In the picture Mr. Philipp Wehle – Courtesy of Credit Suisse.
Monday, 1 July 2019, Zürich, Swiss Confederation: Credit Suisse Group AG announced today as per statement below, that Mr. Philipp Wehle, currently Chief Financial Officer of International Wealth Management, succeeds in the capacity as ‘CEO International Wealth Management’ as well as a member of the Executive Board of Credit Suisse Group AG.
Philipp Wehle joined Credit Suisse in 2005. Mr Wehle has been Chief Financial Officer of International Wealth Management since the inception of the division in 2015. Prior to that, he held senior management roles in finance and strategy in our Swiss business and International Private Banking.
From 2011 until 2012, he was based in Singapore heading the Private Banking Asia Pacific Finance team. Philipp Wehle is a Board member of CS InvestLab AG and Credit Suisse Asset Management & Investor Services (Schweiz) Holding AG. He also serves as Co-Head of Finance of International Trading Solutions.
He graduated from the University of Bonn, Germany, with a master’s degree in economics and subsequently worked as a consultant and project manager with a focus on financial services.
Friday, 12 July 2019, Principality of Monaco: His Serene Highness The Sovereign Prince of Monaco Albert II accompanied by actress and producer Natalie Portman and the Special Envoy of President Macron for National Heritage, Stéphane Bern (the exhibition’s co-curator), opened the exhibition ‘Chaumet in Majesty. Jewels of Sovereigns Since 1780’ at the Forum Grimaldi.
After Beijing in 2017, and Tokyo in 2018, the legendary jeweller chose Monaco as the venue for its new exhibition. Rare pieces, some of them never before displayed in public, have been brought together for the exhibition thanks to loans from museums, prominent families and royal collections.
Deeply committed to passing on its time-honoured savoir-faire, Chaumet has nurtured exceptional jewellery craftsmanship since 1780. The Maison’s founder Marie-Etienne Nitot was recognised for his exceptional creativity and artisan skill, becoming the official jeweller to Emperor Napoleon I in 1802. The jeweller subsequently crafted ceremonial jewels for the Empress Joséphine, creating the emblematic tiaras that would bring his Maison global renown.
Some 250 jewelry creations, works of art and exceptional historical pieces take visitors on a voyage of rediscovery of the history of the tiara. First an emblem of power magnified by the Empress Joséphine, the tiara became a symbol of femininity and an essential accessory at marriages, passed down over generations. In tandem with the evolution of fashions and trends for the feminine silhouette, the tiara expresses the art de vivre of different eras.
Practical Information: Chaumet in Majesty. Jewels of Sovereigns Since 1780 exhibition (July 12 – August 28, 2019) Grimaldi Forum, 10, avenue Princesse Grace, 98000 Monaco.
Open daily from 10 am to 8 pm; until 10 pm on Thursdays
In the picture H.E. Ngo Thi Hoa, Ambassador of Viet Nam to The Netherlands.
Sunday, 30 June 2019, Socialist Republic of Vietnam: the European Union on signed the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), paving the way for tariff reductions on 99% of goods between the 28-member bloc and the Southeast Asian country, an ASEAN member state.
The EU has described, as per Commission’s statement, the free trade deal as “the most ambitious free trade deal ever concluded with a developing country.”
European Union Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström and Vietnam’s Minister of Industry and Trade Trần Tuấn Anh inked the EVFTA in Hanoi, three and a half years after negotiations were concluded in December 2015. The agreement still needs to be ratified by the European Parliament, wherein some EU legislators oppose such agreement vis-à-vis Vietnam because of the country’s alleged poor human rights record.
Vietnam has one of the fastest-growing economies in Southeast Asia. Backed by robust exports and foreign investment, the country has already signed several free trade pacts, including an 11-country deal known as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
The EU is Vietnam’s second-largest export market after the United States, with main exports including garment and footwear products. In 2018, Vietnam exported $42.5 billion (€37.32 billion) worth of goods and services to the EU, while the value of imports from the region reached $13.8 billion (€12.12 billion), according to official data.
