Statement of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Fatou Bensouda, regarding the Situation in Palestine
I have been following with concern the planned eviction of the Bedouin community of Khan al-Ahmar, in the West Bank. Evacuation by force now appears imminent, and with it the prospects for further escalation and violence.
It bears recalling, as a general matter, that extensive destruction of property without military necessity and population transfers in an occupied territory constitute war crimes under the Rome Statute.
I am similarly alarmed by the continued violence, perpetrated by actors on both sides, at the Gaza border with Israel.
As Prosecutor seized of the situation in Palestine, I therefore feel compelled to remind all parties that the situation remains under preliminary examination by my Office.
I continue to keep a close eye on the developments on the ground and will not hesitate to take any appropriate action, within the confines of the independent and impartial exercise of my mandate under the Rome Statute, with full respect for the principle of complementarity.
16th October 2018, The Hague–turbulent seas, menacing skies, devastation, and suffering in the fishing community: in an exhibition that opens on 18 November, the focus at Panorama Mesdag will be on storms, culminating in the storm of 1894.A remarkable selection of paintings will be on show, by artists including Hendrik Willem Mesdag, JozefIsraëls, Louis Meijer, Andreas Schelfhout, and Johannes Christiaan Schotel, with stirring depictions of the overwhelming power of nature.Storms in 19th-century painting
Storms were a popular subject for artists in the early 19th century. Andreas Schelfhoutand Johannes Christiaan Schotelpainted romanticised scenes that emphasised the insignificance of the human being in the face of natural catastrophe. Around 1850–1860, the artists Willem Antonie van Deventer, Louis Meijer, andJozefIsraëls, working in Scheveningen, chose instead to depict the emptiness of the landscape after a storm. There is a deceptive tranquillity about their poetic paintings: only upon closer inspection do we see the drama unfold.
Mesdag
Mesdag too returned to the theme of storms.However, his paintings of the storm of 1894 are more realistic, almost journalistic.The marked drama and ugliness of the shattered fishing vessels(bomschuiten) are at odds with the peaceful Hague School paintings with which we are all familiar. The different versions, on which Mesdag worked for years, are on view together for the first time in this exhibition.
Commemoration
Artists also saw the depiction of storms as a social responsibility. After every natural disaster, a commemorative volume was published. Schelfhoutdepicted the storm of 1825, for instance, which he had witnessed at first hand. He wrote to the booksellerImmerzeel:‘When the frightful storm and towering waves were raging at their most horrendous… I witnessed a spectacle, the memory of which still strikes terror into my heart’.His first impressions, the elaboration of his sketches, and the commemorative volume are on view together in the exhibition. Mesdag too worked on a similar book, compiled to commemorate the storm of 1894.
Panorama Mesdag
Panorama Mesdag is the ideal place for an exhibition on the theme of storm in 19th-century painting. Not only because its collection contains Mesdag’s key work,After the storm of 1894, but also because Mesdag produced an impressive portrayal of the old Scheveningen, as it existed before this disastrous storm, in his Panorama. The1894 storm touched Mesdag personally; he realised that his beloved Scheveningen would never be the same again. His paintings of the storm symbolise that transformation.
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The exhibition STORMwill be on show from 18 November 2018to 3 March 2019.
The exhibition has been made possible by the sponsorship of the ScheveningsSupport Fund, The Mesdag-Van Houten Fund and The Prince Bernhard Culture Fund, province of South-Holland.
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — 15 October 2018 — The Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), H.E. Mr. Fernando Arias, and the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship of Costa Rica, H.E. Ms. Lorena Aguilar, met today at the OPCW Headquarters in The Hague.
The Director-General briefed the Vice Minister on the progress in implementing the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and highlighted the Organisation’s priorities such as enhancing OPCW’s capabilities to address the threat from chemical weapons use, and upgrading the OPCW Laboratory, into a Centre for Chemistry and Technology.
