The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Fatou Bensouda, issues her annual Report on Preliminary Examination Activities (2018)
Today, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (“ICC” or the “Court”), Mrs. Fatou Bensouda, published her annual Report on Preliminary Examination Activities (2018). The report provides an overview of her Office’s preliminary examination activities conducted between 1 December 2017 and 30 November 2018 in relation to ten situations under consideration for possible investigation.
During the reporting period, the Office of the Prosecutor (“OTP” or “Office”) opened three new preliminary examinations relating to, respectively, the situation in the Philippines, the situation in Venezuela, and the alleged deportation of the Rohingya people from Myanmar to Bangladesh, a State Party to the Rome Statute. Two situations already subject to preliminary examination by the Office were referred to the Prosecutor. These are the situation in Palestine (by the State of Palestine, on 22 May 2018) and the situation in Venezuela (by a group of State Parties, on 27 September 2018).
Additionally, on 21 September 2018, following a thorough examination, the Prosecutor concluded that there was no reasonable basis to proceed with an investigation into the situation in Gabon, and closed this preliminary examination. The Office further continued its preliminary examinations of the situations in Colombia, Guinea, Iraq/United Kingdom, Nigeria, Palestine, and Ukraine.
The report provides a summary of the current status of each situation under preliminary examination, including the Office’s current analyses with regard to issues of jurisdiction and admissibility, as well as the activities carried out by the OTP in 2018 in order to further this work.
The report aims to promote public awareness and transparency regarding the Office’s preliminary examination process and related activities
H.E. M. Soraya Alvarez Ambassador of Cuba, during her welcome remarks, we can see besides her the Ambassador of Poland, H.E. Mr. Marcin Czepelak and Mr. Anton Lutter.By Anton Lutter.
The ambassador of Cuba H.E. Soraya Alvarez, hosted a reception – 19thnov – at het residence welcoming the Deputy First Minister of Science, Technology and the Environment (CITMA), Dr. Fernando González BermĂşdez.
Born in 1946 he studied medicine at the University of Havana and obtaining a PhD in 1975, specializing in embryology. Since July 2004 he was appointed in the above office. Earlier he has held the high position in the field of science: deputy director of the Agricultural Health National Center (1976-1978), director of the Institute of Zoology of the Academy of Sciences of Cuba (1979-1983), director general and founder of the National Center for the Production of Laboratory (CENPALAB) (1982-2004) which belong to the sphere of Biotechnology.
H.E. Mr. Marcin Czepelak and Dr. Fernando González Bermudez, Deputy First Minister of Science, Technology and the Environment.
In the last few years, he has focused his work on the environment. He has led the Macroproject for the scientific investigation and technological innovation on the dangers and vulnerabilities of the coastal line in the Program of Management of Climatic Change approved by the Council of Ministers.
He has taken part in many international events either as head of delegation or as a member to the Conference of the States Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Next to that Dr. González Bermúdez, was a member of the National Assembly of People’s Power (legislative parliament of Cuba) between 1998 and 2013.
Dr. Gonzales Bermudez participated in the general debate of the Fourth Review Conference of the Chemical Weapons Convention taking place from November 22 to November 30, 2018 at The Hague, which is the seat of the OPCW.
In his statement, the Deputy First Minister reiterated the position of principle of Cuba in favor of general and total disarmament under the strict and effective monitoring of the international community, prohibition and elimination of all mass destruction weapons included.
Dr. Fernando González Bermúdez said that the destruction of chemical weapons in all categories has remained one of the main objectives of the Organization and that it should be completed by the Possessor State as soon as possible and in accordance with the Verification Annex.
H.E. Mr. Fernando Bucheli, Ambassador of Ecuador and Dr. Mayelinne De Lara, Diplomat Magazine.
He also spoke of the promotion of the economic and technological development of the States Parties, particularly of those least developed and called to implement the Article XI of the Convention in a full, effective and non-discriminatory manner. In this point of the intervention, he denounced the unilateral policy of the blockade imposed by the Government of the United States against Cuba, noticing it being a violation of what is established in the abovementioned article of the Convention.
Dr. González Bermúdezalso underlined two national documents circulated by Cuba in the framework of the Conference: one about the damages caused by the blockade to the chemical Industry in Cuba during the last five years and another one about the main activities developed by our country in the implementation of the Convention.
