By Armela Imeraj. Just last week, the biggest Azeri investment in the World, Trans Adriatic Pipeline started its final phase of construction in Albania, the one when the pipeline will be laid below the Adriatic Sea. In a great paradox of our times, while our sea has become a new horizon for collaboration and new opportunities, the “fake news” sea has become a threatening problem that endangers many of the achievements of democratic countries, particularly when it comes to new and delicate democracies like those in the Eastern Europe or the Balkan Peninsula. The globalization and commercialization of fake news are serious issues. The things that are supposed to be helping people connect and enable understanding are becoming tools for creating chaos and influencing unjustifiably behaviors. With the help of the internet and translation, foreign governments, state actors or a group of skilled individuals are able to influence the affairs of another state. Through the collection of social media data and translation, there are companies that are able to offer fake news as a global product that can be instrumental in political campaigns and many other issues.  And there’s no doubt that the propagators of fake news are clever and crafty. They know how to muster rights and freedoms as their defense. We have an expression in Albania that goes “a lie has short legs”, in the sense that it’s short lived, but thanks to social media and ghost portals, this is no longer true. Fake news can circulate and recalculate for entire months in the network and the state’s ability to stop this phenomenon is limited. NASA confirms that the Earth will have 15 days of darkness, Trump will remove the Statue of Liberty because it encourages emigrants, the EU will sentence to 3 years in jail those who cheat on their partners or the news that circulated in Albania that George Washington had an Albanian origin are just some of the most infamous examples of fake news in the world. However, while such jokes only aim to monetize, other fake news have a much more malicious purposes. The recent news about the death of the famous Greek director Kostas Gavras, which was reported even by well-known agencies like Associated Press or New York Times goes to show nowadays, nobody, is immune to fake news. When such things happen even in the most developed countries, our countries are definitely much more exposed to such a phenomenon.

For a number of reasons, starting from the level of education to the fact that many of our citizens are not very accustomed to technology on the same level as in the West, the Balkan countries, according to evidences of “Annual Index of Media Literacy” are the most threatened countries in Europe by the distribution of fake news. That is why I think the Public News Agencies should take upon themselves a much more active role in fighting false information. Collaboration between news agencies should be replicated as much as possible all over the globe. Besides international fake news, another concerning source of false information is domestic or local fake news. My conviction is that News Agencies should create independent structures, able to unmask in real time fake news. Every time fake news attempt to spread havoc in our societies we can do what most of the news portals don’t, facts check the information from the respective sources. The ultimate goal of this change is that by establishing a gold standard, gradually, in each of our countries a network of trustworthy media can be established, which despite their editorial policies and personal interpretation of the news, can be able to report the truth always and in a credible manner. It is imperative for our countries to understand that “fake news” is neither a local nor an isolated phenomenon. This is a global battle, a battle for our freedom and as such it’s a precondition that our countries should prepare a global response. I say battle for our freedom because I see this as a threatening tool to our basic right, which is freedom of information. That’s why everyone needs to get involved, governments, NGOs, academics and above all common citizens. For now, it’s difficult to determine what is the best solution to fake news but what’s certain is that everybody needs to get involved and that we should stop making the same mistakes of the past. For example, in 1675, Charles II of England issued a new “proclamation for the suppression of coffee houses” because “divers’ false, malicious and scandalous reports are devised and spread abroad”. The king declared that “coffee houses be… put down and suppressed”. The attempts to control today’s fake news through contemporary equivalents of the suppression of the coffee house are I think misguided and dangerous. We need new platforms and new channels where everybody can play a role in obliterating fake news. Me alone cannot tell you which solution to win this battle. However, I am convinced that this is a battle we can win. Fake news distributors started this race with a clear advantage, as our countries and societies were not prepared to cope with this phenomenon. However, our disadvantage is getting smaller and smaller every day. ——————————–   About the author: Armela Krasniqi is the General Director of the Albanian Telegraphic Agency. Armela Krasniqi, was one of the international panelists on the conference “Disinformation Policy – a threat to Stability in the Modern World” at the 6th Humanitarian Forum of Baku, an event that through the years has managed to shape an answer for many of the issues that concern the global society nowadays. Special thanks to the head of AZERTAC, Azerbaijan State News Agency Mr. Aslan Aslanov.    

Rabbi Dr. Alon Goshen-Gottstein, director of the Elijah Interfaith Institute and Archbishop H.E. Aldo Cavalli, Apostolic Nuncio of the Netherlands. Under the leadership of the Peace Palace, the Carnegie Foundation and the Elijah Interfaith Institute several religious leaders and representatives attended a meeting announcing an upcoming Declaration of Friendship Across Religions, to be signed by religious leaders of the word at the Peace Palace in 2020. The Declaration of friendship across religions, intend to foster peace and understanding creating friendship among all religions. The launch of the project at the Peace Palace on September 26 is a preamble to the 2020 Summit were religious leaders of the word will be invited to sign a common declaration. The project is meant to include discussions of issues of friendship, common values between religions, freedom of religion as well as approaches and mandates for further dialogue, mutual study and festivities as blueprints and yardsticks for future collaboration between faiths.