The discussion also covered international cooperation and assistance programmes that support the ability of States Parties to fully and effectively implement the Convention.
The Director-General stated: “The threat of chemical weapons continues, and requires a concerted response by States and international organisations. I commend Costa Rica’s enduring support for the OPCW, as well as the country’s firmness in upholding the fundamental norms and values embodied in the Convention”.
The Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs congratulated the Director-General for his recent appointment. She further expressed: “I reiterate the offer of support from the Government of Costa Rica for the professional and dedicated work that the Organisation has carried out to fulfil the objectives established in the Convention.”
Vocal ensemble Capella Stella Maris will give a concert with the music by Pierre de la Rue (1452 – 1518), one of the greatest Flemish Renaissance composer, and his secular songs.
Capella Stella Maris is a vocal ensemble from The Hague that performs religious music from the 15th and 16th centuries. They sing mostly from copies of early manuscripts from the Renaissance period.
November 17th from 8pmWaalsekerk, Noordeinde 25, Den HaagThe entree fee is € 15 / € 12,50 for students and over-65s.Contact and reservations: Ed Mos 0627295369 or capellastellamaris@gmail.com
Diplomat Magazine’s Diplomatic Adviser, Henri Estramant and Model Leonard Freier. Photography Varenia Griebel.
Bentley Motors, founded on 18 January 1919, is entering its 100th jubilee as a brand of luxury, innovation, achievement and exquisite craftsmanship.
Partnering up with Diplomat Magazine, Bentley unique driving experiences invite themselves to the world of top-level diplomacy. Already Bentley Motors has the privilege of being a purveyor to the British Royal Household as well as to The Prince of Wales.
On the image: a Bentley ice-coloured, originally created to complement the dynamic looks of the extreme Continental Super-sports model range; Ice is a cool, metallic white paint choice that works well with cars that have darker finishes to the grill and window surrounds.
By Guido Lanfranchi.In the wake of Ukraine’s renewal of special status for the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Ambassador Kurt Volker urged Russia to withdraw its troops from Eastern Ukraine, in order to provide the conditions for implementing the Minsk Agreement.
Ukraine is doing its part for the implementation of the Minsk agreements, but Russian persistent military and political involvement in Eastern Ukraine continues to prevent the implementation of the accords. This sentence could resume, in a nutshell, the main argument of U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine, Ambassador Kurt Volker.
Speaking from Brussels, where he is holding consultations with different European institutions, Ambassador Volker welcomed the recent extension of the “Law on Special Status for eastern Ukraine” by the Ukrainian Parliament. Such extension – he noted – is a crucial step for the fulfillment of Ukraine’s requirements under the so-called Minsk II agreement, negotiated in 2015 by Ukraine, Russia, France, and Germany.
However, the Ambassador also stressed that the full implementation of the accord, which includes an amnesty for conflict-related crimes and the organization of local elections, requires conditions of security that until now have not been matched, largely due to Russia’s lack of compliance.
While Ukraine has taken steps towards the fulfillment of its requirement, Russia has not – Mr. Volker claimed. The U.S. Special Representative accused Moscow of continuing to occupy Ukrainian territory, breaking the ceasefire, as well as maintaining ties with illegal armed groups and self-declared political entities in eastern Ukraine. As a result, a deadlock is currently in place, “between Ukraine needing Russia to do its part […] and Russia demanding more from Ukraine.” While reminding of U.S. efforts to break such deadlock through a UN-led peacekeeping mission, Ambassador Volker regretted that such proposals were not positively received his Russian counterparts.
On their side, Russian negotiators did put forward some proposals, such as a UN peacekeeping missions to protect OSCE observers, as well as a referendum in eastern Ukraine to decide the region’s future. However, Ambassador Volker deemed such proposals as unworkable, considering the former as far too limited, and the latter as lacking any legal basis.
