The jewellery company Tiffany & Co. has opened its first store in the Kingdom of Denmark, which is likewise the first one to open within the Nordic countries.
The new Tiffany & Co. store is located in the Copenhagen-based department store ILLUM, which is the city’s premier luxury shopping destination, according to Managing Director Sandra Mohsni, in charge of the Nordic countries, Germany, Austria and Czechia.
Founded in New York in 1837, Tiffany & Co. is the world’s premier jeweller and America’s house of design. An iconic brand with a rich and storied heritage, Tiffany is a global manufacturer and retailer of jewellery and luxury accessories.
The company operates more than 300 Tiffany & Co. stores in more than 20 countries.
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Tuesday, 29 May 2018, Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg: HE Ambassador Edgardo Malaroda, Head of Mission of the Argentine to the Federal Republic of Germany travelled to Hamburg for a maiden courtesy visit to First Mayor Dr. Peter Tschentscher after having taken his ambassadorship on 8 March 2018.
Previously Ambassador Malaroda was representing his homeland as consul general in Frankfurt am Main.
On the picture the Ambassador of the Republic of Albania H.E. Ms. Adia Sakiqi and H.E. Ms. Ambassador Heidemaria Gurer of Austria at the Austrian residence. By Roy Lie Atjam.
A Salon Concert was hosted by H.E. Ms. Ambassador Heidemaria Gurer of Austria and the Ambassador of the Republic of Albania H.E. Ms. Adia Sakiqi at the Austrian residence on Tuesday 5 June 2018 as part of the Albanian-Austrian Cultural Year 2018.
Delivering a speech on this occasion Ambassador Heidemaria Gurer said, one of her favorite role as Ambassador of Austria is bringing people together to enjoy (classical) music.
the duo Mirsa Adami – Albanian Pianist and Katharina Gross – Austrian cellist.
The concert featured performances by the duo Katharina Gross – Austrian cellist and Mirsa Adami -Albanian Pianist.
Cellist Katharina Gross studied in Lubeck, Cologne and Manchester. She took part in several Masterclasses. Katharina has won various International prizes. She was also a soloist with the Kiev Philharmonic Orchestra.
The pianist Mirsa Adami studied in Tirana, Albania. She played in several orchestras and gave many recitals. In 1991 Mirza went to the Netherlands to continue her studies in Groningen. She later went to the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam where she graduated with honours as a performing artist in 2000.
The duo Katharina Gross and Mirsa Adami played pieces including: Alexander Zemlinsky (Humpreske), Leos Janacek (Allegro), Rauf Dhomi (Rondo) and Sulkhan Tsintsadze (Chonguri).
The musical presentations brought a magic atmosphere of summertime. The listeners were enchanted by the music and the artistic presentation. A concise group of friends, members of the Diplomatic Corps including Guatemala, Ukraine, Albania, Venezuela and other guests attended the concert.
An Austrian style reception concluded the marvelous evening.
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Photography by the Embassy of Austria.
France, Germany, Belgium and Spain call for the creation of a European Judicial Counter Terrorism Register
The annual seminar on counter terrorism, organised by Eurojust, took place last June with the participation of Mr. François Molins, District Chief Prosecutor of the Court of Paris, Mr. Frédéric Van Leeuw Federal Prosecutor of Belgium and Ms. Joëlle Milquet, Special Advisor to the President of the European Commission on the support to victims of terrorist attacks.
The conference focussed on two themes: the judicial response to persons returning to Europe from the combat zones in Iraq and Syria and the support to victims of terrorist attacks.
A joint declaration by the Ministers of Justice of France, Germany, Belgiumand Spain (FR | DE | ES) was distributed in the margins of the conference. It called for the reinforcement of the sharing of information on current investigations and convictions for terrorist offences with Eurojust.
Given the ever persistent terrorist threat that concerns the whole of the European territory, a strong cooperation between judicial authorities within the EU is actually indispensable. The Ministers call for the creation of a European Judicial Counter Terrorism Register that will make it possible to proactively establish possible links between cases and to identify coordination needs for the investigations. The legal basis for working together is already in place (Council Decision 2005/671/JHA), which should be systematically applied in all Member States.
