The Ambassador of the Republic of Panama, H.E. Mr. Willys Delvalle. By Roy Lie Atjam. The Hague, 13 November 2018. The Ambassador of the Republic of Panama, H.E. Mr. Willys Delvalle and Mrs. Tatiana Delvalle, invited fellow Heads of Mission, members of the business community, Dutch government representatives, members of the International institutions and various others to the Marriott Hotel on the occasion of Panama’s 115th year of Independence.

In his welcome speech, Ambassador Willys Delvalle welcomes one and all on behalf of the President of Panama, Juan Carlos Varela, to the celebration of the 115th years of the Republic of Panama. Special thanks to the Netherlands for being such a wonderful host and to all those who have contributed to the longstanding friendship between the nations of Panama and the Netherlands. An extract of Ambassador Willys Delvalle ‘s discourse is hereto attached: “During the last years, Panama has made great efforts to fulfil the 2030 Global Development Agenda, we are completely committed to building a better country and improve the quality of life for our citizens, and this needs to be done both locally as well globally.

In this regard, the Government of Panama is heavily investing to make the most of its national programs aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. Many initiatives have been created towards achieving these goals. New alliances with different stakeholders are ongoing, creating opportunities in areas such as housing, preventive health, innovation, infrastructure, training for small and medium-sized enterprises, among many others. Recently our President approved the Law that creates the Permanent Multisector Council on Education, an advisory board for the implementation of the National Commitments to improve education at all levels. Education, as all of you know, is a critical area for any country to improve the quality of their people.

We have reached historical progress in terms of Gender Equality; with the approval of the Law that establishes a 30% participation of women in public institution boards, we adopted the UN Gender Equality Seal for Public and Private Organizations as well as Panama was the first Latin American country to join the Equal Pay International Coalition, last summer. Furthermore, our Government recently launched the National Council for Gender Parity, aiming to coordinate and generate synergies among all the actors of society, public and private sectors and non-governmental organizations, all of them working together, enforcing and committing with open spaces for gender equality.

I’m also pleased to announce that we are part of the International Gender Champions – The Hague Hub as a way to join efforts and actors from this city. Now as a country what else do we have to offer the world? Well, Panama is committed to the mission that our geographical position has given us, therefore we are continuously working to strengthen the Great Connection, a global hub for people, commerce and connectivity and a key destination for business and investment. So, what does The Great Connection mean:

• Best active ports in Latin America in 2017: For several years now, Panama has led the region on container moves in the Atlantic coast and the third most active in the Pacific coast.
• Air Connectivity: With more than 132,000 direct flights annually to 90 destinations in 35 countries. Tocumen International Airport is the best connected of Latin America, establishing direct connections to all the major cities and capitals on the continent, reaching Europe and beyond, and moving more than 15 million passengers last year. The New Terminal will be open in January 2019, which will add a capacity for another 10 million passengers and this new terminal will also have the first multimodal logistics zone in Latin America, allowing not only faster movement of visitors and cargo but also providing value-added services to improve world trade.
• Multinational Headquarters Hub: more than 140 companies have chosen Panama to carry out operations or services for their Main Offices, subsidiary or affiliate in other countries. These headquarters have invested more than 800 million American dollars.
• Broad tourism destinations in Panama: In 2017 the international tourist arrivals had a total of 2,5 million visitors(5.8%), this represented a touristic income of $ 6.8 billion. Infrastructure all over the country, highways, new bridges over the Canal, construction and expansion of the metro lines, mega ports, etc.

The Great Connection also means, Panama Canal. Some recent facts of the Panama Canal show the progress made as:

• The Panama Canal closed its 2018 fiscal year (FY 2018) with a record tonnage of 442.1 million Panama Canal tons (PC/UMS), which represents a 9.5 percent increase from the previous year.
• This means that the Panama Canal continues to exceed our expectations, creating new routes for new markets and new commodities, reinforcing every day the importance of the waterway’s expansion on the global maritime trade.
• Likewise, its expected to receive approximately 234 cruise ships through the Panamax and Neopanamax Locks during the upcoming 2018-2019 cruise season.
• Through this route 14,000 vessels move around per year, which accounts for roughly 6% of world trade and generates revenues for more than 3 billion dollars a year.

