The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (“ICC” or the “Court”) requested the Court’s Judges to authorise an investigation into alleged crimes against humanity, namely deportation, other inhumane acts and persecution committed against the Rohingya people from Myanmar.
More specifically, the request seeks authorisation from the Court’s Judges to open an investigation into alleged crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court in which at least one element occurred on the territory of Bangladesh – a State Party to the Rome Statute – and within the context of two recent waves of violence in Rakhine State on the territory of Myanmar, as well as any other crimes which are sufficiently linked to these events.
The requested authorisation to investigate the situation covers the period since the 9th of October 2016.
The Prosecutor’s request follows her Office’s thorough preliminary examination which, in its assessment, concluded that the legal conditions required under the Rome Statute to open an investigation have been met.
It may be recalled that on the 9th of April last year, the Prosecutor filed a request with the Court’s judges for a legal ruling on the question of jurisdiction over the alleged deportation of the Rohingya people from Myanmar to Bangladesh.
The second phase of the preliminary examination of this situation started last September, following the Judges’ ruling in response to that request, which confirmed that the Court may assert jurisdiction pursuant to article 12(2)(a) of the Statute, “if at least one element of a crime within the jurisdiction of the Court or part of such a crime is committed on the territory of a State Party to the Statute.”
Following the Office’s preliminary examination process, the Prosecutor has determined that there is a reasonable basis to believe that at least 700,000 Rohingya people were deported from Myanmar to Bangladesh through a range of coercive acts and that great suffering or serious injury has been inflicted on the Rohingya through violating their right to return to their State of origin.
More specifically, the information available provides a reasonable basis to believe that, in the context of the 2017 wave of violence, the following crimes were committed, in part on the territory of Myanmar and in part on the territory of Bangladesh.
· Deportation under article 7(1) (d) of the Statute. Although the coercive acts forcing the Rohingya population to flee took place on the territory of Myanmar, the victims crossed the border—an essential element for the crime of deportation—by entering into the territory of Bangladesh;
· Other inhumane acts under article 7(1)(k) of the Statute, namely, the infliction of great suffering or serious injury by means of intentional and severe violations of the customary international law right of displaced persons to return safely and humanely to the State of origin with which they have a sufficiently close connection;
· Persecution on ethnic and/or religious grounds under article 7(1)(h) of the Statute by means of deportation and intentional and severe deprivation of the customary international law right to return.
This is without prejudice to other possible crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court which may be identified during the course of any authorised investigation.
As Myanmar is not a State Party to the Rome Statute, but Bangladesh is, it is important to bear in mind that the authorisation to investigate, if granted by the Judges, would not extend to all crimes potentially committed in Myanmar, but will focus on crimes allegedly committed in part on the territory of Bangladesh.
Investigating deportation will, however, mean taking a close look at the alleged violence that left the Rohingya no genuine choice but to flee Myanmar.
The Office of the Prosecutor has carefully assessed available information on relevant national proceedings. In light of the gravity of the acts committed – the details of which are outlined in the Request – and the absence of relevant national investigations or prosecutions in Myanmar or in relevant third States, against those who appear to be most responsible for the most serious crimes within this Situation, the Prosecutor considers that the potential cases that her Office has identified as likely to be the focus of an investigation in this Situation, would be admissible pursuant to articles 53(1)(b) and 17(1) (a) and (b) of the Statute.
Furthermore, the Prosecutor has determined that there are no substantial reasons to believe that the opening of an investigation would not serve the interests of justice, taking into account the gravity of the crimes and the interests of victims.
Should the Prosecutor’s request be granted, as with all situations under investigation by her Office, that work will be undertaken independently and impartially in the strict service of our mandate under the founding Statute of the Court, and with respect for the principle of complementarity as enshrined in that Statute.
Today, as per the applicable rules, the Prosecutor also notified victims or their legal representatives, of her intention to request authorisation to initiate an investigation in the Situation in Bangladesh/Myanmar informing them that they have until 28 October 2019 to submit representations to the Judges of Pre-Trial Chamber III on her Request.
The Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC conducts independent and impartial preliminary examinations, investigations and prosecutions of the crime of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression. Since 2003, the Office has been conducting investigations in multiple situations within the ICC’s jurisdiction, namely in Uganda; the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Darfur, Sudan; the Central African Republic (two distinct situations); Kenya; Libya; Côte d’Ivoire; Mali; Georgia and Burundi. The Office is also currently conducting preliminary examinations relating to the situations in Colombia; Guinea; Iraq/UK; Palestine; the Philippines; Nigeria; Ukraine, and Venezuela.
The Trial Chamber VI of the International Criminal Court (ICC) found Mr Bosco Ntaganda guilty, beyond reasonable doubt, of 18 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, committed in Ituri, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in 2002-2003.
Trial Chamber VI, composed of Judge Robert Fremr, Presiding Judge, Judge Kuniko Ozaki and Judge Chang-ho Chung, announced its judgment during a public hearing held in Courtroom I at the seat of the Court in The Hague (The Netherlands).
Findings: To make its decision, the Chamber reviewed all the evidence submitted during the trial, including documents, eye witnesses and insiders.
Trial Chamber VI found that the Union des Patriotes Congolais [Union of Congolese Patriots] (UPC) and its military wing, the Forces Patriotiques pour la Libération du Congo [Patriotic Force for the Liberation of Congo] (FPLC), were at all times involved in at least one non-international armed conflict with an opposing party, in Ituri, district of the DRC from on or about 6 August 2002 to on or about 31 December 2003.
The conduct of the UPC/FPLC against the civilian population was the intended outcome of a preconceived strategy to target the civilian population, and the crimes committed took place pursuant to a policy of the UPC/FPLC. Mr Ntaganda fulfilled a very important military function in the UPC/FPLC.
In this context, the Chamber found Mr Ntaganda guilty of crimes against humanity (murder and attempted murder, rape, sexual slavery, persecution, forcible transfer and deportation) and war crimes (murder and attempted murder, intentionally directing attacks against civilians, rape, sexual slavery, ordering the displacement of the civilian population, conscripting and enlisting children under the age of 15 years into an armed group and using them to participate actively in hostilities, intentionally directing attacks against protected objects, and destroying the adversary’s property).
While the evidence did not sustain all incidents indicated by the Prosecutor, it did demonstrate that in relation to each of the 18 counts at least part of the charges were proven beyond any reasonable doubt.
The Chamber has found that Mr Ntaganda was liable as a direct perpetrator for parts of the charges of three of the crimes, namely murder as a crime against humanity and a war crime and persecution as a crime against humanity, and was an indirect perpetrator for the other parts of these crimes. He was convicted as an indirect perpetrator for the remaining crimes.
Next steps: In order to determine Mr Ntaganda’s sentence in this case, the Chamber will receive submissions from the parties and participants regarding the possible sentence, and will schedule a separate hearing, to receive evidence and address matters related to sentencing. Pending the decision on sentencing, Mr Ntaganda continues to be detained.
The parties (the Prosecution and Defence) may appeal the decision of conviction within thirty days. Issues related to the procedure for victims’ reparations will be addressed in due course.
On 12 July 2019, the International Criminal Court (“ICC” or “the Court”) hosted the second Asia-Pacific Forum of The Hague at the seat of the Court in The Hague (The Netherlands), bringing together high-level officials and staff from the Court, and students and young professionals from the region. The event was co-organised by the ICC, The Hague Project Peace and Justice and the Chinese Initiative on International Law.
The event facilitated a dialogue on enhancing the contribution of international justice for the Asia-Pacific Region as well as victims’ perspectives and demands for justice in the region. Out of the 122 States Parties to the Rome Statute, 18 are Asia-Pacific States.
“It is important to continue to encourage more States in the Asia-Pacific to accede to the Rome Statute, as the region remains by far the least represented among the ICC’s States Parties. Awareness raising about the Court and its work is key to achieving this, and I am truly delighted to see so many young people attending today’s Forum with an interest to get more involved in international criminal justice,” said ICC Judge Chang-ho Chung.
The Asia-Pacific Forum of The Hague promotes the engagement of students and young professionals from the Asia Pacific region with international justice.
This Forum forms part of broader efforts to enhance global support for the Court and cooperation at the regional level. These have included the organization of or participation in high-level regional cooperation seminars and symposiums, technical events to enhance cooperation, and events with a focus on the legal profession.
