Palestine at OPCW

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OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Ahmet Üzücmü, meeting the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Palestine, H.E. Dr. Riad Al-Maliki, at OPCW Headquarters.

State of Palestine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Visits OPCW

THE HAGUE, Netherlands— 16 July 2018 —The Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of the Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Ambassador Ahmet Üzücmü, met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Palestine, H.E. Dr Riad Al-Maliki, during a visit today to OPCW Headquarters in The Hague. The Director-General and Minister of Foreign Affairs discussed OPCW’s progress in the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), with a special focus on the activities related to international cooperation, national implementation as well as assistance and protection. With the recent accession of the State of Palestine to the CWC, the Director-General expressed his hope for the full and timely domestic implementation of the provisions of the Convention. Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Dr Riad Al-Maliki, remarked that “A world free from weapons of mass destruction is not an ideal, it is a necessity. Such weapons are incompatible with international law, notably international humanitarian law, given their indiscriminate and cruel nature, and their long term impact on populations. The State of Palestine is determined to contribute to securing such a world, jointly through the OPWC”.​

Large prostitution ring dismantled

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On 3 July, a joint action day in France, Bulgaria and Germany resulted in searches of more than 20 locations and the arrest of 10 pimps. The pimps had been operating since 2015, promising young Bulgarian women legal employment in France. The women were transported first to Germany and then to Strasbourg and Annecy, where they were forced into prostitution. The women were compelled to give their earnings to the pimps, who kept the women under close watch. Eurojust held two coordination meetings, which led to the signing of a joint investigation team (JIT) agreement between France and Bulgaria. Eurojust also provided funding for the JIT. The joint action day was carried out by authorities from JIRS Nancy, the Bulgarian Prosecutor General and the Prosecutor’s Office of Oryahovo. The pimps were arrested in France, Bulgaria and Germany, charged with pimping, trafficking in human beings, organised crime and money laundering. At the time of the arrests, several prostitutes were put in contact with support groups and organisations to help them return safely to their country.  

ICC and Ecuador hold High-Level Seminar

Participants of the regional Seminar in Quito on 7 June 2018 ©Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility of Ecuador.   20 years of the Rome Statute: ICC and Ecuador hold High-Level Seminar on Cooperation in South America  On 7 and 8 June 2018, the International Criminal Court (“ICC” or the “Court”) and the Government of Ecuador, with the support of the European Commission, held a high-level regional seminar to foster regional cooperation in Quito, Republic of Ecuador. The event, titled “The ICC and South America: Opportunities and challenges for cooperation and the exchange of experiences within the framework of the 20 years of the Rome Statute”, took place at the Headquarters of the Secretariat of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR). This seminar was organized following the invitation by H.E. María Fernanda Espinosa, former Minister of External Relations and Human Mobility of Ecuador, and President-elect of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, to the Principals of the Court, in November 2017. The President of the Assembly of States Parties, H.E. O-Gon Kwon, and the Registrar of the Court, Mr. Peter Lewis, met with the President-elect on the margins of the seminar, and expressed the Court’s deep appreciation for Ecuador’s support in co-organizing this important event.
High level regional seminar ICC in Quito.
High-level representatives of 11 countries, the ICC and regional, nongovernmental and intergovernmental organisations, discussed ways to promote and enhance cooperative relationships between the ICC and South American countries, taking stock of the 20 years of the Rome Statute, and reinforce the framework of justice and accountability created by the Statute. At the end of the Seminar, participating states adopted a declaration which, amongst other things, reiterated the importance of the support of the States Parties in promoting the fundamental principles established by the Rome Statute and encouraged to continue efforts towards enhancing cooperation and achieving the universality of the Statute.
Minister and officials ICC.
Ecuador has permanently supported the Rome Statute and the role of the International Criminal Court in maintaining International Peace and Justice, “said H.E. José Luis Jacome, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility of the Republic of Ecuador. “The fight against impunity is an essential component not only for the strengthening of justice, but also in the prevention of conflicts and in the reparation of victims and their families for the commission of the most serious crimes.” “This Seminar is a testament to South American States’ commitment to the ICC and to the project for which it stands: an international legal order that respects the rights and dignity of human beings, and that upholds a just global society,” said ICC President Chile Eboe-Osuji. “This event is particularly fitting as we mark this year the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the ICC’s founding treaty, the Rome Statute. It provides us with a valuable opportunity to look back and share experiences accrued in our shared mission to ensure accountability for the most serious crimes. It also gives us a welcome opportunity to look forward, and discuss concrete steps to deepen and enhance our cooperation, so that we may realize the full potential of the Rome Statute.” “We are looking forward to a constructive dialogue and exchange in the next two days, stated ICC Registrar Peter Lewis. “We know that States of South America are committed to the Court; we want to see how we can concretely help you to help us”. “South America has played a pivotal role as one of the most widely represented regions amongst Rome Statute States Parties. This is actually a very unique situation where all South American States are parties to the Rome Statute,” said the
Acting Minister H.E. José Luis Jacome and officials of ICC.
President of the Assembly of States Parties O-Gon Kwon. “This level of commitment of this region to the fight against impunity since the very early stages of the inception of the International Criminal Court, already 20 years ago, leaves an indelible impression and deserves being emulated by other continents.”   During their visit to Quito, senior ICC officials also had the opportunity to meet with the President of the Republic of Ecuador, H.E. Lenín Moreno, as well as with the Minister of Justice, the President of the National Court of Justice, and the Attorney-General of Ecuador. This seminar forms part of broader efforts to further advance cooperation with the Court. Experience from similar events organised in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean has demonstrated that such regional seminars provide a vital forum for high-level discussions to enhance global support for the Court.