Being in The Netherlands the Cuban Deputy First Minister took the opportunity in visiting the bilateral working program which included meetings and exchanging views with his Dutch counterparts for the promotion of the main elements of Tarea Vida (Task Life).
On the picture, H.E. Jaime Victor Ledda, Ambassador of the Philippines.By Elena Ratnikova.
On December 1st a panel of discussion relating to “Violence against women” took place in The Hague. The meeting was organized by the Embassy of the Philippines, in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Manila. The main topic of the event was: “VAW-free community starts with me”.
The Philippine Ambassador to the Netherlands, H.E. Mr. Jaime Victor B. Ledda greeted the audience, and expressed his personal attitude to the problem of discrimination. He shared the knowledge of international experience helping women to fight for their rights. The Ambassador mentioned also the problem of cyber-bullying.
Under the laws of the Philippines, five percent of the budget should be used for projects against violence.
The panel discussion had three guest speakers:
•Rea Abada-Chongson – Senior Legal Advisor on Gender, Specialist on Gender and Law.
Rea Abada-Chongson – Senior Legal Advisor on Gender, Specialist on Gender and Law. She explained the problems of sexual violence, women’s equality, and gave a brief presentation with the facts about discrimination and crimes against women. The speaker noted that during the process of research, it is necessary to provide the safety and security of people victims of violence or discrimination.
Maria Patricia Cervantes-Poco, Lecturer, Ateneo School of Law.
Maria Patricia Cervantes-Poco – Lecturer, Ateneo School of Law. She presented the most important legal documents that regulate the rights of women in the Philippines.
•Marisa Monteiro Borsboom, Lawyer and Member, European Lawyers Bar.
Marisa Monteiro Borsboom – Lawyer and Member, European Lawyers Bar. She spoke about her own experience of growing up in a religious community in Portugal, where the rights of women and girls were not always respected. “It’s not always possible for a woman to understand clearly the feelings of another woman, it is necessary to have empathy first”, – said Marisa.
The speaker gave advices on what we should do in our daily life. A woman often does not wish to protect herself and to declare her rights. Both the victim and the aggressor should receive psychological support. “If a woman lives in another country then they do not always have friends or the support from their relatives or expat community speaking the same language”, says Mrs Monteiro.
Non-European citizens need even more support. It is necessary to organize educational programs and answer the question: What do you expect from another country? Some organizations can be of great help. The non-profit organization AriseNL was designed for English-Dutch speaking female expats in the Netherlands.
The discussion was moderated by Neil B. Nucup, Founding President of the UP Diliman Chapter of MOVE, Men Opposed to Violence against Women Everywhere.
A question-and-answers took place for the audience finalizing with a lunch provided by the Embassy of the Philippines.
By Roy Lie Atjam.
On Friday 30th November 2018, the Romanian Ambassador H.E. Ms. Brândușa Predescu along with the Romanian Cultural Institute Brussels, hosted a festive reception for international guests, including Ambassadors, Dutch partners and civil society, to fete the Romanian National Day in The Hague.
Close to 300 guests attended the celebration, which started with a live rendition of the Dutch and Romanian national anthems.
Furthermore, the Alex Simu Quintet made up of: Alex Simu clarinist, poly-instrumentalist George Dumitriu, bassist Mattia Magatelli, drummer and cellist KristijanKrajncan and pianist Franz von Chossy, put on a dazzling extraordinary jazz concert.
The quintet played pieces from their album Echoes of Bucharest. The group is on a European tour.
To find out what Echoes of Bucharest stands for, you are cordially invited to listen and discover the purpose for which it was written.
Ambassador BrândușaPredescu was elated, she welcomes her guests with a very warm speech. People from various walks of life including ambassadors, politicians, government officials, and business community representatives also attended the event. Ambassador Predescu paid homage to those that have fallen during the great war as well as to those that have contributed to the establishment of the Republic of Romania a century ago.
Ambassador BrândușaPredescu described the evening as one with emotions. She was particularly pleased with the presence of the Dutch nationals on whom the President of Romania has bestowed distinction of merit. Among them, former Dutch Prime-Minister Mr. Balkenende.
The awarding of a medal of distinction to Mr Ben Jager was also part of the festive program.
By all means, the Romania centenary celebrations in The Hague has been a blissful experience.