To enhance the Great Connection, we are facing a new challenge, the Agro Logistic Hub. Creating and exploring new processes for value-added agricultural products. And our friends in the Netherlands are a key for the success of this new development area. Our projections towards the future lead us to consolidate alliances, for this reason, every day we are strengthening the excellent relations with the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The high level of bilateral relations allowed for a successful visit by President Juan Carlos Varela to the Netherlands early this year. As a result, the leaders agreed to broaden the work agendas and establish cooperation in the areas of agro-logistic, connectivity and water management. In order to learn more from local good practices, Panama recently opened the First Agro-business Office for Europe based in Rotterdam, with a strategic purpose: promote our national high-quality seal of our products” Panama Exporta”. Panama and the Caribbean. Panamastands ready for closer cooperation with CARICOM The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on Thursday 13 September 2018 formalised diplomatic ties with Panama, accrediting the first Ambassador of the Central American country to the Community. According to the recently accredited first envoy of Panama to CARICOM, H.E.Ms. Soraya Cano Franco, Panama’s policies have facilitated the growth of the economy and have allowed the country to, among other things, “evolve from being a receiving cooperation country to a cooperation provider country” We want to thank all of you, we deeply appreciate and are honored to be able to celebrate our 115th anniversary. ¡VIVA PANAMÁ!”.

The celebration continued with the sampling of typical Panamanian dishes such as: Appetizer: Empanadas de queso (fried corn pastry filled with white cheese) RopaVieja (beef stew with vegetables) Arroz con guandúl (rice with guandúl beans). Plátanos en tentación (caramelized ripe plantain with cinnamon). It has been a fabulous Panamanian evening.            

Founder and head of “Georgian Culture Center in the Netherlands”, Mrs. Tika Svanidze-vancko and H.E. Mr. Konstantine Surguladze, Ambassador of Georgia. On November 26, 2018, a farewell reception of the Ambassador of Georgia to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, H.E. Mr. Konstantine Surguladze and his spouse Mrs. Nino Rusadze was held at the Embassy of Georgia. As from December 1, Ambassador’s mission to the Kingdom of the Netherlands comes to an end. The reception started with the farewell speech by the Ambassador of Georgia. His Excellency thanked guests for attending the reception. In his speech Ambassador summarized the bilateral relations between Georgia, the Netherlands and the EU. “During my tenure, the Netherlands ratified EU-Georgia Association Agreement including Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), which entered into force on July 2016. Since March 2017, Georgian citizens have benefitted from visa free travel to the Schengen area and the Netherlands contributed to this achievement. The EU is Georgia’s largest trading partner and provides over €100 million to Georgia annually in technical and financial assistance.

I am very pleased that during these challenging and very important times, when everybody in my country worked hard to achieve this very important milestone, I had an honor to represent Georgia to the Netherlands and contributed to the historical achievement of my country. I would like to use this opportunity to thank the Dutch government and Dutch people for every support provided to my country and for being good and reliable friends of Georgia”- said H.E. Konstantine Surguladze. On that day the Embassy had a very special guests, Amber and Tim Storimans, children of Stan Storimans Dutch TV “RTL” cameraman, who was killed during the Russian largescale military intervention in August 2008. An Iskander rocket exploded in Gori’s central square on 12 August 2008, killing a Dutch journalist, Stan Storimans and other civilians. On August 7, 2018 President of Georgia, H.E. Mr. Giorgi  Margvelashvili awarded Stan Storimans with the Order of Honor for his bravery and self-sacrifice. Ambassador of Georgia bestowed the Order of Honor to the children of Stan Storimans. During the farewell reception the Ambassador thanked Georgian Diaspora organizations representatives for their important contribution to promote Georgia.

“The Georgian community in the Netherlands is a significant contributor not only to the development of this country but also to the Netherlands ties with Georgia. I have enjoyed friendship and support from many members of the Georgian community here”- said Ambassador and awarded with the Certificates of Appreciation for their invaluable effort to promote Georgia to the founder and head of “Georgian Culture Center in the Netherlands”, Mrs. Tika Svanidze-vancko; Counsellor of “Georgian Culture Center in the Netherlands”, Mrs. Lali Butbaia; founder and head of foundations “EuroArt” and “ArtEco”, Mrs. Dali Ubilava de Graaf; Head of association “Bagrationi”,  Mrs. Maia Aduashvili; Head of Georgian Diaspora organization, Mrs. Natalia Tchaduneli; and head of association “Georgian House”, Mr. Archil Djavakhadze. Also Ambassador thanked teachers of Amsterdam Sunday School and awarded with the Certificates of Appreciation for their invaluable effort Mrs. Neli Svanidze and Mrs. Khatuna Kavteladze. The farewell reception was attended by the representatives from the Netherlands government, business sector, education, culture, media and Georgian Diaspora representatives. The guests had the opportunity to taste Georgian wine offered by the company Ghvino.nl ———– Photography by the Embassy of Georgia.