Mr François Molins said: “The quality of judicial cooperation in criminal matters is a big challenge. We cannot work in silos in our countries anymore. We need an overall approach. To strengthen and bolster judicial cooperation, we need to go through Eurojust, the only European agency able to do that. […] Sharing information is also a major challenge in cooperation. Centralisation of information allows us to double-check it proactively and coordinate actions upstream. The more we share, the better we are able to intervene and distribute the workload between Member States in a smarter way.”Intensive coordination of the investigations after the Paris terrorist attacks
Between 2014 and 2017, there was a sixfold increase (from 14 to 87) in terrorist cases registered at Eurojust, including following the terrorist attacks on the Thalys train, Brussels, Nice, Berlin, Stockholm and Barcelona. Those cases are not only larger in number but also growingly complex and, in contrast to terrorism investigations before 2014, involve many different States. For example, in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in Paris and Saint-Denis on 13 November 2015, Eurojust opened a case that, in addition to France, involved another 14 Member States and the USA.
Numerous coordination meetings have since been held in Austria, Paris and The Hague. The collaboration uncovered possible links between the investigations into the attacks in Paris and other terrorism cases. As a result, two suspects arrested in Austria and one detained in Germany were successfully surrendered to the French authorities.
A response to returning foreign terrorist fighters
Since 2013, Eurojust supports prosecutors to build solid cases against foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs). During today’s and yesterday’s meeting, the discussions centred on the various challenges that prosecutors face in this regard, such as digital evidence, the use of the specific crime of participation in the activities of a terrorist group, the prosecution of non-combatant women, the judicial response to returning minors, or obtaining battlefield information in a way that makes it admissible evidence in court. In most Member States, returning FTFs who are found guilty face imprisonment.
Mr. Frédéric Van Leeuw, Federal Prosecutor, Belgium, said:” The majority of the 2013 and 2014 returnees are young people. What position should we adopt, after they have gone a path not compatible with the values of our society, as they have collaborated actively with terrorist groups? […] We have to respect the 1989 Children’s Convention, and not separate children from their mothers. Eurojust can unite different authorities and find common procedures in accordance with the fundamental values of our societies.”
Giving priority to the rights of victims of terrorist attacks
Assistance and support to victims of terrorism are key elements of the European Union’s counterterrorism efforts. Eurojust has been assisting in a number of investigations into recent terrorist attacks in which support to victims was a major aspect of the international judicial cooperation efforts.
Ms Joëlle Milquet, Special Advisor to the President of the European Commission on the support to victims of terrorist attacks said: “We need an integrated approach at EU level and we have to set minimum standards, promote best practice, take pragmatic measures and adapt the existing directives. A common, precise definition of victims or of compensation to victims is required and one single focal point at national level. We can have a more structured coordination by involving other stakeholders, such as Eurojust and Europol.”
State of Palestine Joins the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
The Hague, Netherlands —21 June 2018—The State of Palestine became a State Party to the Chemical Weapons Convention, bringing the total number of OPCW Member States to 193.
The State of Palestine deposited its instrument of accession on 17 May 2018 with the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Convention entered into force for it on 16 June 2018.
On 29 June 2018, the UN Secretary-General reappointed for a new, two-year term of office all of the Judges on the roster of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism) who were seeking reappointment except Judge Aydin Sefa Akay of Turkey. In response to this development, the President of the Mechanism, Judge Theodor Meron, expressed his “deep regret regarding, and respectful disagreement with, the decision not to reappoint my valued and esteemed colleague, Judge Akay, and my grave concerns about the far-reaching consequences this decision will have for our institution and for international criminal justice more generally”.
Judge Akay was among the Judges originally elected to the Mechanism by the UN General Assembly in December 2011 and previously served as a Judge of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Like most of the Mechanism’s Judges, and in keeping with the Mechanism’s Statute, Judge Akay has carried out his work for the Mechanism remotely, in his State of nationality, since joining the Mechanism’s judicial roster.
While serving in the Mechanism’s Appeals Chamber on the bench of the Augustin Ngirabatware case, Judge Akay was arrested in September 2016 by Turkish authorities and detained thereafter. He was convicted in June 2017 by a Turkish criminal court of first instance in Ankara on a single charge of being a member of a terrorist organization. Judge Akay resumed the conduct of his judicial functions for the Mechanism in June 2017 following his provisional release pending appeal.
The arrest of Judge Akay, his detention and the legal proceedings against him are inconsistent with the assertion of his diplomatic immunity by the United Nations in October 2016, as well as the binding judicial order by the Mechanism to the Government of Turkey issued in January 2017. President Meron formally brought the matter to the attention of the UN Security Council in March 2017 and on other occasions, as well as reporting the matter to the UN General Assembly. At present, the Turkish judgment of first instance against Judge Akay is subject to an on-going appeal as well as potential review proceedings at national and international levels and the verdict has yet to acquire legal finality.
