President Agius in Tanzania

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President Agius in Tanzania

President Agius concludes first visit to Tanzania as President of the Mechanism

Arusha, 8 March 2019– On 8 March 2019, the President of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism), Judge Carmel Agius, concluded his first visit to the United Republic of Tanzania (Tanzania) in his capacity as President.

The visit took place on the occasion of the second in-person Plenary of Mechanism Judges, which was held at the Mechanism’s Arusha branch on 4 and 5 March 2019. Following the successful conclusion of the Judges’ Plenary, President Agius spent a full day at the Mechanism premises on 6 March 2019 where he took the opportunity, together with the other Principals, to hold a Town Hall meeting with all staff. In addition, he met with Section Chiefs of the Registry and staff from the Office of the Prosecutor.

President Agius also paid a courtesy call to the President of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Judge Sylvain Oré, where they discussed matters of mutual interest and relevance to the two institutions. 
President Agius, together with Mechanism Registrar Olufemi Elias, subsequently travelled to Dar es Salaam where they met on 7 March 2019 with the Chief Justice of Tanzania, Professor Ibrahim Hamis Juma.

During the meeting the President provided an update on the work of the Mechanism and theChief Justice in turn informed them about the Judiciary of Tanzania’s ‘5 years Strategic Plan’ for reforms to the Tanzanian justice system. 
On 8 March 2019, the President and Registrar held a Diplomatic Briefing for members of  the diplomatic corps accredited to Tanzania and representatives of international organisations, at the premises of the United Nations Development Programme in Dar es Salaam. During the briefing, which was attended by some 20 Ambassadors and other members of the diplomatic corps, President Agius and Registrar Elias provided an overview of the Mechanism’s activities and answered questions from the audience. 
The President’s mission concluded with a press conference attended by the international and national press in Dar es Salaam, during which he and Registrar Elias informed members of the press about the progress of work at the Mechanism, its mandate and current challenges. 
President Agius assumed the Presidency of the Mechanism on 19 January 2019, having been a Judge of the Mechanism since its inception in 2012. He previously served for 16 years as a Judge of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, including as its Vice-President (2011-2015) and final President (2015-2017). 

Uganda at ITB 2019

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Uganda at ITB 2019

Uganda at ITB 2019 by Josajabo.

6-10 March 2019, Berlin: Ugandan Ambassador to Germany, Dr Marcel R. Tibaleka encouraged tour operators to take advantage of ITB Berlin, the world’s largest tourism fair, to network and entice new businesses. 

Ambassador Dr Tibaleka held a meeting with The Hon. Godfrey Kiwanda, Minister of State for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, who led Uganda’s delegation to ITB Berlin to promote Uganda as the number one tourist destination and to network with other exhibitors.

The delegation included Mrs Grace Aulo, Commissioner for Tourism, officials from Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) with new CEO Ms Lilly Ajarova at their helm, Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), 30 Ugandan tour operators, 14 hoteliers led by Mrs Susan Muhwezi, the Chairperson of Uganda Hotel Owners Association (UHOA) and over 10 other independent trade visitors. The companies represented at the fair from all over the globe include hotels, tourist boards, tour operators, system providers, airlines and car rental companies.

Minister Godfrey Kiwanda, Diplomat Magazine’s Henri Estramant, Susan Muhwezi – Picture by Henri Estramant.

Minister Kiwanda said Uganda’s participation at the ITB Berlin and other related International travel fairs was premised on the need for continuous investment in aggressive marketing in order for the tourism sector to achieve the projected growth rate.

Tourism is currently Uganda’s leading foreign exchange earner, bringing in excess of US$ 1.45 billion annually.

For further information:
Embassy of Uganda to Germany: https://berlin.mofa.go.ug/data-dnews-146-UGANDA-PROMOTED-AT-ITB-BERLIN-AS-THE-NUMBER-ONE-TOURIST-DESTINATION.html

CDA Candidate in Delfland

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CDA Candidate in Delfland

I am running as a CDA candidate for the elections in Delfland, your water region. Vote for Mireille de Jonge!

May I ask for your vote?

Originally from the province of Zeeland, but living in Zuid-Holland since 1991, I am well-acquainted with water issues. I know about the beauty, purity and safety of water.  But I also know that you cannot always take water for granted.