On the picture the Ambassador of Kazakhstan, H.E. Magzhan Ilyassov and spouse Mrs. Akmaral Aydarbekova. Photography by Richard Nicolaas van Vliet.By Roy Lie Atjam.
The Ambassador of Kazakhstan H.E. Mr. Magzhsan Ilyassov hosted a concert at Diligentia Theatre on traditional nomad music to celebrate Kazakhstan National Day.
After welcoming his guests, Ambassador Ilyassov, clad in a distinctive Kazakh outfit gave a historical overview of his country.
The Magic Nomads, from Kazakhstan. Photography by Richard Nicolaas van Vliet.
The concert featured an acclaimed Kazakhstan ensemble “ The Magic of Nomads”. The band plays traditional Kazakh music, including a throat singer, fused with modern jazz arrangements, this produces a peculiar sound.
Some of the traditional instruments used by the band were dombra, zhetygen, kobyz.
Ambassador of Kazakhstan, H.E. Magzhan Ilyassov with guests at the Diligentia Theatre. National Day of Kazahstan Photography by Richard Nicolaas van Vliet.
The concert commenced with a potpourri of Kazakh tunes, followed: BulBulZaman, Yapir-ay, Atatolgau and various other number from their rich repertoire. Interesting to mention that in 2008 The Magic of Nomads recorded their first album entitled, Bulbul Zaman in the UK.
A reception and photo exhibition “Undiscovered Kazakhstan” concluded the 2018 celebration of Kazakhstan National Day.
Ambassador of Kazakhstan, H.E. Magzhan Ilyassov. Photography by Richard Nicolaas van Vliet.
13-14-15 December 2018 Hungarian Food FestivalThe Hague
In December, Crowne Plaza Den Haag-Promenade and the Diplomat Magazine organize a Food Festival in cooperation with the Embassy of Hungary.
On December 13, 14 and 15 you can taste the flavours of Hungary. A gastronomic revolution has taken over Hungary in the past few years, as well as the Hungarian cuisine. Chef Mr. János Klimaj and Chef Sido de Brabander will prepare authentic Hungarian dishes, where Hungarian confectionery can not be forgotten and enjoy live traditional Hungarian cimbalom music while having dinner.
Make your reservation via: info@crowneplazadenhaag.nl or +31 70 352 5161 (Address: Van Stolkweg 1, 2585 JL The Hague).
If you would like to taste some nice Hungarian wines and maybe learn something more from them, the Liszkay Winery will be happy to welcome you on 13 December from 17.00 at the Crown Plaza Den Haag.
Sunday, 11 November 2018, Paris, French Republic: French President Emmanuel Macron opened the inaugural Paris Peace Forum, which seeks to promote a multilateral approach to security and governance that avoids the errors that led to the Great War’s (WWI) outbreak.
Attending global leaders included US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdoğan, German Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel, HH The Aga Khan IV,HH The Emir of Qatar accompanied by his Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, the premiers of Canada Justin Trudeau, of Denmark Lars Løkke Rasmussen, United Nations Secretary General António Guterres, who spoke highly of UN institutions that seek multilateral solutions to global issues.
The Paris Peace Forum was initiated at the initiative of French President Macron to revive collective governance, international cooperation, norms and institutions at a time when global challenges have never been so pressing. Conceived as an annual gathering of all actors of global governance, from states and international organisations to civil society, it features projects and initiatives meantat improving global governance in five key domains: peace and security, environment, development, new technologies and inclusive economy.
The first edition of the Forum was inaugurated this past weekend as dozens of heads of state and government were invited to commemoratethe fragile peace that followed the First World War, wherein all in all, the world failed to defend common rules and international cooperation.
According to the forum’s website, The Paris Peace Forum shall be a new annual event based on a simple idea: international cooperationas a key to tackling global challenges and ensuring durable peace. To support collective action, it gathers all actors of global governance under one roof for three days – states, international organisations, local governments, NGOs and foundations, companies,experts, journalists, trade unions, religious groups and citizens.
The Forum is centred on those who seek to develop solutions for today’s cross-border challenges. It is focused on their 120 governanceprojects and initiatives from around the world, selected from 850 applications, presented in five villages: peace and security, environment, development, new technologies and inclusive economy.