President Meron observed that “the decision not to reappoint Judge Akay is profoundly troubling on multiple levels”. Expressing concern about the impact of this decision on Judge Akay personally, the President also noted that “the situation has raised serious questions as to whether the immunities to which Judges are entitled and the judicial independence that these immunities serve to protect can be effectively guaranteed for institutions such as the Mechanism, where Judges typically work in the countries of their nationality.”
It is understood that the decision not to reappoint Judge Akay was based on information provided by the Government of Turkey to the UN Secretariat that Judge Akay no longer satisfies the qualifications for Judges identified in Article 9 of the Mechanism’s Statute by virtue of his conviction. The President expressed strong disappointment in this regard, stating that “the acquiescence to the position advanced by the Government of Turkey represents a de facto acceptance of a State’s actions undertaken in contravention of the diplomatic immunity asserted by the United Nations, a dangerous precedent to set.”
President Meron further underscored that the potential for political or other inappropriate pressure by a government in these circumstances is unlimited, explaining “there is a great difference between the statutory right of States to nominate their nationals for election and the far more indeterminate and potentially political and arbitrary possibilities of an extra-statutory and still vague procedure that allows States to advocate the removal or non-renewal of their national Judges or even, potentially, Judges of any nationality”.
He added: “If States are permitted to take action against a Judge in violation of the applicable international legal framework, judicial independence—a cornerstone principle of the rule of law—and the integrity of our court as such are fundamentally at risk, as is the overall project of international criminal justice.”
Judge Theodor Meron, by UN.UN Secretary-General re-appoints Judge Theodor Meron as President of the Mechanism,appoints Judge Carmel Agius as his successor and renews the terms of Judges of the Mechanism
Arusha, The Hague, 3 July 2018- The United Nations Secretary-General has appointed Judge Theodor Meron to a new term as President of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism), effective 1 July 2018, and expiring on 18 January 2019. Judge Carmel Agius was appointed President of the Mechanism effective 19 January 2019 until 30 June 2020.
The Secretary-General also reappointed 23 of the 24 Judges of the Mechanism who were seeking reappointment for a new, two-year term, commencing on 1 July 2018 and expiring on 30 June 2020.
Carmel Agius
From March 2001, when he was elected as a Judge of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), President Meron served on the Appeals Chambers of both the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and the ICTY until the closure of the two predecessor Tribunals, in December 2015 and 2017, respectively. He also served a total of four terms as President of the ICTY and two previous terms as the Mechanism’s President.
Judge Agius has been a Judge of the Mechanism since its inception in 2012. He also served as a Judge of the Trial Chamber of the ICTY from 2001 and a Judge of the Appeals Chambers of both the ICTR and the ICTY from 2010 until the Tribunals’ closures in December 2015 and December 2017, respectively. Judge Agius served as Vice-President of the ICTY from November 2011 until November 2015 and as President of the ICTY from November 2015 until its closure in December 2017.
In July an action took place in the Netherlands against an internationally active group involved in voice phishing. In the presence of Swiss authorities, two suspects were arrested and several searches were carried out in the Netherlands.The crimes occurred when bank customers in various countries received e-mails and telephone calls claiming to be from their bank, asking for banking log in information. With this information, the group was able to illegally transfer money out of the customers’ accounts.Swiss authorities began an investigation into the group, and asked the Dutch authorities for assistance. The Dutch authorities also opened their own investigation.Eurojust held three coordination meetings, in March, April and June 2018, to prepare for today’s action. Eurojust also facilitated the discussions regarding mutual legal assistance requests.
Priscilla Rehaen, Rotterdam Zomer Carnaval Queen 2018.
On Saturday 28 of July took place in Rotterdam the biggest free street festival of Europe.
More than 170 different cultures and thousand participants were at this Parade under the coordination of Rotterdam Unlimited. More than 300.000 visitors were in Rotterdam to participate in this vibrant and exciting atmosphere with live music, dance, and special costumes specially created for this event.
The main attraction of the parade was the presence of Priscilla Rehaen nominated as the Rotterdam Zomer Carnaval Queen 2018.
Rotterdam Zomer Carnaval 2018.
On the picture Mr. Martin Wyss, Chief of Mission, IOM International Organization for Migration.
Geneva – On the occasion of World Day against Trafficking in Persons (30/07), new data released by IOM, the UN Migration Agency, show that in the last ten years, almost 80 per cent of journeys undertaken by victims trafficked internationally cross through official border points, such as airports and land border control points.