A new look at Julius Caesar

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The world-renowned general Julius Caesar may have been rather less heroic than we imagine, in terms of victories as well as physique. Caesar was largely bald and had a deformed skull, resulting from difficulties during his birth. As for military campaigns, he suffered his greatest defeat in the Low Countries, possibly near the Dutch city of Maastricht, according to new research suggesting that he fought a substantial proportion of the Gallic Wars in the northern part of Gaul. These findings emerged from the research conducted by the archaeologist and author Tom Buijtendorp on Caesar’s activities in the Low Countries, in response to the mounting pile of clues for his presence here. Buijtendorp’s research was recently published in the book Caesar in de Lage Landen (Caesar in the Low Countries). His findings about Caesar’s countenance in combination with one of the oldest portraits of Caesar from the collection of the Dutch national museum of antiquities (the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden), were the basis for an alternative ’new’ face. The reconstruction of this face is currently on show in the museum. www.rmo.nl The face of Julius Caesar Recently, on 22 June 2018, a lifelike interpretation of the general’s ‘new’ face was presented at the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, in which the asymmetric shape of the skull and the receding hairline differ significantly from the traditional images. According to Buijtendorp, Caesar’s head displays clear signs of a difficult birth – a new fact in Caesar’s biography. The specific skull abnormality enabled Buijtendorp to identify the so called Tusculum bust (Museo Archeologico, Turin) as the most authentic portrait of Caesar, which differs markedly from the marble posthumous busts that are most commonly displayed, and fits well with Caesars contemporary coin portrait. Subsequently archaeologist and physical anthropologist Maja d’Hollosy was asked to make an alternative, more lifelike ‘Caesar of the Low Countries’, so to speak, based on one of the Caesar portraits from the collection in Leiden. Sources as the Tusculum bust and the coin portrait were used to add the missing features. Furthermore Buijtendorp’s research gave instructions about skin and eye colour, and hair. The result is a mix between the three sources, with the museum bust as base. Since a 100 percent reliable sources were lacking, a major aim was to make Caesar more alive, not creating the ultimate Ceasar bust. According to Buijtendorp, this reconstruction of Caesar’s portrait reminds us that the traditional image of Caesar is unrealistic, but also shows the remaining uncertainties about details like the eyes: ‘Though the new version likewise does not represent an absolute truth, it does provide a more credible alternative to the existing picture, rejecting the symmetric head of hair image we got used to’.