H.E. Ms. Eksiri Pintaruchi, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand  and H.E. Mr. Philippe Couvreur, Registrar Court International de Justice. By Roy Lie Atjam. H.E. Ms. Eksiri Pintaruchi Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand in the Netherlands, held a reception to celebrate Thailand’s National Day, Birthday Anniversary of His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej (King Rama IX) and the Father’s Day of Thailand, on 5th December 2018. The celebration started with the playing of the national anthem of the two Kingdoms. This was done by Ms. Erika Ngarmcroh (2005) from Bangkok Thailand, a very talented young lady. At the age of four, she began to study violin with Ms. Omporn Kowintha, her Suzuki violin teacher.

Erika public performance was when she was at five, playing Bach Concerto for Two Violins (2nd violin) In 2015, recommended by David Abrahamyan, she joined Prof. Boris Belkin’s masterclass in Siena, Italy; thereafter enrolled in the Young Talent classes at Conservatorium Maastricht and became Prof. Belkin’s student.

Thailand towards enhanced partnerships with the Netherlands Ambassador Eksiri Pintaruchi in her welcome remarks stressed the depth of bilateral relations between Thailand and the Netherlands which started off since the early 17th Century. In 2019 the 415th Anniversary of their diplomatic relations will be celebrated. Relations on various fronts between the two countries have flourished ever since and remains robust. Around 200,000 tourists from the Netherlands visit Thailand annually. As for investments, over 300 Dutch companies have invested in Thailand, making the Netherlands the largest investor amongst EU countries in Thailand. This reflecs growing dynamics between the countries. A second speaker at the reception was Mr. Peter Potman, Director Dutch MFA, Department Asia & Oceania.

The festivities, which took place at the Hotel Marriott The Hague, was attended by a number of heads of diplomatic missions, director of departments of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, business community and many well wishers. All enjoyed an evening replete with Thai hospitality.

Photography is a courtesy of the Royal Thai Embassy in The Hague.

H.E. Dr. Hisham Al-Alawi Ambassador of Iraq

“Victory is here to stay”

  By Roy Lie Atjam. H.E. Dr. Hisham Al-Alawi Ambassador of Iraq, invited friends of Iraq and colleagues to a special reception and cultural event at the Hilton Hotel The Hague, December 10,2018, to celebrate the Iraq victory over ISIS one year ago. On the program were music, cultural activities and a lavish buffet. The Al-Saaedi bothers presented a live rendition of the Iraq and Dutch national anthem. For additional pictures by the Embassy of Iraq in The Hague, please open the link below: https://www.flickr.com/photos/109407424@N02/albums/72157676646710428 Speakers at the reception, of course, H.E.Dr Hisham Al -Alawi Ambassador of Iraq and the quest speaker Mr. Geoffry van Leeuwen, head of MENA Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Further Madam Najeha Al-Shamry, President of the Iraqi Martyrs Foundation. In his welcome remarks, a visibly happy Ambassador Hisham Al -Alawi touched on matters of substance. He started off by the observance of a minute of reflecting on those who have laid their lives for the fatherland. He then went on to congratulate the people of Iraq and also the people of the world on the eradication of ISIS from Iraqi soil. The victory over ISIS goes far beyond Iraq borders as ISIS is a treat to the civilized world. Credit was given to the unity displayed by the people of Iraq, the political leadership, the wisdom of the field commander and the Commander in Chief for successfully toppling   ISIS. Al-Alawi went on to read Iraq Prime-Minister H.E. Dr Abdel Abdul Mahdi’ speech to the nation on the occasion of Victory Day anniversary, noting the challenges ahead: reconstruction., rehabilitation of damaged infrastructure and return of displaced ones. What is more, Ambassador Al-Alawi calls on the international community for their valuable support in the reconstruction schemes, economical investments and the collaboration in uprooting terrorism and drying up their resources. An authentic Iraq fashion show portrayed the various segments of the Iraqi population. The Kurdish, Yazidi, Christian and Baghdadi community, to mention just a few, proudly display their traditional dress(by Eshtar Ass) It has, by all means, been a colourful and varied spectacle. Veritable Iraq! Also on the program, girls from the Alzahra School Utrecht, they stole the hearts of the audience with their songs. An Iraqi buffet concluded the festive evening.