The UK and Dutch national authorities, in a joint operation with Eurojust and Europol, arrested 6 people as part of an ongoing investigation into a €24 million cryptocurrency theft.
The suspects were arrested following simultaneous search warrants that were carried out in Charlcombe, Bath, Trowbridge, UK, as well as Amsterdam and Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The thieves are suspected of targeting users’ bitcoin tokens, affecting at least 4 000 victims in 12 countries; these numbers are expected to grow further. With the active support of Eurojust and Europol, the authorities seized a large number of electronic devices, equipment and valuable assets.
The investigation relates to ‘typosquatting’, where a well-known online cryptocurrency exchange is ‘spoofed’, or recreated to imitate the genuine site, to gain access to victims’ Bitcoin wallets, stealing their login details and funds.
The arrested criminals are suspected of having committed computer misuse act offences and money laundering.
In February 2018, the South West Regional Cyber Crime Unit (SW RCCU) identified possible suspects living in the Netherlands and referred the case to the Joint Cybercrime Action Taskforce (J-CAT), hosted at Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3). Europol organised two operational meetings, allowing for the smooth exchange of intelligence and evidence, which led to the successful outcome of the operation. A coordination meeting was held at Eurojust, the EU’s Judicial Cooperation Unit, to decide on a joint strategy and prepare for the smooth coordination of the action day.
The UK SW RCCU led today’s operation, supported by the Dutch police (Politie) and UK National Crime Agency (NCA).
On 12 July 2019, the Central South University (Changsha) won the final round of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Moot Court Competition, Chinese version, held in ICC Courtroom I in The Hague (Netherlands). Soochow University and Jilin University (Changchun City) won, respectively, second and third place. The Best Speaker award went to Yujie Zhu of the Central South University.
Members of the winning team are Shuzhi Luo, Xuer Ou, Yujie Zhu, Boxin Li, Jiahui Li, Yechong Li, and Liyun Tang. On the judge’s bench for this competition were ICC Judge Chang-ho Chung and ICC legal officers Romina Morello and Anthony Abato. The teams competed on a fictitious case, presenting oral arguments in the roles of the Office of the Prosecutor, the Defence and State Counsel, which were web-streamed live on the Court’s website.
This year, 59 universities participated in the competition, where students put to the test their knowledge of the applicable law and jurisprudence of the ICC. After the main rounds, twelve teams came to The Hague for a six-day study visit before the final competition at the ICC.
The study visit offered the students a unique opportunity to gather in an exciting setting and to meet with eminent personalities of the international law scene. The students visited several international institutions and organizations, such as the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice, the International Development Law Organization, and the Anne Frank House. This version of the ICC Moot Court Competition is organised by the Chinese Initiative on International Criminal Justice (CIICJ).
In the context of its Academic Programme, the ICC supports the organisation of ICC Moot Court Competitions in Chinese, English, Russian and Spanish, with a view to also support Arabic and French versions in the future. These initiatives play a critical role in galvanising interest in the Court’s work with academic communities as well as in enhancing promotion and respect for international criminal law.
By Itzel Barragán García | Art critic and contributer to ‘Orígenes’. Alejandra Saldaña– Translator.
Only three years after the passing away of the Dutch Mexican painter Nancy van Overveldt and as a homage to her extraordinary career as an artist, the exhibition “Paths of a Life: between Mexico and Holland” was shown between April 5th to May 31st at the Embassy of Mexico in The Netherlands.
In this exhibition, we saw a choice of the first paintings the artist created in Mexico and also of the ones she painted 25 years later in The Netherlands. The exhibition also included drawings she made during her youth, that show a less known period of her life.
The central concept of “Paths of a Life: between Mexico and Holland”, centred around the context of the artists lifes, and the influence of their surroundings and circumstances, to their creative process, like it was the case for Nancy. While creating artistic work, many artists, depending on the themes they choose to work within their artistic creations, ideas, figures, and colours, in relationship to their circumstances and their experiences in life. And it also reflected Nancy, who observed her surroundings and created not only according to what she witnessed, but continuously tried to capture colours, forms, feelings, and experiences that she encountered.
Places and experiences as source of inspiration.