The province of Zuid-Holland is low-lying and therefore must be protected against flooding. To prevent unpleasant surprises in the future, I am focusing on 3 themes:

  • Water flows
  • A clean and safe water supply from neighbouring countries because rivers do not stop at the border.
  • Water needs to flow
  • Combat urbanisation and prepare for climate changes by making our cities and towns greener, including gardens and rooftops.
  • Flooding
  • Water crisis management focused on evacuation plans to ensure all of our safety.

Water: our mission for now and the future!

If you would like to continue to live safely in The Hague region vote for Mireille de Jonge!

All non-Dutch residents who are registered have received a voting pass and can vote on 20 March.

List 4 #15 #CDA #Delfland

ISS – Vulnerability versus Resilience

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ISS – Vulnerability versus Resilience

The politics of language in disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.

Roundtable organised by ISS; KUNO; IHSA

Thursday 21 March, 16.30 – 18.00

Aula B, ISS, Kortenaerkade 12 The Hague

The concept of vulnerability has been a key concept in studies of disasters and climate change. Vulnerability brings out the socially produced ways in which groups are rendered safe or unsafe in view of hazards. The concept has been a radical move in disaster studies as it took the natural out of natural disasters, and in focusing on issues like power and inequality as factors that turn the occurrence of a hazard into a disaster.

Today, the concept of vulnerability has partly been overtaken by resilience. Increasingly, people (even disadvantaged people) have begun to be considered as resilient, with the capacities to organise, resist, learn, change and adapt. Adaptation, has become the slogan and the proposed solution to the problem of adjusting human systems to actual or expected climatic stimuli.

The roundtable will discuss whether, and if so, how vulnerability still matters?  Does resilience indeed help to focus disaster response on communities? What happens to social inequalities and the role of the state’s duties to protect their citizens?

Featuring: Greg Bankoff, Kenneth Hewitt, Terry Cannon, Lisa Schipper, Luis Artur, Sarah Bradshaw and Ben Wisner

The round table will be concluded with drinks, offered by IHSA

More information about the speakers and the programme can be found here: https://www.iss.nl/en/events/vulnerability-versus-resilience-politics-language-disaster-risk-reduction-and-climate-change

Please register by sending an email to: kuno@kuno-platform.nl

The Ambassador of the Republic Uzbekistan, H.E. Mr. Dilyor Khakimov

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The Ambassador of the Republic Uzbekistan, H.E. Mr. Dilyor Khakimov

On 13th September of 2017, H.E. Mr. Dilyor Khakimov had been named the new Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Belgium along with obtaining postings as Head the Missions of Uzbekistan to the EU and NATO. On 13 March 2019  he also became ambassador to the Kingdom of The Netherlands adding this country and the representation to the international organizations sitting in The Hague including OPCW to his ambassadorship portfolio.

H.E. Mr. Dilyor Khakimov is a highly skilled and experienced diplomat with outstanding service in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as UNDP. He began his career during the late 1990s in the project management department of UNDP. During his work in the management field, Mr. Khakimov closely cooperated with the government representatives on implementing projects. Consequently thereafter, he was assigned to various positions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan.

From 2009 to 2013, H.E. Mr. Dilyor Khakimov worked on facilitating diplomatic ties between Uzbekistan and United States by first serving as Counsellor in the Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the USA and then being on duty as Permanent Representative of Uzbekistan to the UN in New York.

Before being promoted to the rank of Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Belgium, H.E. Mr. Dilyor Khakimov had been appointed to be First Deputy and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan (2013-2017).

Furthermore, H.E. Mr. Dilyor Khakimov has a diverse academic background completed in Malaysia and Uzbekistan. Indeed, he holds a Business Management degree from Mara Technological Institute, as well as graduate degrees in International Economic Relations from Tashkent State Institute of Oriental Studies and from Tashkent Economic University.

H.E. Mr. Dilyor Khakimov fluently speaks English and Russian; he is a husband and a father to three kids.

The History of The Hague Day

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The History of The Hague Day

On Saturday 13 April, The Hague Municipal Archives will organize The History of The Hague Day for the fourteenth time, celebrating the history of The Hague with all its residents. 

This year’s theme is ‘gold’, inspired by the annual topic Rembrandt and the Golden Age. Between 11:00 PM and 4:00 AM Het Plein in the centre of The Hague will be transformed into a vibrant festival site.