By Tereza Neuwirthova. On Thursday, December 6 2018, The Embassy of Spain in the Netherlands hosted a conference to celebrate the 40 year anniversary of the Spanish Constitution that was enacted in 1978. After arrival, the guests were greeted at the Spanish embassy by Her Excellency the ambassador Ms. María Jesús Alonso Jiménez, and were offered a glass of champagne. Among the guests were representatives from various institutions and organisations that cooperate and interact with the Spanish community in the Netherlands, as well as numerous ambassadors representing mainly the countries of Latin America. Her Excellency Ms. Ambassador Ms. María Jesús Alonso Jiménez initiated the event by presenting the guest lecturer, professor Don Francisco Bastida from the University of Oviedo. Mr. Bastida, who specialises in Constitutional Law, held an extraordinary speech about the 1978 constitution, the assets it provided for Spain, and the challenges that Spain faces in the present times. The adoption of the constitution in 1978 marked the end to a period of economic instability by ending the transition of Spain from a dictatorship regime to a democracy. The constitution established the country of Spain upon the main values of a social and democratic state such as liberty, justice, equality and political pluralism. Moreover, it set up parliamentary monarchy as the political form of the state. Among the principles coined in the constitution were also decentralisation of the territory, the rule of law, representative democracy, and the guarantee of freedoms of speech and expression. Thanks to the constitution of 1978, the modern Spain is an advanced European country that is integrated and fully committed in the European Union. It’s prosperity, great political stability, and democracy with political plurality make Spain an important and influential player in world politics. Professor Mr. Bastida concluded his speech by mentioning the independence of the regions of Catalonia and Basque Country, and low but present levels of political corruption as the ongoing threats for the welfare of Spain that it has enjoyed since the ratification of the constitution in 1978. Thereafter, Her Excellency Ambassador Alonso, started a fruitful discussion on the main topics of the evening. During the fervent debate, subjects such as the possibility of reforms and amendments to Spanish constitution of 1978, and the current issues and challenges that Spain has to deal with were taken up. Many of the guests contributed by expressing their opinions and remarks, or asking Prof. Bastida various intellectual questions. Once the discussion was finished by  Ambassador Alonso’s last remarks, the guests were greeted to an adjacent room of the embassy where traditional Spanish delicacies were served. The guests enthusiastically continued in the discussions as they were enjoying traditional sweet and savoury specialties as well as excellent Spanish wines and other drinks. Great company together with relaxed atmosphere of this event marked yet another pleasurable evening at the Spanish embassy.         video: https://www.constitucion40.com

Left to right:  ICC Registrar Peter Lewis, Cabo Verde First Lady H.E. Lígia Dias Fonseca, Cabo Verde President H.E. Jorge Carlos de Almeida Fonseca, ICC President Judge Chile Eboe-Osuji and ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda ©ICC-CPI. On 11 December 2018, H.E. Mr. Jorge Carlos de Almeida Fonseca, President of the Republic of Cabo Verde, visited the International Criminal Court (ICC) to meet with the President of the Court, Judge Chile Eboe-Osuji, the Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, and the Registrar Peter Lewis. The President was decorated with the title of ‘Distinguished Honorary Fellow of the International Criminal Court’. ICC President Eboe-Osuji stated: “At the UN General Assembly of 2017, the Prime Minister of Cabo Verde said that support for the ICC is an obligation that the present generation owes to future ones. As the Head of State of Cabo Verde, His Excellency Dr. Fonseca is the very personification of that policy. He is a jurist in his own right and a poet. But most of all, he is a statesman of exemplary credentials on rule of law. He is a very staunch supporter of the ICC and we are greatly honoured that he found time to visit the Court.”

H.E. President Fonseca reaffirmed his support for the ICC and stated: “I express the commitment of my country, of the Cabo-Verdeans, with the values and the principles supporting the creation of the ICC. We are with the ICC because we are convinced of the relevant values of the struggle against serious crimes.” President Fonseca added that “Cabo Verde as a democracy and a State based on the rule of law is always with justice, respect of international law, democracy and liberties.” The President of the Republic of Cabo Verde was accompanied by the First Lady, H.E. Ms. Lígia Dias Fonseca, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Communities and Minister of Defense H.E. Mr. Luís Filipe Tavares, and the Minister of Interior H.E. Mr. Paulo Rocha. The visit of President Fonseca to the ICC highlights Cabo Verde’s support to the Court and the joint efforts deployed in the fight against the impunity of the perpetrators of the most serious crimes that affect the international community as a whole. Cabo Verde signed the Rome Statute on 28 December 2000 and ratified it on 10 October 2011.