Trafficking in persons is often seen as an underground activity, linked to irregular migration, and hidden from the authorities and the general public. IOM case data depict a different story, indicating that most trafficking is in fact happening through official border points. This highlights the crucial role that border agencies and service providers at border points can play to identify potential victims and refer them for protection and assistance.
Women are more likely to be trafficked through an official border point than men (84 per cent of cases, versus 73 per cent for men). Adults are also more likely to be trafficked across official border points than children (80 per cent of cases, versus 56 per cent for children).
Victims are exploited at some point during their journey in two thirds of cases, meaning that they are likely to cross official borders having already experienced some form of exploitation, while one third may still be unaware that they are being trafficked and may believe they are taking up new opportunities abroad that have been promised to them.
Khadija, a fourteen-year-old girl, was trafficked through an official border point between Uganda and Kenya in 2015. Without her knowledge, her father had arranged to marry her off in Kenya, and sent her to Kenya with a man she didn’t know. When Khadija and the man reached the border between Uganda and Kenya, he took her passport and told her he would help her clear immigration. He hid her under the seat of the car until they were on their way to the Kenyan capital. Khadija was transferred to members of her family who were arranging the marriage. Luckily, Khadija was able to contact her embassy, who helped her with IOM support.
Some victims trafficked through official border points carry forged travel documents (9 per cent of cases), while others do not have their own travel documents (23 per cent of cases).
The figures presented here are based on data from victims IOM assisted during the last ten years, involving about 10,500 journey legs undertaken by nearly 8,000 victims. The data are hosted on the Counter-Trafficking Data Collaborative (CTDC), which is the world’s first data portal to include human trafficking case data contributed by multiple agencies. Launched in 2017, the CTDC currently includes case records of over 80,000 trafficked persons from 171 countries who were exploited in 170 countries.
IOM
The final draft of the Global Compact on Migration for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration, adopted by UN Member States on the 13 July 2018, calls for whole-of-government approaches to enhancing border management cooperation on proper identification, timely and efficient referral, as well as assistance and appropriate protection of migrants in situations of vulnerability at or near international borders, in compliance with international human rights law. It highlights the need for improving screening measures and individual assessments at borders and places of first arrival, by applying standardized operating procedures developed in coordination with local authorities, National Human Rights Institutions, international organizations and civil society.
IOM’s new data echo this need and show that national governments should devise and operate robust border management procedures that are sensitive to migrants’ vulnerabilities and protection needs, coupled with well-established systems to ensure that migrants having suffered from violence, exploitation, and abuse are identified and referred to relevant service providers in a timely manner.
Front-line actors, including border management officials at air, sea and land border-crossing points, can play an important role in facilitating the timely identification of victims and potential victims of trafficking, as well as of traffickers. There is a need to continue developing the capacity of these actors to identify and refer victims of trafficking at an early stage upon arrival, and to strengthen cooperation mechanisms at border points so that victims who are identified upon arrival can be referred to service providers for their protection and assistance.
It is also important to continue providing training and awareness raising to service providers at border points in departure and destination countries such as airport staff, airline personnel, and railway personnel, and to develop procedures for communication and reporting to local authorities. Leveraging technology at border points could also contribute to improving data collection which, in turn, can help with risk analysis and smarter identification in real-time.
IOM’s programming provides a unique source of primary data on human trafficking. The organization maintains the largest database of victim case data in the world, which contains case records for over 50,000 trafficked persons whom it has assisted. This victim case data is used to inform policy and programming, including for estimating prevalence and measuring the impact of anti-trafficking interventions.
Regularly updating policies and interventions based on new evidence is key to improving counter-trafficking initiatives at border points. The new information highlights the importance of leveraging operational data from direct assistance activities to inform counter-trafficking policies and programmes.
The musical presentations brought a magic atmosphere of summertime. The listeners were enchanted by the music and the artistic presentation. A concise group of friends, members of the Diplomatic Corps including Guatemala, Ukraine, Albania, Venezuela and other guests attended the concert.
An Austrian style reception concluded the marvelous evening.
————
Photography by the Embassy of Austria. 
The musical presentations brought a magic atmosphere of summertime. The listeners were enchanted by the music and the artistic presentation. A concise group of friends, members of the Diplomatic Corps including Guatemala, Ukraine, Albania, Venezuela and other guests attended the concert.
An Austrian style reception concluded the marvelous evening.
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Photography by the Embassy of Austria. 