Young, elderly, newcomer, expat, traditional ‘Hagenaar’ or ‘Hagenese’; everyone can participate and enjoy free workshops, guided tours, special performances and old Dutch children’s games, offered by over thirty heritage institutions and organizations in The Hague. An extensive English language programme will be available for expats and tourists.

The complete programme can be found on dagvandehaagsegeschiedenis.nl/   (choose the English flag in the menu to switch to English).

Photography by Edward Niewold.

Russia and Syria criticize OPCW report on the alleged chemical attack in Douma, 2018

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Russia and Syria criticize OPCW report on the alleged chemical attack in Douma, 2018

By Guido Lanfranchi.

At a joint press conference held in The Hague, Russian and Syrian representatives at the OPCW criticized the organization’s recently published report on the alleged chemical attacks of April 7th, 2018 in Douma, Syria. Nevertheless – Russian Ambassador H.E. Mr. Alexander Shulgin said – Russia will not give up its quest to clarify what happened in Douma one year ago.

On March 1st, 2019, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) issued the report of its Fact Finding Mission (FFM) on the allegation of chemical weapons use in Douma, Syria, on April 7th, 2018. On March 11th, 2019, the Russian mission to the OPCW, together with its Syrian counterpart, organized a press conference to issue a preliminary assessment of the OPCW report.

In the wake of the allegation of chemical weapons use in Douma last year, the OPCW had sent an independent mission to assess the situation on the ground. The mission managed to access Douma only on April 15th, a day after the retaliation strikes launched by the United States, France, and the United Kingdom in response to the alleged use of chemical weapons by the government of Mr. Bashar al-Asad. After almost a year of analysis, the report issued on March 1st stated that the evidence gathered by the FFM “provide[s] reasonable grounds that the use of a toxic chemical as a weapon has taken place” in Douma, although it refrained from blaming any actors for the incident.

During the March 11th press conference, Ambassador Shulgin criticized the report issued by the FFM, pointing the finger at “internal inconsistencies, discrepancies and gaps”. In particular, he disputed the report’s ballistic analyses, its high estimates of casualties, as well as its inconsistency in dealing with information coming from the White Helmets (WH). This group, officially known as Syria Civil Defence, defines itself as a volunteer organization supporting civilian victims of attacks, but it has been accused by Damascus and Moscow of being affiliated with terrorist groups such as Jabhat al-Nusra.

Moreover, Ambassador Shulgin criticized the FFM’s report for not taking into consideration large part of the evidence submitted by Russia in the wake of the alleged attacks. In April 2018, the Russian delegation in The Hague had organized an event on the Douma attacks, flying in from Damascus a number of witnesses who denounced the alleged attack as a farce. Such evidence, however, was only vaguely mentioned in the report – Mr. Shulgin regretted, accusing the OPCW’s experts of not having the courage to counter the pressure exercised by the U.S.-led coalition.

Stressing the importance of providing the international public with appropriate information, H.E. Mr. Bassam Sabbah, Syrian Permanent Representative to the OPCW, added new elements of criticism to the FFM’s report. He denounced the FFM for not living up to the OPCW standards in terms of sampling, interviewing and cooperation with the host government, in spite of what he defined as the Syrian government’s “utmost cooperation” with the mission. In particular, Mr. Sabbagh regretted the OPCW’s use of extra samples outside those officially extracted by the FFM staff in Douma, as well as the reliance on interviews to individuals whose background and relation to the incident remain unclear.

The accusations of the Russian and Syrian diplomats were backed up by the more technical details provided by Mr. Sergey Kikot, chemical weapons expert at the Russian Ministry of Defence. Mr. Kikot underlined that although “Russia does not question the OPCW’s professionalism”, the FFM’s report contains analyses of dubious quality. Specifically, he questioned the report’s ballistic analyses, and dubbed its estimates of casualties, amounting to 43 victims and more than 500 injured, as unrealistic.

A further round of criticism was raised by Mr. Maxim Grigoriev, Director of the Russia-based Foundation for the Study of Democracy. Mr. Grigoriev specifically blamed the report for the poor standards of its interviews policy, as well as for the inconsistent use of information coming from the White Helmets. He welcomed the report’s denial of some claims arising from the WH, but at the same time regretted that in other parts of the report information provided by the WH was used as a reliable source. Repeatedly referring to tweets by the BBC Syria Producer Riam Dalati, Mr. Gregoriev dubbed such information as propaganda, and accused the WH of close affiliation with terrorist organizations operating in Syria.