Arusha, La Haye, le 11 decembre 2018 – Le Juge Theodor Meron, Président du Mécanisme international appelé à exercer les fonctions résiduelles des Tribunaux pénaux (le « Mécanisme ») a, dans le dernier rapport qu’il a présenté aujourd’hui devant le Conseil de sécurité de l’ONU (le « Conseil de sécurité ») en tant que Président du Mécanisme, souligné les avancées les plus notables dans les travaux du Mécanisme. Dans son allocution, le Président Meron a évoqué les défis budgétaires et opérationnels rencontrés par le Mécanisme au cours des six derniers mois, soulignant que, malgré ces défis, d’importants progrès avaient été réalisés dans l’achèvement du mandat du Mécanisme. Mettant en avant les efforts continus déployés par le Mécanisme pour veiller à ce que les fonctions résiduelles-clés soient exercées avec un professionnalisme à toute épreuve, le Président Meron a rendu un hommage tout particulier à Olufemi Elias, Greffier, pour « sa direction avisée, son intégrité absolue et l’excellente façon dont il a conduit notre institution pendant cette période difficile ». Parlant de caps importants, le Président Meron a mis en avant l’adoption récente du Règlement sur la détention, régissant les questions liées à la détention tant à Arusha qu’à La Haye, ainsi que l’adoption de modifications du Règlement de procédure et de preuve, autant de mesures illustrant « l’attention soutenue avec laquelle le Mécanisme s’emploie à trouver des moyens d’améliorer ses méthodes et ses travaux et à servir de modèle aux tribunaux dans d’autres juridictions ». Le Président a également informé le Conseil de sécurité de l’achèvement sans heurts et du bon déroulement de la première audience judiciaire qui s’est tenue en septembre dans la toute nouvelle salle d’audience conçue spécialement pour la division d’Arusha, dans l’affaire d’outrage concernant Maximilien Turinabo et consorts ; et il a remercié le Gouvernement du Rwanda pour sa précieuse coopération dans l’arrestation et le transfèrement des accusés dans cette affaire. Le Président Meron a en outre informé le Conseil de sécurité des mesures importantes qui avaient été prises pour assurer une transition sans heurts au nouveau Président du Mécanisme, le Juge Carmel Agius, en janvier. En réfléchissant à ses fonctions de Président du Mécanisme pendant près de sept années, le Président a mis en évidence certaines des réalisations les plus remarquables, tout en remerciant en particulier Mme Gabrielle McIntyre, Chef de Cabinet et Conseiller juridique principal du Mécanisme, et tous les fonctionnaires pour leur dévouement pour faire du Mécanisme « un modèle de ce que peut et doit être une institution judiciaire pénale internationale ». Le Président Meron a ensuite évoqué certains de ses regrets, précisant qu’il déplorait profondément qu’une autre solution, plus adéquate, n’ait été trouvée pour résoudre la situation du Juge Aydin Sefa Akay. Le Président a fait observer à cet égard que : « [à] l’heure où le monde est le témoin d’une évolution très inquiétante, comme des atteintes à l’indépendance de la justice et l’affaiblissement de l’état de droit, nous, à l’Organisation des Nations Unies, ne pouvons tout simplement pas nous permettre de n’être rien de moins qu’exemplaires dans la façon dont nous répondons nous-mêmes aux atteintes à l’indépendance de la justice et aux agissements qui violent les immunités conférées par l’ONU ». En dépit de ses regrets, le Président Meron a déclaré qu’il était extrêmement fier de ce que le Mécanisme avait réalisé ces sept dernières années, faisant remarquer que c’est au cours de son mandat de président que le Règlement de procédure et de preuve avait été adopté, que les juges avaient prêté serment et que les deux divisions avaient ouvert leurs portes pour la première fois. Les juges ont adopté un code inédit de déontologie et procédé à la modification de ce code pour établir un processus disciplinaire, ce qui « montre bien l’importance que nous accordons à l’établissement des responsabilités dans tous les aspects d[u] travail [des juges]». Au cours de son mandat du Président, la responsabilité des activités judiciaires et des fonctions résiduelles non judiciaires a été transférée du TPIR et du TPIY et a été assumée sans heurts par le Mécanisme et « dans le respect des normes les plus strictes », et le Mécanisme a pris les mesures nécessaires pour fonctionner de manière autonome. Le Président Meron a fait remarquer que, en effet, le Mécanisme « a[vait] montré que le nouveau modèle par lequel les juges travaillent à distance p[ouvai]t fonctionner de manière efficace et économique — en pleine conformité avec les exigences d’une bonne administration de la justice ». Le Président a en outre rappelé que le Mécanisme a construit de nouveaux locaux minimalistes à Arusha, grâce à la générosité exceptionnelle du Gouvernement de la République-Unie de Tanzanie, et qu’il a instauré d’importantes traditions dans ces nouveaux locaux, en accueillant un colloque judiciaire pour les juges nationaux, régionaux et internationaux et des visites d’un large éventail de responsables désireux de tirer des enseignements des pratiques du Mécanisme, ainsi qu’en constituant et en rendant accessible l’une des principales bibliothèques de droit de la région. Le Président Meron a également rappelé les réalisations importantes de la division de La Haye, notamment la création d’un nouveau centre d’information sur le TPIY à Sarajevo et les signes encourageants donnés par la République de Croatie et la République de Serbie concernant la création de centres d’information sur leur territoire. Le Président a fait observer que, pendant ce temps, ses collègues et lui-même avaient « placé au cœur des priorités la mise en place d’une institution exemplaire des Nations Unies ». Le Président Meron a rappelé que le personnel remarquable du Mécanisme, provenant de quelque 70 pays, avait dépassé à maintes reprises les objectifs du Secrétaire général en matière de parité des sexes. Il a loué le personnel du Mécanisme et déclaré que, grâce à « leur professionnalisme et à leur ingéniosité, à leur imagination et à leur résilience, ces fonctionnaires [avaie]nt joué un rôle inestimable pour faire du Mécanisme ce qu’il est aujourd’hui ». Pour conclure, le Président a rappelé que les Nations Unies avaient été créées en réponse aux horreurs de l’Holocauste et à la nécessité mondiale qui s’en est suivie de « réaffirmer l[a] foi dans les droits fondamentaux de l’homme, dans la dignité humaine et dans la valeur de la justice et de l’état de droit ». Il a ajouté que les tribunaux ad hoc et le Mécanisme, qui en est le prolongement, continuent de symboliser ces valeurs fondamentales. ——— Photo par ICTY