Nevertheless, negotiations continue, and the U.S. Special Representative repeatedly reiterated his willingness to meet his Russian counterpart, Mr. Surkov, to jointly address the conflict in eastern Ukraine. To this regard, Mr. Volker stressed that, in spite of the government’s denials, Russia remains deeply involved in the region, as demonstrated by Mr. Surkov’s recent promises to raise salaries in the Donestsk and Luhansk People’s Republics.
Russia’s involvement in eastern Ukraine – Ambassador Volker stressed – is causing extremely high costs to Russia. Firstly,the country is bearing the direct financial costs for its military and political support to the People’s Republics. Moreover, Russia is also suffering the consequences of European and U.S. sanctions, which – Mr. Volker argued – should be kept in place. Finally, the Ambassador added that the conflict in Ukraine is currently dealing a serious blow to Russia’s image, especially among the Ukrainians.
Mr. Volker also touched upon the religious issues concerning Ukraine’s request for church independence from the Russian Orthodox Church. While reiterating the centrality of religious freedom, Mr. Volker expressed his wish that whatever decision will be taken, it should not lead to violence.
In his final remarks, Ambassador Volker reiterated the seriousness of the humanitarian crisis in eastern Ukraine, where ordinary people, most of them Russian-speaking, are bearing the costs of the conflict. He then called on Russia to “move beyond bringing this conflict into Ukrainian territory, withdrawits forces, and reestablish peace,” as only in this way “the lives of these people would improve significantly.”
On the picture from left to right: Ms. Sheila Gemin, President Professional Women’s Network (PWN) Amsterdam, Ms. Nita Korsten, Co-Lead Mentoring Programme , PWN Amsterdam, H.E. Adia Sakiqi, Ambassdor of Albania, Ms. Angela Gest-McCall, Co-Lead Mentoring Programme , PWN Amsterdam and Ms. Diana Eggleston, Consultant, Member PWN Amsterdam.By Angela Gest-McCall.
On the evening of Thursday 30th August, H.E. Adia Sakiqi, Ambassador of Albania to the Netherlands and Permanent Representative to the OPCW, joined an inspirational group of twenty women and men for a Networking event in Amsterdam. They were preparing to travel to Skopje for an exciting new International Mentoring Program in Skopje, led by the Macedonian Mentoring Network (MMN) in partnership with The Professional Women’s Network (PWN) Amsterdam, and sponsored by the Dutch Embassy in Macedonia.
Ambassador Sakiqi generously shared key insights into Albania’s business culture and diversity agenda, helping to shape expectations for the team of Netherlands-based mentors.They heard that there are great hopes for the future of Albanian business, that women play a key role in shaping this future, and that the younger generations in particular are visibly energized by the potential for greater entrepreneurialism.
They learnt about the challenges faced by smaller geographic regions in attracting investment from larger companies, and some of the key differences in how business practices such as networking and communication can potentially lead to misunderstandings, without attention to common cultural expectations. Ambassador Sakiqi’s talk was energizing, and the team of Netherlands-based mentors ended the evening with high expectations.
Pictured in Skopje, Macedonia: Participants in the Peer-Mentoring Programme, a partnership between PWN Amsterdam and the Macedonian Mentoring Network. Delegates include women (and a man!) from the Netherlands, Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania.
On 21-22 September 2018, the teamjoined a2-day kickoff event to this innovative International Mentoring Program in Skopje with the aim of building powerful peer mentoring partnerships committed to empowering women entrepreneurs and professionals from Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania.
The program got off to a roaring start during an inspiring panel discussion with H.E Ambassador Wouter Plomp (Netherlands Embassy in Skopje), Danela Arsovska (Macedonian Chamber of Commerce), Ardita Seknaj (International Chamber of Commerce, Albania), Lumnije Ajdini, (Association of Kosovar Business), Slavica Nikolovska (Macedonian Mentoring Network) and Sheila Gemin (President, Professional Women’s Network Amsterdam).