Mechanism Registrar Olufemi Elias addresses Srebrenica commemoration

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The Hague, 11 July 2018– As part of the commemoration of the 23rd anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, today, the Registrar of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism), Mr. Olufemi Elias, paid his respect to the victims and delivered remarks during the commemoration ceremony at the Potočari memorial in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). In his address, Registrar Elias highlighted the importance of ensuring accountability for the genocide that occurred in Srebrenica in 1995 and delivering justice to victims. He noted that while the Mechanism continues the remaining work, including some important cases it inherited from the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), it also provides assistance to national authorities in the former Yugoslavia who are now dealing with the remaining war crimes. Registrar Elias further emphasized the role that the Mechanism has in promoting and carrying forward the legacy of the ICTY and its contribution in uncovering what happened in Srebrenica 23 years ago. In this regard Registrar Elias stated: “The cases tried by the ICTY have contributed in a profound way to establishing what happened in Srebrenica in July 1995, how the genocide was committed and who is responsible for it. The Mechanism, as the Tribunal’s successor, is dedicated to ensuring that the ICTY’s legacy is not forgotten or disregarded after its closing, but that it remains impactful and that it provides a meaningful platform for the processes of facing the past in Srebrenica, in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the entire region of the former Yugoslavia.” He also noted that the archive of the ICTY, for which the Mechanism is responsible, including thousands of documents, artefacts, photographs and videos related to genocide in Srebrenica will enable the future generations to better understand these events, and hopefully learn from them and never again allow such evil to be repeated. Registrar Elias concluded that “the Mechanism will do its part to ensure that the events of Srebrenica will not be forgotten and cannot be denied, that the perpetrators are held accountable, and that the memory of the victims is preserved.” Registrar Elias attended the commemoration in Srebrenica as part of his first official visit to BiH since his appointment as Registrar of the Mechanism in January 2017. This was also the first of a series of planned visits by Registrar Elias to the countries of the former Yugoslavia this year.

Ambassador Nabijon Kasimov in HH

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Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg: Deputy Mayor of Hamburg and Senator Katharina Fegebank, in charge of the portfolios of Science, Research, and Equal Rights, welcomed to the historic City Hall, H.E. Ambassador Nabijon Kasimov of the Republic of Uzbekistan, who paid his courtesy visit to the Hamburg Senate after being accredited to Germany on 27 November 2017. Previous to taking office as ambassador to Germany, Nabijon Kasimov served as chairman of the association of private tourism organisations. For further information: ————— Picture by Senate of Hamburg 

Bentley premieres new film

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 By Bentley Motors. 10 July 2018, Crewe, England, UK: Bentley Motors, founded on 10 July 1919, is entering its 100th year of creating the world’s most iconic Grand Tourers, and the British luxury brand is honouring decades of innovation, achievement and craftsmanship by releasing a short film ‘Together we are Extraordinary: The Story of Bentley Motors.’ From W.O. Bentley himself, right up to the new Continental GT, the film touches upon the extraordinary characters, sporting achievements and successful models through the decades. The film uses a striking combination of 3D-scanned actors turned into digital ‘metal’ sculptures; stylised archive imagery; and Hollywood-grade motion graphic technology to tell the Bentley story. Shot using 4k ALEXA Mini camera technology and bespoke rigs, the film was produced by Oscar-winning visual effects company, The Mill. It begins with W.O. Bentley touching an aluminium paperweight (the inspiration for his revolutionary aluminium piston design) to a wall which then comes to life, taking the viewer on an engaging journey across Bentley’s near-century of innovation and success. The legendary Bentley Boys and Girls star, as do the Le Mans-winning ‘Blower’ and Speed 8, alongside Woolf Barnato during his famous race against the ‘Blue Train’. The film is also inspired by the shapes, surfaces and luxurious materials that have made Bentley the enduring automotive brand it is today. ‘Together we are Extraordinary: The Story of Bentley Motors’ can be viewed at www.BentleyMotors.com/100Years ——————– Picture by Leonard Freier – Bentley