Nancy van Overveldt painted not only what she saw, but was an observer;
Our actions and the way we view the world are intimately related to our own world which we sometimes do not give too much attention. Due to her sensibility, Nancy succeeded in capturing this intimate relation with her surroundings and reflected those sensations and experiences in her paintings.
In some of her paintings, we see at times brilliant colours, or sometimes shaded, influenced and depending on the places we are situated, the climate or landscape we are in. But maybe also the tone of brilliance and shades can be related to the experiences that we have, and the people we share them with.
Nancy Scheffer van Overveldt, was born February 2nd, 1930 in The Hague, where she later studied at the Royal Academy of Art. At the age of eighteen, Nancy was sent to a reconstruction project in France, but due to a tendon injury, she had to return home. During this voyage, she met her future husband, Reinhard Ruge, with whom she travelled and walked in a pilgrimage to Rome, to meet the Pope. One year later, Nancy arrived in Paris to study at the ‘Academié André L’Hôte’ in Montparnasse, where she experimented with different techniques of colouration, and influenced by Cubism and the Cobra movement, Nancy Scheffer further developed her own style.
It is at this time, that Nancy chose her mother’s last name as her professional painter’s name, changing from Nancy Scheffer to Nancy van Overveldt. In 1951, at the age of 21, Nancy travelled to the country where Reinhard had lived from the age of five; Mexico. After marrying Reinhard, her first daughter, Tiahoga, was born. It was in Mexico where, inspired by this new world, so different to her own, where colours were so vibrant, her professional life as a painter started.
The first path of Nancy: Mexico a world of colour and passion.
Motivated by a deep desire to discover a world so different to her own, Nancy van Overveldt was fascinated by the brightness and colours of nature and was inspired by the way people lived their lives in the villages, full of traditions, mysticism, music, colours and festivities.
Also, Mexican art and architecture as well as the Mexican artistic world, captured her interest. Eager to discover, Nancy travelled throughout the country in local buses, participating and witnessing multiple festivals, dances, rhythms, music, and hiking over mountains to remote communities, sharing life with the people she met along this way. In this way, Nancy united profoundly with Mexican life, later transforming her experiences into drawings, portraits and especially paintings, that appeared on the canvas through an organic process where colours and forms merged out of pure feelings and of rhythm, without being preconceived, as also with time, would develop a unique style.
In the majority of the artworks shown at the exhibition: “Paths of a Life: between Mexico and Holland”, inspired by Nancy’s experiences through Mexico, we see a colourful pallet of ingenious realism, compositions of the absurd and impressionistic figures in scenes of purely Mexican parties. A remarkable period in her artistic career, full of colour and artistic production, always inspired by a country full of brilliant light and incredible dimensions where people live intimately connected with cosmic forces. A profound and contrasting Mexico, as are her art.
Dutch Mexican painter Nancy van Overveldt. Swan lake / El lago de los cisnes. Oil on canvas / Óleo sobre tela. Foto: Michelle Porro. Cortesía de Embamex.
Nancy resided 25 years in Mexico, and during this time met important Mexican artists, like Rufino Tamayo, Remedios Varo, Frida Kahlo, Leonora Carrington, Diego Rivera among others, and sculptors like Angela Gurria with whom she became very close friends. Also, she met Mathias Goeritz, with whom she worked in the late fifties in an active participation in the designing of the Towers of Satélite. Her work was exhibited in prestigious institutes such as: Palacio de Bellas Artes, Galería Antonio Souza, el Museo de Arte Moderno, la Galería de Chapultepec, which positioned her in the Mexican artistic world, and participating as a member for more than 40 years in the Mexican artistic community, represented by the Salón de la Plástica Mexicana.
Besides her pictorial artwork, Nancy van Overveldt was also as a gifted writer and under the pseudonym “Dolores Cienfuegos”, she projected her experiences into words, in a book of stories, called “Vivencias Mexicanas”.
“The Repose”
“I was so tired of so many celebrations and of so much rum that I decided to slip off to the countryside hoping to be able to liberate myself of the heavy clouds that inhabited my head. Half asleep, I got into a bus, and watched through the windows how we passed little towns and villages untill it became dark, but soon I fell in to a deep sleep. When I awoke, we had already arrived to the last destination of the bus, Pátzcuaro. It was early in the morning and the sky was clear blue.