And during a jam-packed 2-day conference that included an evening event hosted by the Dutch Embassy in Skopje, we witnessed the birth of some unique mentoring relationships expected to result in mutually beneficial outcomes and the progression of potential business growth opportunities across and between the regions. We certainly look forward to hearing about some of the exciting growth opportunities to come!
The Office of the Prosecutor and the ICRC sign a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Search for Missing PersonsThe Hague, 11 October 2018 – Prosecutor Serge Brammertz of the Mechanism OTP and Vice President Gilles Carbonnier of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Geneva to promote their cooperation in the search for persons still missing from the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia.
Following the signing ceremony, Prosecutor Brammertz said, “My Office has always been fully committed to locating persons missing from the conflicts. We have been working together with the ICRC already for a number of years, which has resulted in a number of mass graves being found. I am very pleased that we are now formalizing and strengthening our cooperation. The search for the missing is a humanitarian imperative, and no effort can be spared.”
The OTP and ICRC have agreed to cooperate with and assist each other, in conformity with their respective mandates, in order to contribute to clarifying the fate and whereabouts of persons who are still missing in relation to the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia. This cooperation and assistance will include accessing, analysing and transmitting for action information from the OTP evidence collection and other sources. In their joint efforts, the OTP and ICRC will continue and strengthen their assistance to local authorities in the countries of the former Yugoslavia.
This MoU is within the context of the ICRC’s five-year strategy on missing persons (2018–2022) to increase the capacities of national actors to deal with the residual caseload and to explore all feasible avenues to clarify the fate and whereabouts of as many missing persons as possible.
During a joint action day in seven EU Member States, an international organised crime group was tackled, involved in large-scale VAT fraud with a damage of more than EUR 20 million, related to sales of second-hand vehicles. At the request of the German authorities, the action was supported by a coordination centre set up at Eurojust, and led to the arrest of the main suspects. The operations involved more than 100 house searches, particularly in Romania and Hungary, numerous hearings of witnesses and suspects and the recognition of freezing orders up to EUR 18 million.The German Public Prosecutor’s Office of Nuremberg, the Romanian Prosecutor’s Office of the Cluj County Court are conducting investigations into this organised crime group (OCG), which is mainly composed of Romanian nationals acting in Germany, Romania, Hungary and several other EU Member States.The members of the OCG are suspected of having committed the offense of value-added tax (VAT) evasion from the sale of high-priced second-hand vehicles. The criminals bought used vehicles in Germany and then pretended to sell them to various companies in different EU Member States without paying VAT. Instead, the vehicles were sold to natural persons as final customers (VAT payers).Eurojust assisted the national authorities throughout the investigations, inter alia, with the organisation of a coordination meeting at Eurojust in September 2017, which provided the framework for the exchange and sharing of information. Furthermore, a joint investigation team between Germany and Romania was successfully established. The coordination centre set up at Eurojust provided custom-made infrastructure to coordinate the simultaneous operations across Europe and to address and solve legal issues that arose in the course of the action day.
On the picture Specialist Prosecutor and Registrar.
Specialist Prosecutor Jack Smith signed early September a solemn declaration that he would exercise his functions independently, impartially and conscientiously.
This is in accordance with Article 36 of the Law on Specialist Chambers and Specialist Prosecutor’s Office.
Mr Smith was selected for the position of Specialist Prosecutor in May 2018 after a process organised by the European Union and appointed by EULEX Head of Mission, Alexandra Papadopoulou.
Mr Smith signed the solemn declaration in the Registry of the Specialist Chambers in front of the Registrar, Dr Fidelma Donlon, who witnessed the signing.
Mr Smith is a US prosecutor with experience in both high-level political investigations and international criminal investigations.
He succeeds David Schwendiman, the first Specialist Prosecutor and formerly Lead Prosecutor of the Special Investigative Task Force, who stepped down at the end of March when his term as a US Foreign Service Officer expired.