The free trade agreement with the EU will also boost Vietnam’s gross domestic product (GDP) by 2.18%-3.25% annually by 2023 and by 4.57%-5.30% annually between 2024-2028, the Vietnamese government said. As a result of the agreement, clothes, shoes and smartphones are expected to become less expensive in the EU, while almost all tariffs shall vanish.
Dr. Herrmann Florian, Minister of State for Federal and European Affairs and Media, welcomed the Minister of Education of the province of Gauteng (South Africa), H.E. Mr. Panyaza Lesufi (left), and the CEO of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, Mr. Sello Hatang (center), at the State Chancellery.
Thursday, 11 July 2019, Munich, Free State of Bavaria, Germany: Dr. Florian Herrmann, Minister of State for Federal and European Affairs and Media of Bavaria, received guests from South Africa, namely The Hon Panyaza Lesufi, Minister of Education and Youth Development of Gauteng Province, MPL, and Mr Sello Hatang, CEO of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, to the State Chancellery in Munich.
In a statement by the Bavarian Government, Minister of State Dr. Herrmann said: “I was very pleased about the visit from Gauteng. Gauteng has been our partner region, and the economic centre of South Africa for many years – but it still presents many challenges. Bavaria is a leader in education and security – both are areas in which we want to exchange ideas and cooperate even more intensively in the future”.
Minister Lesufi is a career politician, member of Gauteng’s Provincial Legislature, and Deputy Chairman of the African National Congress party in his province.
The Nelson Mandela Foundation is a non-profit organisation that promotes the late President Mandela’s vision of equality, and social justice for all.
The Austrian Ambassador in the Netherlands, Ambassador Heidemaria Gürer hosted a musical evening at her residence featuring the“Ensemble Airborne Extended”made up of Austrian participants in the ongoing Operadagen Rotterdam 2019.
Prior to the concert, there was an artist talk by flutists Caroline Mayrhofer, Elena Gabbrielli and Elisabeth Schimana (composer). The talk provided insights into the latest developments in contemporary music in Austria and this evidently was an integral part of the program. Moderator: Doris Weberberger (Austrian Music Export / mica – music Austria).
Caroline Mayrhofer, Elena Gabbrielli and Elisabeth Schimana.
The program:
Caroline Mayrhofer (recorders/Paetzold) and Elena Gabbrielli (flute) They performed solo and duo pieces by:
Hannes Kerschbaumer: “not.to” 9´ 2017, Duo mit Live-Elektronik
Matej Bonin: Air and everything between“, 7’ (Solo Elena Gabbrielli)
Hannes Kerschbaumer: Metrioptera II, Paetzold, 2011/13, 8´ (Solo Caroline Mayrhofer)
Ugurcan Öztekin: Blocs, Duo, 2018, 8´ (Duo)
A reception followed at the conclusion of the performance and all in attendance expressed appreciation for the ensemble’s exquisite performance.
The Far Eastern Federal University (Vladivostok, Russia) won the International Criminal Court (ICC) Moot Court Competition, Russian version, held in Courtroom I of the ICC premises in The Hague (the Netherlands) late May.
The Saint-Petersburg State University and the National Research University Higher School of Economics – Nizhnii Novgorod won, respectively, second and third places. The “Best Speaker” award went to Marina Petrova from Saint-Petersburg State University
Members of the winning team are Bolshakova Anastasiia, Danshov Vadim, Eremeeva Polina, Maltsev Alexander, and Romanov Ilya. On the judge’s bench for this competition were ICCjudge Kimberly Prost, presiding, Special Tribunal for Lebanon President judge Ivana Hrdličková and ICC Legal Officer Matt Halling.
This version of the ICC Moot Court Competition is organised by the Law Faculty of National Research University Higher School of Economics with institutional support from the ICC. 13 teams and more than 70 students representing two countries (Russia (12) and Belarus (1)) took part in the preliminary rounds of the competition under the supervision of university professors, scholars, legal practitioners, and former competitors, including former ICC Judge Anita Ušacka.