On the streets and in the main plaza a deep serenity reigned under the sunlight. It was like being in a different world. I walked in the direction of the lake. In the silver water I could see the reflection of the sun, and in the distance, I could see fishermen and large and narrow canoes with nets like butterflies. The Tarascan people who live in the villages around the lake, know like no other that the serenity of the lake can suddenly change without notice; they know the currents and the unpredictable wind that blows over the lake. I walked along the lake till I arrived at Erongarícuaro.” As quoted by Jose Iturriaga de la Fuente in his book “Foreign travellers through Michoacan”, about Nancy van Overveldt’s life and work.
After divorcing her first husband, Nancy married a Mexican intellectual, Valentin Saldaña, with whom she conceived her second daughter, Alejandra. Despite the fusion Nancy made with Mexican life, she never lost her Dutch roots. When the bicycle was still a rarity in the Mexican streets, Nancy would take her daughters on the bicycle as means of transport, which for her, was the most natural thing to do. She became well known on the streets of Mexico City, as the lady on the bicycle. Nancy was so deeply connected with Mexico that her work really became Mexican, in theme as in its softness of colours. Her pallet is reminiscent of Orozco and some artists originating from Oaxaca, especially in her bird figures and the change of her pallet to brilliant colours, as a way to capture the festive soul of Mexico.
It is in her own words that Overveldt reflects about Mexico, during an interview taken by Katrien van den Berghe, in 2014, one year before her passing:
“In Mexico I had a heroic existence. Every day I did the impossible, and my feelings and passion for life are clearly noticeable in my paintings: varying from colourful forms, spheres of mysticism, ludic and frivolous ‘fiestas’, …passion is everywhere in Mexico. You can sense that. People are also more connected with cosmic forces.”
Back to the original path
After 25 years in Mexico, experiencing a life full of passion, art and love, she returned in 1976 to the Netherlands, to a world of darker colours, still well known to her, were she discovers a new path. The impact her return to Netherlands had on her was notorious and could be seen in the paintings in the exposition “Paths of a Life; between Mexico and Holland”. Affected at the time by the changes in her life, she had to readjust her way of working, searching and introducing a new style, mostly influenced by the Dutch light and landscape.
The search for a new style began from “Transformations of Light and Water” to the style that would be present until the end of her life. The detail in her paintings and the management of light combined with elements of nature, are its principal characteristics. In the paintings named “Transformations”, van Overveldt expressed the movements of water, fire and air. These reflect in her canvases where colours create forms, that continuously merge with others.
In respect to this new style, in the same interview with Katrien van den Berghe in 2014, Nancy said: “The new style is an opportunity for a broad development, an opportunity to bring more structure into my life, in the time I returned to the Netherlands. Destruction is present in everything, also in nature. Later I noticed that even the waves in the sea stream regularly towards the horizon and the same happens with birds; organized and in even distance, they fly towards spaces. I had never before noticed that. It is this new way of ‘seeing’, that is reflected in my work.”
From 1980 onwards, van Overveldt added a new element to her pictorial work: The Horizon. In it, departing from a central point, round and sharp pointed patterns emerging as explosions, rotating in a spiral to the edge of the canvas, creating a harmony from authentic forms, elements, that seem in constant movement. Nancy said: “Everything that comes together at one point in yourself, in the silence, is what I wanted to show in my paintings before 1980: forms that, becoming every time smaller and smaller, move to a brilliant point on the canvas and repeat themselves in reflection. From 1980 onwards, that changed. The process has now reversed: the horizon becomes a fountain.”
When living in Lelystad, a northern province of The Netherlands, her work was influenced by the ‘polder landscapes’; van Overveldt reflected fields, wind and sun rays starting from geometrical figures for which she looked for symmetry. That is to say, it was a search to reflect rhythm and music, parting from what she observed, because every painting, represented a journey to the unknown.
Nancy van Overveldt painted every day of her life. In her last paintings, her work became more and more mathematical, an abstract harmony in forms and rhythm, that keep returning, again and again. They again, like the early paintings, take you to the central point of light in the horizon, with openings to other spaces. Nancy van Overveldt passed away on the 7th of June 2015, leaving us a legacy of great artistic quality.