In his concluding remarks, Mr. Shulgin underlined that the Russian Mission to the OPCW will not give up its quest to clarify what happened in Douma on April 7th, 2018, and to overcome the excessive politicization that surrounded this issue in the discussions held at the OPCW over the last year.

Water Board election debate

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Water Board election debate

The Water Board elections will be held in the Netherlands on 20 March 2019. If you are over 18 and have a valid residence permit for the Netherlands you will most likely be eligible to cast your vote. To find out what’s at stake and who to vote for, join the Water Board election debate on Friday 15 March from 17.30 to 19.30 at IHE Delft.

The debate and introduction will be in English and is open to the public, the doors are open at 17.15.
Venue: IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, Westvest 7, Delft.

Preliminary programme

17.30-18.15 Introduction to the role and challenges of Water Boards in the Netherlands and the Delfland Water Board by Deltacommissioner Mr Peter Glas and Delfland Dijkgraaf Mr Piet-Hein Daverveldt

18.15-18.30 Interactive introduction to the issues at stake (click here to do the poll in advance)

18.30-19.30 Debate between the representatives of the five largest parties of the current governing board of the Delfland Water Board (VVD, AWP, PvdA, CDA and Water Natuurlijk)

Dutch Water Boards and elections
The Dutch Water Boards are amongst the oldest democratic institutes in the world. Nowadays, there are twenty-two Water Boards in the Netherlands which are responsible for, among other things, flood protection and the treatment of sewage water.

Every four years, the residents within a Water Board’s territory elect the members of the ‘residents’ category of members of the governing board. Apart from the ‘residents’ category, the board also includes representatives from the business, agricultural and environmental sectors. These representatives hold so-called guaranteed seats and are not elected by way of elections. A typical governing board is composed of 18 to 30 members. The majority of this number is elected by way of direct elections.

Eligibility to vote
A voter must meet the following requirements:

  • The voter must be 18 years of age or over
  • The voter may not be debarred from voting
  • The voter must have been a resident of a Dutch Water Board territory on nomination day, as evidenced by the Base Registry Persons.

These requirements apply equally to non-Dutch nationals holding a valid residence permit, irrespective of the term of their residence in the Netherlands. ​The same requirements for casting their vote in the Water Board elections apply to Dutch nationals and EU citizens.

More information:

Exhibition ‘Medieval gardens. Earthly paradises in East and West’

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Exhibition ‘Medieval gardens. Earthly paradises in East and West’
On show at the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden from 3 May 2019

Medieval gardens will blossom this summer in the charming exhibition ‘Medieval gardens. Earthly paradises in East and West’ in the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden (the Netherlands). Visitors can enjoy stories about the medieval garden and its plants, herbs and flowers, from Europe to the Middle East. In addition to vegetable and ornamental gardens, visitors can also explore gardening in the Middle Ages, love gardens, paradise as a garden and ‘the garden inside’. On display are medieval illuminated manuscripts, herbariums, flower carpets, paintings and prints, excavated garden tools, tile panels and crockery with flower motifs. The exhibition can be viewed from 3 May to 1 September 2019.

In the exhibition, archaeological finds and works of art paint a picture of the wealth, importance and diversity of gardens in the Western Christian and Eastern Islamic world between 1200 and 1600 AD. Visitors can enjoy millefiori and paradise carpets, herbariums with dried plants, illuminated books with ideal gardens and oriental tiles with floral motifs. Also on display are medieval tools and excavated watering cans, seeds and feathers, falcon hoods, chess pieces, medicine pots and musical instruments. In a sunny and colourful design with arbours and birdsong, visitors can smell herbs and flowers, design their own garden and digitally browse medieval books with garden scenes. Rare paintings, prints and miniatures offer an introduction to a lovely Madonna in a rose garden, a Persian prince at a fountain and a fierce Italian gardener.

Gardens played an important role in the lives of medieval people. Not only practically, for food and medicine, but also for leisure, hunting and the game of love. The word ‘paradise’ is derived from the Old- Persian word for garden, pairidaeza. Both in the Qur’an and in the Bible, paradise is described as a garden with ever flowing rivers, evergreen plants and animals and man in harmony. The exhibition bridges the gap between gardens in Western and Eastern cultures, thereby highlighting their similarities. In both spheres it is about the luxury of being outside, between blossoming flowers and reflected in clear water, with pavilions for relaxation, meals, concerts and poetry readings. The vast, symmetrical garden by a castle or palace is also a status symbol, where guests are received and ‘seduced’ into games, conversation, or a stolen kiss.