Egypt regional WC partner

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FIFA President Gianni Infantino & Minister of Tourism of Egypt, Rania Al Mashat – Picture by Travel Egypt. June 2018: The Arab Republic of Egypt is the offical African Regional Supporter for the 2018 FIFA World Cup; to mark the partnership FIFA President Gianni Infantino and the Egyptian Minister of Tourism H.E. Rania Al-Mashat met in Cairo for a signing of a memorandum of understanding. For further information:

Beijing Normal University wins ICC Moot Court Competition, Chinese version

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Today, 13 July 2018, Beijing Normal University won the final round of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Moot Court Competition, Chinese version, held in ICC Courtroom II in The Hague (Netherlands). Soochow University and Liaoning University won, respectively, second and third place. The Best Speaker award went to Yiwei Guo of the Beijing Normal University. Sitting on the bench this year were ICC Judge Chang-ho Chung and ICC legal officers Eleni Chaitidou and Anthony Abato. The teams competed on a fictitious case, presenting oral arguments during an appeals hearing in the roles of Prosecution, Defence and Legal Representatives of the Victims. After a break for deliberations, the jury announced the bench’s decision and an awards ceremony was held for all participants. The finalists’ peers attended the event in the Court’s public galleries and the event was web streamed live on the Court’s website. This year, 48 universities participated in the competition, where students put to the test their knowledge of the applicable law and jurisprudence of the ICC. After the main rounds and semi-final, the three top teams came to The Hague for a six-day study visit before the final competition at the ICC. The study visit offered the students a unique opportunity to gather in an exciting setting and to meet with eminent personalities of the international law scene. The students visited several international institutions and organizations, such as the International Criminal Court, the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, the International Development Law Organization, the T.M.C. Asser Institute, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, the Anne Frank House, and the Leiden University. This version of the ICC Moot Court Competition is organised by the Chinese Initiative on International Criminal Justice (CIICJ). In the context of its Academic Programme, the ICC supports the organisation of ICC Moot Court Competitions in Chinese, English, Russian and Spanish, with a view to also support Arabic and French versions in the future. These initiatives play a critical role in galvanising interest in the Court’s work with academic communities as well as in enhancing promotion and respect for international criminal law.

ICC holds Kick-off Event for the Asia-Pacific Forum of The Hague

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ICC judge Chang-ho Chung, Hague Project Peace and Justice Representative Ambassador Nora Stehouwer, ICC judge Tomoko Akane and ASP President O-Gon Kwon (left to right) discuss with students and young professionals from the Asia Pacific region at the ICC on 13 July 2018 ©ICC-CPI. On 13 July 2018, the Asia-Pacific Forum of The Hague was launched at the seat of the International Criminal Court in The Hague (The Netherlands), bringing together  high-level officials and staff from the Court, and students and young professionals from the region. The event was co-hosted by the ICC and The Hague Project Peace and Justice. The event facilitated a dialogue about the Asia Pacific region’s engagement with and contribution to international criminal justice. It aimed to encourage students and young professionals from the region to consider a career in international criminal justice and at the ICC.  “In my capacity as President of the Assembly of States Parties, I have and will continue to reach out to many countries in the world, but particularly in my region of Asia-Pacific, hoping to include more States within the Rome Statute system, and thus fulfil the goal of universality,” said the President of the Assembly of States Parties, H.E. O-Gon Kwon. “The economic development of the Asia-Pacific states would become truly meaningful only if it is followed by the development of the rule of law and human rights protection system. It is also important to actively participate in and contribute to the international effort to enhance the rule of law and human rights protection. And the International Criminal Court functions as the centre of such international effort,” said ICC Judge Chang-ho Chung. Out of the 123 States Parties to the Rome Statute, 19 are Asia-Pacific States. It is expected that the Asia-Pacific Forum of The Hague will continue to lead initiatives towards the engagement of students and young professionals from the Asia Pacific region with international justice. This Forum forms part of broader efforts to enhance global support for the Court and cooperation at the regional level. These have included the organization of or participation in high-level regional cooperation seminars and symposiums, technical events to enhance cooperation, and events with a focus on the legal profession.