The birth of an artist
In her childhood, van Overveldt showed a great ability and talent for drawing and writing, in spite of her timidity. She succeeded in great expressions through these media, for which she received several prizes throughout her primary school period. In her drawings, even at this young age, she recreated everyday scenes, because her context had influence on her artistic expressions. Examples of these drawings, shown for the first in the exhibition ‘Paths of a Life; between Mexico and Holland”, show part of the childhood and life experiences of the young van Overveldt, that were mostly unknown.
The majority of the drawings unfortunately don’t have a date or reference, but observing the style and scenes as the main thread, they originated between 1943 and 1946, when she was 13 to 16 years of age, and living with her parents and her sister Wendela Scheffer in Wassenaar, The Netherlands. The drawings shown in the exhibition “Paths of a Life; between Mexico and Holland”, are unique. They tell us about her interests and personal life of the young Nancy Scheffer, long before she became a professional painter. Some of the drawings are signed with her paternal name: “Scheffer”. Later, after becoming a professional artist, she used her mother’s last name as her artistic name: “Van Overveldt”.
Always inspired by her context, some of the drawings express the atmosphere and the experiences of her surroundings in World War II, in The Netherlands. The quality of the drawings is evident, because they harbour interesting compositions, correct and real dimensions. An interesting element in some of her drawings are the dark-haired figures with a Mediterranean expression, a reference to the world that Nancy, without knowing it, would encounter in her journey to Mexico. For more than 65 years, Nancy van Overveldt produced a vast quantity of pieces of art, that were exhibited in Mexico, New York, The Netherlands and London.
These artworks, drawings, sketches, paintings, portraits, and written stories, transmit and disclose, through colours and forms, the feelings, emotions and experiences, she lived in the two different worlds, Mexico and The Netherlands.
And now, they still open the possibility for you to share her experiences throughout her Life and her authentic and splendid artistic creations.
Main image: Nancy van Overveldt. Musicians in México / Músicos en México. Oil on canvas / Óleo sobre tela. 81 x 106 cm. Foto: Michelle Porro. 1969. Cortesía de Embamex
For more information about Nancy van Overveldt, please visit: www.nancyvanoverveldtcollection.com
or contact: infoart@nancyvanoverveldtcollection.com
Friday, 5 July 2019, Toblach/Dobbiaco, Autonomous Region Bolzano-South Tyrol, Italy: The 50th Conference of heads of government of the ten member strong contingent of countries and cantons of the Alpine Working Community Arge Alp met at Toblach/Dobbiaco to mark the end of the South Tyrolian chairmanship. Accordingly South Tyrol’s Governor Arno Kompatscher handed over the presidency to Salzburg’s Governor Wilfried Haslauer.
The heads of government discussed several issues of importance for the population of the Alps: The Alpine countries adopted a resolution on the main topic of the South Tyrolean Presidency year, “rural development”, as well as on transalpine transport. Moreover, they also discussed the progress of the demands made a year ago for wolf regulation in the Alpine region.
As a result of the intensive examination of the main topic, the Alpine countries have committed themselves in five theses, that is to say, to the goal of securing and developing rural areas as high-quality living, working, economic, cultural, recreational and natural areas. Thus, flexible forms of work such as smart working and alternating tele-work should become a matter of course when it comes to “work”. The public administrations set an example in this respect and a comprehensive broadband connection is the basic prerequisite for this.
Second, the Alpine countries want to strengthen regional economic cycles, value creation in the business sector and the purchasing power of rural areas, as well as small and medium-sized enterprises.
Thirdly, they see the strength of rural areas in the cohesion of the population. For this reason, the governments want to specifically promote strategic long-term planning to revitalise the town centres as well as a town centre maintenance management and reward voluntary work.
Fourthly, the public authorities should ensure that rural areas are adequately accessible and barrier-free. It considers modern and multi-modal mobility services to be just as important as green mobility.
After all, it is about quality of life, among other things through short distances to basic services, childcare and education and cultural offerings for all generations. Sub-centres and the distribution of public facilities can be a useful way to achieve this.
Transport: From road to rail In an intensive discussion, the representatives of the individual countries have wrangled over a further resolution on the explosive issue of transport.