The organisational and financial support for the competition was provided by Kuznetsova’s Center for International Criminal Law and Comparative Criminal Law Studies (Faculty of Law, Lomonosov Moscow State University), the Russian National Group of International Association of Penal Law, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Russian Federation, the International Committee of the Red Cross (Regional Delegation in Moscow), the legal firms ‘FBK Legal’, ‘ZKS’, ‘Feoktistov and partners,’ and ‘Knyazev and partners’. The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Russian Federation and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Netherlands also supported the competition and the winning teams in their trip to The Hague and organized the visits to international institutions seating in the Hague (the International Court of Justice and the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals, in particular) as well as a roundtable with non-governmental organisations.
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.
Participants of the ICC Retreat with African States Parties to the Rome Statute in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 12 June 2019
The International Criminal Court (ICC) convened a Retreat with African States Parties to the Rome Statute in Addis Ababa, with the participation of the Office of Legal Counsel of the African Union and the ICC Trust Fund for Victims (TFV) on 12 June 2019. The purpose of the Retreat was to continue promoting open and frank dialogue and in-depth discussions relating to the mandate and activities of the ICC in the fight against impunity for the gravest crimes as listed under the ICC Rome Statute.
Government delegates from 22 African States Parties, the Legal Counsel of the African Union, ICC and TFV officials as well as representatives of the European Union and the International Organisation of La Francophonie, shared experiences and explored avenues to strengthen engagement and cooperation within the framework of the complementarity principle enshrined in the Rome Statute.
“National, regional and international bodies all have a role to play in deterring genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression, and in ensuring that when such crimes nevertheless occur, questions of accountability are asked and efforts are made to provide redress to the victims”, Judge Chile Eboe-Osuji, President of the International Criminal Court said at the opening of the Retreat.
In addition to the Retreat, ICC and TFV representatives will engage in discussions on “Africa and the ICC: The Contribution of Justice towards Peace and Stability in the Continent” with students, professors, state representatives and civil society at an event on 13 June 2019 at the University of Addis Ababa, organised by the Institute for Peace and Security Studies in collaboration with the ICC.
The Retreat was organised with the financial support of the European Commission and the International Organisation of La Francophonie. The ICC is grateful to the African Union Commission, the European Commission, the International Organisation of La Francophonie, and the Institute for Peace and Security Studies for their collaboration and hospitality in the context of these productive events.
In the picture H.E. Ms. Brândușa Predescu, Romanian Ambassador to the Netherlands and Eurojust’s President Ladislav Hamran.
EU Member States are giving more priority to investigating genocide and war crimes. The number of new cases rose by a third over the last three years, with 1 430 new investigations launched in 2018.
This stark increase was one of the major topics of discussion at the 4th EU Day against Impunity for Genocide, Crimes against Humanity and War Crimes, organised by Eurojust, the Romanian EU Council Presidency, the European Commission and the Genocide Network. Eurojust, the EU’s Judicial Cooperation Unit, hosts the Secretariat of the Genocide Network, which started its work exactly 15 years ago.
Eurojust’s President Ladislav Hamran stated: ‘It is very encouraging to see that EU Member States are increasingly taking up their responsibilities and prioritising prosecution of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The European Union is an area of security and justice and we cannot and will not be a safe haven for whoever hascommitted these atrocities anywhere in the world.
’In 2018, a total number of 2 943 cases regarding genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes were pending or ongoing, which is the highest number documented since the creation of the Genocide Network. These cases concern crimes committed worldwide.
The Genocide Network provides a forum for practitioners to exchange information on ongoing cases and share expertise and best practice for the investigation and prosecution of perpetrators of international crimes. Further, the Genocide Network is dedicated to raising awareness of the crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, thus proving the EU’s commitment to fighting impunity of suspected war criminals.
Since the establishment of the Genocide Network, increased action has been taken in the area of international criminal justice. Eurojust, Europol and EU Member States deal with these crimes as key priorities and are stepping up their efforts as well. Moreover, the new legal basis of Eurojust provides it with more power to engage in fighting impunity and bring to justice perpetrators of these crimes.
In 2016, 1 073 new investigations into international crimes were initiated in the 28 EU Member States. This figure rose to 1 233 in 2017, with a further increase to 1 430 in 2018. This trend shows not only the commitment of more and more EU Member States to join the common fight against these crimes, but also the rising impact of armed conflicts in the proximity of the European Union.