It offers these projects visibility, feedback and connections to potential implementers. Tenprojects will also be elected by participantsand the Selection Committee of the Forum to benefit from special support by the Paris Peace Forum until the second edition in November 2019.
For further information:https://parispeaceforum.org/organization/
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Images by Paris Peace Forum
Elena Basile (Italy), Simona Frankel (Israel), Olivier Nicoloff (Canada), AntĂłnio Vasco Alves (Portugal), Jorge Notivoli (Spain), HM The King of the Belgians.
Monday, 26 November 2018, Brussels, Kingdom of Belgium: A ceremony was organised as part of the 140th anniversary of the Great Synagogue of Europe at Brussels. This ceremony also commemorated the 210th anniversary of the Israelite Central Consistory of Belgium and the 10th anniversary of the recognition of the Synagogue as the “Great Synagogue of Europe” by the European Union on 4 June 2008.
Approximately 500 personalities attended the ceremony including His Majesty the VII King of the Belgians, Philippus, who began his reign in 2013 with discussions with the recognised religious institutions in his country. A plethora of ambassadors including the ones of Italy, Elena Basile, of Portugal, AntĂłnio Vasco Alves, of Canada, Olivier Nicoloff, the Deputy Head of Mission of Spain, Jorge Notivoli, and naturally the Israeli head of mission to Belgium, Simona Frankel, were in attendance.Â
By Guido LanfranchiAt the end of October, NATO started its Trident Juncture 2018 exercise in and around Norway, simulating the Alliance’s reaction to a violation of Norway’s sovereignty. Admiral James Foggo, Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa, says that the exercise sends a strong message of deterrence.
Almost 50,000 personnel, 10,000 vehicles, 250 aircraft, and over 65 ships, from all 29 NATO Allies and two partner nations, Sweden and Finland, deployed in and around Norway, in spite of uneasy climatic conditions. These are the figures of NATO Trident Juncture 2018 exercise, kick-started at the end of October 2018 and set to simulate NATO’s reaction to a violation of Norway’s sovereignty.
As Admiral James Foggo, Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa puts it, Trident Juncture is an “opportunity to test our capacity and capability to respond to a collective defense scenario” in Norway. By doing so, NATO “sends a message of deterrence to anybody who might want to bother those countries,” specifying that he has “no particular country in mind” while saying so.
The fact that Article 5 has been used only once in the seventy years of existence of NATO should not be interpreted as absence of dangers – Admiral Foggo noted answering to comments on Trident Juncture’s value. Rather – he stressed – the lack of breaches to NATO members’ sovereignty should be interpreted as a success of the Alliance’s policy of deterrence.
“In order to deter, you must be present” – Admiral Foggo stated, noting that Trident Juncture shows NATO’s ability to deploy and be present to defend its members. Highlighting the importance of doing such deployment in a short time, the Admiral stressed the important role played by the recently established Very High Readiness Joint Task Force, a 8,000 personnel force aimed at rapidly responding to threats, which is currently being tested in the Trident Juncture exercise.
Albeit important, deterrence cannot be the only focus of NATO – Admiral Foggo stressed. Recalling the “3 D’s strategy” of NATO Secretary General Mr. Jens Stoltenberg, the Admiral emphasized the need to combine Deterrence, Defence, and Dialogue. While the first two points often grab much attention, the third point is extremely important – the Admiral said, providing examples of regular high-level contacts between NATO generals and their counterparts from a series of countries, including Russia.
In the framework of such dialogue, it should come as no surprise that Russian observers could witness parts of the Trident Juncture exercise, in full compliance with OSCE rules. Similarly, Russia’s establishment of a warning area in international waters off Norway represents a normal communication, devoid of any impact on NATO exercise – Admiral Foggo clarified.
Seventy years after the creation of NATO, the Alliance is still active and determined to send strong messages of deterrence to any third country,
Dr. Gonzales Bermudez participated in the general debate of the Fourth Review Conference of the Chemical Weapons Convention taking place from November 22 to November 30, 2018 at The Hague, which is the seat of the OPCW.
In his statement, the Deputy First Minister reiterated the position of principle of Cuba in favor of general and total disarmament under the strict and effective monitoring of the international community, prohibition and elimination of all mass destruction weapons included.
