiosity of its visitors. Want to know more about Uzbekistan or Azerbaijan? The Embassy Festival offers that opportunity. And you can hop onboard this two-day trip of cultural adventures with more countries than ever before.
Nearly seventy countries are represented this year, with eightnew entries. Kuwait, Tanzania, Uzbekistan, Republic of Korea, Kosovo, Senegal, Nigeria and Denmark will make their debut this year.
Culture Unites
Walking around the Embassy Festival shows visitors how culture unites. An example of what’s to be expected: At the festival you will see stars shine and perform from Palestine (Faraj Suleiman), Australia (Anna Smith), Morocco (Mâalem Reda Stitou) and Israel (Boom Pam).
Ambassadors roll up their sleeves and put on an apron to help prepare delicious meals from their home countries. Women from Bosnia and Herzegovina dancing dressed in traditional clothing. It’s not uncommon to find yourself dancing in a spontaneously organized South-African party and to then be swept away by several other countries that are celebrating their heritage on the International Market.
Embassy Festival
You can taste bites and drinks from all over the world. Our youngest visitors will also be entertained at this family-friendly festival. At the Kids Compound or at one of the many pavilions inhabited by all the countries present.
Children will have their own voyage of discovery to experience. By painting Nón Lá’s (Vietnamese conical hats), or by taking a picture with Joulupukki (Finland’s very own Santa Claus) or by getting a henna tattoo at the Saudi-Arabia stand. You won’t want it to stop.
Embassy Festival
Facts & Figures
Last year, the Embassy Festival attracted more than 60.000 visitors. The festival brings together the richness of nearly seventy participating countries and seduces its visitors to meet with each other, to step outside the familiar and to indulge themselves in sea of culture. In The Hague – City of Peace and Justice, The Embassy Festival proves that culture creates unity and causes amazement.
Participating countries: Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, Hungary, Ireland, India, Israel, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Nepal, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Palestine, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sint Maarten, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Tunisia, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Yemen.
Quotes
H.E. Ambassador Rawan Sulaiman, Chief of Palestinean Mission.
Quote Rawan Sulaiman – Head of Mission State of Palestine: “The Embassy festival brings together people from across the world to showcase their culture, food, music, and dance. For me, participating in the festival is a great opportunity to share with people from all over the world a taste of Palestine. It is heart-warming to see people learning about and experiencing other cultures by exploring the lovely colours, rich flavours and traditional customs of different countries. The Embassy festival is a brilliant mean to celebrate diversity, difference and tolerance in The Hague, the city of justice and peace.”
Quote visitor Philip: “I’m from El Salvador, one of the participating countries. Every year, me and my El Salvadorian friends meet at the festival. We live all over the Netherlands, so it’s a great day to get together and enjoy our culture, the food and the music. I know a group of Mexicans that do the same. An annual reunion!”
EMBASSY FESTIVAL 2019
FRIDAY 6 SEPTEMBER | 17.00 – 23.30: world music, dance on two stages | Bites & Drinks
Arusha, 16 August 2019– Mechanism ProsecutorSerge Brammertz visited Kigali from 14 to 16 August 2019, following his biannual address on the Mechanism to the UN Security Council on 17 July 2019.
During the visit, the Prosecutor met with Prosecutor-General Jean Bosco Mutangana of the Republic of Rwanda, senior members of his team and other senior government officials to discuss issues of mutual interest, including avenues for strengthening existing cooperation, the Turinabo et al. contempt proceedings and the search for the remaining eight fugitives indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.
The visit was part of ongoing cooperation between Rwandan authorities and the Office of the Prosecutor.