With regard to Syria, for instance, France and Germany serve as an example by having set up a joint investigation team (JIT) for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the regime in this country. The JIT is financially and operationally supported by Eurojust, showing the strong effort made by the European Union to target impunity.
The 4th Day against Impunity for Genocide, Crimes against Humanity and War Crimes, which was organised with the contribution of the Romanian Embassy in the Netherlands, coincides with the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the four Geneva Conventions. The event started with a keynote address, delivered on behalf of HE Ms Ana Birchall, Deputy Prime Minister for Romania’s Strategic Partnership’s Implementation, and interim Minister of Justice, keynote speeches by Mr Ferd Grapperhaus, Dutch Minister of Justice and Security and Ms Fatou Bensouda, Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, as well as a video message by Ms Vera Jurová, Commissioner Ms Věra Jourová, European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality.
The speeches were followed by a panel discussion with H.E. Mr. Mika-Markus Leinonen, Ambassador, EU Liaison Officer in The Hague, European External Action Service, Ms. Olympia Bekou, professor of public international law and head of the International Criminal Justice Unit of the University of Nottingham, UK, Ms. Nicole Vogelenzang, head of the International Crimes Unit, National Prosecution Office, the Netherlands, Ms. Iulia Motoc, judge at the European Court for Human Rights, Strasbourg, and Ms. Virginie Amato, Europe regional coordinator, Coalition for the ICC. The panel was moderated by H.E. Ms. Brândușa Predescu, Romanian Ambassador to the Netherlands.
Alex Whiting has joined the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office (SPO) as Head of Investigations.
Mr Whiting, 54, is a prosecutor of French and US nationality with extensive experience of both domestic and international prosecutions, including stints at both the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), as well as a distinguished academic career.
Mr Whiting came to the SPO from Harvard Law School, where he had been a professor of practice since 2013.
Between 2010 and 2013, Mr Whiting was in the Office of the Prosecutor at the ICC where he served first as Investigations Coordinator, overseeing all investigations, and then as Prosecutions Coordinator, overseeing all prosecutions.
Before joining the ICC, Mr Whiting taught for three years as an assistant clinical professor of law at Harvard Law School.
Between 2002 and 2007, Mr Whiting worked for the ICTY, where he was lead prosecutor in the trial of Fatmir Limaj, Isak Musliu, and Haradin Bala, and lead prosecutor in the trials of Milan Martić and Dragomir Milošević.
Before joining the ICTY, Mr Whiting was a US federal prosecutor, first with the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC, and then with the US Attorney’s Office in Boston, Massachusetts, where he focused on organised crime and corruption cases.
Mr Whiting is a graduate of Yale College and Yale Law School.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) held a four-day Training for Counsel at the seat of the Court in The Hague, the Netherlands on June 10 to 13, with the participation of more than 120 lawyers registered on the ICC List of Counsel.
In his opening address, the ICC Registrar, Peter Lewis, said that “This event is part of the mandate of the Registry and is all about continuous improvement. We think after more than a decade of our operations, it is a good time to pause and reflect on how we have done and how we could improve. And I hope that, through your organisations and the bar associations that you represent, you will play a full part in that process.”
The session allowed ICC representatives, members of the ICC List of Counsel and members of the legal teams currently intervening before the Court to share experiences and discuss issues of mutual interest. Over the four days, the participants focussed on understanding the management of the Court’s judicial proceedings, including the use of the e-Court system, translation and interpretation services, information security, safety and security in the field and coordination and planning of missions of counsel and team members. A significant part of this training session was dedicated to the issue of harassment prevention. The participants also received the updates on legal issues in the ongoing cases.
This training was organised in collaboration with the International Criminal Court Bar Association (ICCBA) and with the financial support of the European Commission. ICC Seminars and Trainings for counsel on the ICC List of Counsel have been an annual activity of the Court since 2004, providing a unique platform to not only celebrate the contribution of Counsel to the Court’s mandate, but to also engage in mutually beneficial dialogue with the legal profession.