                            The Palestinian Head of Mission, H.E. Ms.  Rawan Sulaiman with Ms. Anissa Rabbani, a Palestinian lady in national dress. By Sofie Victoria T. Hagen. On Thursday the 29^th of November, diplomats, ambassadors, as well as members of the Palestinian people and their allies, gathered in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in The Hague for a ceremony hosted by The Palestinian Mission to the Netherlands. The occasion was the UN International day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, and it is clear that the importance of this occasion was not lost on the attendees.

The event started off with an introduction to Palestinian culture, namely Palestinian music, by “The Trio Nur”, to the delight of the guests. “The Trio Nur”, first performed independently, and then were joined by two Dutch musicians on the violin and contrabass. Subsequently, the Palestinian Head of Mission, H.E. Ms.  Rawan Sulaiman, held a moving speech conveyed both in English, as well as her native tongue, Palestinian Arabic. In her speech, Ambassador Sulaiman emphasized her appreciation for the growing support she has seen from the Dutch people throughout her two years as Ambassador in The Netherlands. Additionally, she shed light on the harsh reality of the current situation the Palestinian people face, saying “The UN designated this special day as a constant reminder that the Palestine question remains unresolved, and that the Palestinian people’s inalienable rights, including the right to self-determination, are yet to be attained”. Furthermore, she underlined the importance of marking this day, as it “serves as recognition that Palestinians are not alone, and have not been forgotten”. Moreover, the Ambassador’s words in context with the location of the evening’s event was not lost on the attendees. The Ambassador quoted President Mahmoud Abbas, saying “We await the day when we may together celebrate the freedom of our people in the independent state of Palestine”, as well as, in the words of the poet Mahmoud Darwish, “To be Palestinian is to be inflicted with incurable hope.”

The event ended with the guest’s admiration of the paintings the church had been decorated with prior to the event, all carefully executed by the Palestinian artists Maha Abu Shibab, Tarek AlAssad, and Nabeel Shoublak, who all have found themselves in refugee camps in Lebanon and Syria. Traditional Palestinian food was also served, provided by Darwish food, and was enjoyed by all attendees. The artworks and food both reminded the guests of the Ambassador’s words: “Culture is a very powerful tool, through which we can spread awareness, and come together as peoples of the world, in support of freedom, justice, and peace. Through culture and music, we build bridges, dialogue, and tolerance.”