Günther Platter, Governor of the Tyrol, spoke as per statement below of a “dramatic situation: despite an intended shift, traffic on the roads has steadily increased over the past few years, while that on the railways has decreased”. More trucks cross the Brenner Pass than on all six transalpine routes in Switzerland and France combined.
Bavaria’s Minister of State for Federal, European and Media Affairs, Dr. Florian Hermann shared the “necessity of a stronger shift”, but warned against “island solutions: We need a common solution to achieve large-scale impact.”
Joint approach to the wolf The Alpine countries furthermore re-confirmed the previous year’s resolution presented by South Tyrol on the “Regulation of the wolf population in the Alpine region” with all its contents.
Arnold Schuler, South Tyrol’s Agriculture Councillor, reported on the development of the wolf population in Europe. The countries unanimously agreed to his demand for a “common Alpine strategy” and appealed to the EU and its member states to take the necessary steps to lower the wolf’s protection status and to give the regions more room for manoeuvre in managing the large predators.
In the picture Viktória Pikovská, founder of Victory Art and the Ambassador of Slovakia H.E. Mr. Roman Buzek.
On the 20th of June, the team at Victory Art organized their biggest exhibition ever–World Trade Center x Victory Art introducing Andrea Ehret: 24K Feelings. The exhibition displayed a new collection of Andrea’s art pieces which involve her work with real gold and represent a golden embrace that is the 24K Feelings.
The exhibition’s name, 24K Feelings, comes from Ehret’s unique take on artistic design through golden dust powder. She embraced the golden tint in her canvases led by a unique artistic inspiration. She approached authenticity in her work with golden dust powder, creating a dream-like effect to her paintings. And through this exhibition, she intends to portray an illusion of the inner and outer world.
Andrea Ehret, 24K Feelings.
After the first opening of the exhibition at the Slovak Embassy in The Hague on Thursday, May 16, 2019, the artist’s most prominent works were displayed at the main exhibition at the World Trade Center in The Hague.
Much like the first exhibition, the event began with a kick off by the founder of Victory Art, Viktória Pikovská and the Ambassador of Slovak Republic, His Excellency, H.E. Roman Bužek. After her speech, Pikovská gave the floor to the artist Ehret for her to perform a live painting.
The live painting performance embraced the highlight of the exhibition, her work with golden dust powder and was appreciated by all of the guests. The reason why the artist deeply connects with live painting performances is that, to her, they are absolutely raw. As she mentions, there is no fake moment in a live performance. Finally, the kick-off concluded with intriguing questions from Pikovská to the artist.
Viktória Pikovská. and Andrea Ehret during the opening.
The day marked a wonderful evening showcasing the remarkable artist Andrea Ehret. The main intention of this exhibition was to offer an authentic perspective portraying an illusion of the inner and outer world. Her search for her unique design followed its natural course of action and finally came together with a golden embrace that represents the 24K Feelings.
The exhibition was indeed a grand success; the most prominent work of art and the face of the exhibition, Above the flower fields, was sold among many other paintings by Ehret. Victory Art would love to thank everybody who helped make it a success.
24K Feelings by Andrea Ehret.
The exhibition lasts until the 27th of June at the World Trade Center in the Hague and is concluded by a panel discussion: From Novice to Expert: How to Navigate in the Art Industry. This event includes a discussion with knowledgeable individuals to help enrich the art industry, discuss current topics surrounding this sector and find the answers to crucial questions together.
However, the enjoyment of the exhibition was not only limited to the great art and people. It was also the sponsors that made the event possible that who made the night so much more memorable.
Ewal’s Cargo Care ensured that all the art pieces arrived at the exhibition on time and in pristine condition. On the other hand, Veggihap ensured that everyone arriving would not have to go home with an empty stomach while contributing to the food waste problem that is incredibly prominent in today’s society. And to wash it all down, a winning beer, De Leckere beer as well as Slovak wine was provided by the Embassy of Slovakia.
The Hague, 11 July 2019– Judge Carmel Agius, President of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism), today attended the Commemoration of the 24th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide at the Potočari memorial in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).
In paying his respects to the victims President Agius delivered remarks, along with a number of other high-level dignitaries including Mr Sefik Džaferović, current Bosniak Member of the BiH Presidency. In addition, Mr Nedžad Avdić, a survivor of the genocide, addressed the ceremony.