Dr. Fernando González Bermúdez said that the destruction of chemical weapons in all categories has remained one of the main objectives of the Organization and that it should be completed by the Possessor State as soon as possible and in accordance with the Verification Annex.
Dr. Gonzales Bermudez participated in the general debate of the Fourth Review Conference of the Chemical Weapons Convention taking place from November 22 to November 30, 2018 at The Hague, which is the seat of the OPCW.
In his statement, the Deputy First Minister reiterated the position of principle of Cuba in favor of general and total disarmament under the strict and effective monitoring of the international community, prohibition and elimination of all mass destruction weapons included.
Dr. Fernando González Bermúdez said that the destruction of chemical weapons in all categories has remained one of the main objectives of the Organization and that it should be completed by the Possessor State as soon as possible and in accordance with the Verification Annex.
On December 13, 14 and 15 you can taste the flavours of Hungary. A gastronomic revolution has taken over Hungary in the past few years, as well as the Hungarian cuisine. Chef Mr. János Klimaj and Chef Sido de Brabander will prepare authentic Hungarian dishes, where Hungarian confectionery can not be forgotten and enjoy live traditional Hungarian cimbalom music while having dinner.
Make your reservation via: info@crowneplazadenhaag.nl or +31 70 352 5161 (Address: Van Stolkweg 1, 2585 JL The Hague).
If you would like to taste some nice Hungarian wines and maybe learn something more from them, the Liszkay Winery will be happy to welcome you on 13 December from 17.00 at the Crown Plaza Den Haag.
On December 13, 14 and 15 you can taste the flavours of Hungary. A gastronomic revolution has taken over Hungary in the past few years, as well as the Hungarian cuisine. Chef Mr. János Klimaj and Chef Sido de Brabander will prepare authentic Hungarian dishes, where Hungarian confectionery can not be forgotten and enjoy live traditional Hungarian cimbalom music while having dinner.
Make your reservation via: info@crowneplazadenhaag.nl or +31 70 352 5161 (Address: Van Stolkweg 1, 2585 JL The Hague).
If you would like to taste some nice Hungarian wines and maybe learn something more from them, the Liszkay Winery will be happy to welcome you on 13 December from 17.00 at the Crown Plaza Den Haag.
The first edition of the Forum was inaugurated this past weekend as dozens of heads of state and government were invited to commemoratethe fragile peace that followed the First World War, wherein all in all, the world failed to defend common rules and international cooperation.
According to the forum’s website, The Paris Peace Forum shall be a new annual event based on a simple idea: international cooperationas a key to tackling global challenges and ensuring durable peace. To support collective action, it gathers all actors of global governance under one roof for three days – states, international organisations, local governments, NGOs and foundations, companies,experts, journalists, trade unions, religious groups and citizens.
The Forum is centred on those who seek to develop solutions for today’s cross-border challenges. It is focused on their 120 governanceprojects and initiatives from around the world, selected from 850 applications, presented in five villages: peace and security, environment, development, new technologies and inclusive economy.
It offers these projects visibility, feedback and connections to potential implementers. Tenprojects will also be elected by participantsand the Selection Committee of the Forum to benefit from special support by the Paris Peace Forum until the second edition in November 2019.
For further information:
https://parispeaceforum.org/organization/
————
Images by Paris Peace Forum 
The first edition of the Forum was inaugurated this past weekend as dozens of heads of state and government were invited to commemoratethe fragile peace that followed the First World War, wherein all in all, the world failed to defend common rules and international cooperation.
According to the forum’s website, The Paris Peace Forum shall be a new annual event based on a simple idea: international cooperationas a key to tackling global challenges and ensuring durable peace. To support collective action, it gathers all actors of global governance under one roof for three days – states, international organisations, local governments, NGOs and foundations, companies,experts, journalists, trade unions, religious groups and citizens.
The Forum is centred on those who seek to develop solutions for today’s cross-border challenges. It is focused on their 120 governanceprojects and initiatives from around the world, selected from 850 applications, presented in five villages: peace and security, environment, development, new technologies and inclusive economy.
It offers these projects visibility, feedback and connections to potential implementers. Tenprojects will also be elected by participantsand the Selection Committee of the Forum to benefit from special support by the Paris Peace Forum until the second edition in November 2019.
For further information:
https://parispeaceforum.org/organization/
————
Images by Paris Peace Forum 