The exhibition is a collaboration with the Leiden Botanical Gardens. On display are loans from among others the collections of the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, Leiden University Library, Rijksmuseum Boerhaave, Naturalis Biodiversity Centre, and the heritage services of Amsterdam, Haarlem, Delft, Alkmaar, ‘s-Hertogenbosch and Antwerp. The Rijksmuseum van Oudheden is supported by the BankGiro Lottery.

A booklet (in Dutch, 64 pgs., €9.95) and a RMO Magazine (in Dutch, €3.50) will accompany the exhibition. There is a free audio tour highlighting medieval music and a supplementary programme including lectures, guided tours and botanical drawing workshops. The museum shop has a special garden assortment. During the annual children’s summer event Kunstdetective, children can also get to work in the medieval gardens.

Transcending Borders

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Transcending Borders

Endless imagination and the freedom of movement

By Tamara Dijkstra.

The definition of art is fluid, not fixed, nor tangible and holds a different meaning to many people. Besides that, many influential artists, well-known intellectuals and scientists have written about the concept of art and explored the role and influence of art on society and daily life. Although the discussion on the concept of art is very complex and diverse, I think that we can all agree that art can spark something; a friendship, a critical discussion, courage, passion, an interesting conversation, motivation, new ideas or just simply bring us a moment of happiness.

These were the emotions and sounds that defined the atmosphere during the inauguration of the art exhibition “Movimiento” at the Mexican Embassy in The Hague, on February 12.

The art collective of eight Mexican artists, founded and led by the Mexican painter Emilio Sanchez Diaz was created to support and promote on the one hand, new and emerging artists and their growing careers and one the other hand, established artists that have already received recognition in the art world in México. The eight artists, Anna Kutycz and Rudek, EMSAR, Emilio Sánchez, Pilar González, Nancy van Overveldt, Paola Luis Hernández, Jose Luis Couoh and Pablo Esteban have all different life trajectories, ways of creating art in motion, perspectives and methods of visualization.

In de picture from left to right: Jorge Delgado, Embassy of Mexico, Emilio Sánchez, artist, Alejandra Saldaña, artist manager, Itzel Barragán, curator, Mauricio Torres, Embassy of Mexico, Pilar González, artist and RUDEK, artist.

Albeit the work is genuinely diverse and sometimes even contrasting, the thematic link that connects the work can be found through the figurative representations, for instance the colors and cohesive elements of critical thought, emotions and experiences in both México and the Netherlands that are reflected in their work.

Movimiento, Mexican exhibition, The Hague.

The exhibition was carefully curated by Emilio Sanchez Diaz and Itzel Barragán, who together with the Embassy, artists and friends transformed the gallery of the Mexican Embassy into a colorful and dynamic space beyond belief. Additionally, Itzel Barragan wrote the beautiful exhibition texts and an extensive thorough article about the exhibition in the magazine of the Mexican Embassy “Origenes”, which will be published at the end of February.

Mexican exhibition Movimiento.

The exhibition “Movimiento” represents artwork that has been influenced by different art movements, manifestations and radical changes around the world that occurred during the twentieth century. Considering the great creativity and professionalism of the curators, the public was challenged to approach the art without prejudice and to understand the different rhythms of movement. Simultaneously the public was touched by the intense colors and the alternation of expressionistic, abstract cubic and even surrealistic structures and narration. 

Like many rivers that are constantly turning and flowing from different origins, while following their own path, many ideas, experiences and rhythms emerged along the way. And as all the rivers eventually run into the sea, the experiences of the eight artist in both Mexico and the Netherlands are harmonized and driven together into unity in this magnificent exhibition.

Pilar González, artist, Emilio Sánchez, artist, Itzel Barragán, curator and Alejandra Saldaña, artist manager.

The art exhibition “Movimiento” is open for the public until the 21st of March, from Monday till Friday between 09:00-13:00 and 14:00-17:00 hrs. at the Mexican Embassy in The Hague.

Thanks to Itzel Barragán

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