President Agius also laid flowers in honour of all those killed during the genocide, including the 33 victims who were buried this afternoon. In his remarks, President Agius noted that the judgements of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) were the first to establish beyond reasonable doubt that the events in Srebrenica in July 1995 constituted genocide, as subsequently confirmed by the Mechanism and other courts.
He spoke of the resulting changes in BiH, highlighting that thanks to the ICTY and the Mechanism, “[t]hose most responsible for the heinous crimes committed during the conflicts of the early 1990s have been brought to justice, an exhaustive historical record has been established, and the vast majority of those who were killed have at long last received a respectful burial.”
President Agius drew attention to the campaign of genocide denial that has been gaining momentum in recent times, observing that such denial is intended to hurt and disempower the victims, and is “being used to political advantage by leaders who seek to gain from having an ethnically-divided BiH that remains stuck in the past.”
The President noted there is “a new urgency to push back strongly against the attempts by the deniers to rewrite history”, particularly in the context of defending the rule of law and the role of the courts. He stated that “a conviction for genocide is not a matter for politicians or individuals to decide”, emphasising the need to proactively denounce and expose “those who would seek to replace the long-standing judgements of international and domestic courts with so-called ‘findings’ of their own.”
In conclusion, President Agius exhorted those present to unite against the voices of hate, to pledge to keep robustly defending the established record, and to continue to demand that the processes of justice be respected and upheld. In doing so, the President said, “we must always remember the victims and their loved ones, who are they reason we are here today”, paying tribute to their “remarkable courage and resilience” which is “an inspiration to us all”.
The ICTY and the Mechanism have convicted 15 individuals for genocide and other crimes committed in Srebrenica in July 1995, including senior Bosnian Serb political and military leaders. During the Srebrenica genocide, up to 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were killed or are still missing and up to 30,000 women and children were forcibly transferred from the Srebrenica enclave.
On Friday the 6th and Saturday the 7th of September the seventh edition of the Embassy Festival will commence. The organisation is confident that they will reach a record-breaking number of 70 embassies, that will be participating in the Embassy Festival, taking place at the Lange Voorhout this year. This will allow for a cultural world trip with dance, music (from pop to classical), performances and authentic bites and drinks.
The kick-off of the Embassy Festival will take place on Friday evening from 5pm in an intimate setting at the Lange Voorhout with two stages. Expect a highly energetic performance by London Afrobeat Collective (GBR), a wonderful show by clarinet-master Cüneyt Sepetçi (TUR), surprise acts and lots of delicious food and drinks options.
On Saturday the 7th of September the Embassy Festival will take over the Lange Voorhout in its entirety, starting at noon. The international spirit, status and experience of The Hague will cast a spell on its visitors and residents. By working together with the embassies, the Embassy Festival is able to put together an event with the cultural richness of around 70 countries. The result of this is a day filled with, amongst other aspects, dance and music; the universal language that brings people together.
There will be a lively programme on the four stages that will be present at the festival. The Embassy Festival offers a melting pot of music, a worldly mix of dance and theatre, several cultural institutions will present themselves and we’ll have a Kids Compound to entertain our youngest visitors.
Embassy Festival.
A small selection of the programme for this year: Faraj Suleiman (Palestine pianist/composer), Kristin Mulders (mezzo-soprano from Norway), and Lady Bazaar(Swiss soul-hip-hop sensation).
The Creative Arena will be filled with exquisite performances by traditional dance groups, vocalists, and other acts that focus on bringing their cultural heritage to the Embassy Festival. This one-of-a-kind stage offers so much cultural diversity that visitors will be treated to a glimpse of the different cultures that make up the Embassy Festival.
The International Marketing will form the binding element between the several stages. Taste buds will have a field-day with all the traditional bites and drinks that are made freshly made or have been flown in from all corners of the world. The Embassy Festival will once again create unity in diversity which is exactly what makes this festival so unique.
Embassy Festival.
Participating Embassies Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 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, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Nepal, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Poland, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sint Maarten, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Tunisia, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Yemen.
Friday 6 September: 5pm – 11pm | intimate setting with two stages