With the strong support of the Peace Palace, the event counted with the presence of its director he said that the summit in the Netherlands will be a huge undertaking that will require the necessary cooperation, but the process of consultations worldwide and crafting the Declaration is an even more complicated and delicate matter that follows a careful interactive process supported by experts from the Elijah Interfaith Institute, the VU university, The Carnegie Foundation, and others. Rabbi Dr. Alon Goshen-Gottstein, director of the Elijah Interfaith Institute, declared: “This is time of Universal understanding; this is a new message of friendship teaching with simplicity. Get to know about each other, reaching a common vision, take care of each other; making friends is a way of living.” “Engaging the leaders of the word to give this message of friendship” he explained “some time against their own message is a great task. We started the process two years ago now we came up with 60 declarations of friendship; it is a process where education to the young has an important impact.”

Among the audience H.E. Archbishop Aldo Cavalli, Apostolic Nuncio to the Netherlands commented: “Peoples are very similar in some points, and very different in others; religions are very similar in some point, and very different in others.” “ Respect to each other is fundamental,” stayed Archbishop Cavalli “ we have to learn, with our own identity the duty to respect the others and the right to be respected by the others, the duty to esteem the others and the right to be esteemed by the others. This is the true dialogue, the true friendship.” Also among the audience Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp, the ambassador of Egypt, H.E. Mr. Amgad Ghaffar and religious leaders from different faiths. ————– Photography by Naldo Peverelli

Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp

Azerbaijan: multiculturalism as a style of life

 

By Barend Ter Haar. How often have the Minsk Agreements been violated this year? The parties involved in the fighting in Eastern Ukraine agreed in Minsk to cease firing, to withdraw heavy weapons, to remove landmines and to allow the Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) of the OSCE to monitor implementation of the agreement. The agreements were adopted or confirmed at the highest level. So how often do you think they were violated this year? The answer is: more than 200.000 times. In the first nine months of 2018 the SMM noticed more than two hundred thousand violations of the agreement. The real number of violations is probably even higher, because the freedom of movement of the SMM was very often restricted, in particular in the area outside the control of the Government of Ukraine. These violations resulted this year in at least 204 civilian casualties (39 deaths and 165 injuries), including 29 children. How can this discrepancy between agreement at the highest level and massive violations on the ground be explained? If we assume that both the president of Ukraine and the president of the Russian Federation really believe that it is in the interest of their countries to bring the conflict to an end, do we then have to conclude that they are not able or willing to confront the people who have apolitical or economic interest in prolonging the conflict? Whatever the reasons for the violations of the ceasefire, it is clear that an end to the conflict is in almost everybody ‘s interest. First of all for the people living in the conflict area, but also for Ukraine. Russia and Europa as a whole. Although the prospects for a solution are currently not encouraging, it remains important to be prepared for the moment that both sides decide to implement the Minsk agreement. As a contribution to these preparations UPEACE Centre The Hague (UPH) published: BLUE HELMETS IN DONBAS? A Phased and Sequenced Scenario to Unlock the Minsk Agreements and Restore Peace in Ukraine. (Full disclosure: I am on the Board of UPH.) The report describes how a peacekeeping operation led or mandated by the United Nations might complement the SMM to support implementation of the Minsk agreements. The report puts much emphasis on the need to elaborate the largely unstructured Minsk agreements into a properly phased operation. In a hypothetical scenario four phases are described. In Phase Zero, that is before a UN force is deployed, a minimum permissive environment has to be created. The main objective of the following phase (Phase One) is to prevent resumption of hostilities. In Phase Two an interim civilian administration would be set up and only in Phase Three the Minsk Agreements would be fully implemented, inter alia through free elections and reassertion of Ukraine’s control over its border with Russia. The whole process would take at least two years, but possibly several years longer. The report can be found at: http://www.upeace.nl/cp/uploads/downloadsnieuws/UPH-report-Blue-Helmets-in-Donbas-(2018).pdf  

“Keep on climbing!” With these words Mark Verheul started his farewell letter to the diplomatic community in May. Over the years he had been inspired many times by these simple words of a dear friend of his. Earlier on this year they inspired him again after a certain flow of events at city hall, which resulted in deciding to take a next step in his career. After more than 8 beautiful and interesting years as head of protocol, he took the initiative to leave the municipality of The Hague. It was time for a change. A new professional perspective. In the period that followed he focused on finding that opportunity; whether that might be at home or abroad; within the government, an international organisation, the non-profit sector or corporate world. But in the end he started to realise that there is such a demand for trainings, advice and consultancy related to the topics of the publication of An Experts’ Guide to International Protocol, which he co-authored with Gilbert Monod de Froideville in 2016, that he decided to continue with his own training and consultancy firm “International Protocol & Strategic Networking” on a fulltime basis.

Together with Gilbert, former Master of Ceremonies of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and director of the consulting company “Protocol International”, he has already provided trainings in New York City, Geneva, Kathmandu, Thimphu (Bhutan) and other projects took place in a.o. Chicago, Doha, Dublin, Brussels, Amsterdam and of course in The Hague. Participants range from diplomats and other government officials, to representatives of the corporate, cultural and academic worlds as well as students. Gilbert: “Although the roots of protocol are traditional, it is an evolving practice and we strive to adapt and grow with the clients we serve. I am convinced that anyone seeking professional advice or training in protocol can find their solutions within our services and publication.” Both of them are proud to mention as well that at the moment their book is being translated into Spanish and Mandarin by publishing houses of renowned universities in Madrid and Beijing. So more opportunities to come! “Keep on climbing!”. ——————- Main picture by Kim Vermaat.

  By Adelin Remy. This forum was initiated by the presidents of the Republic of Azerbaijan and of the Russian Federation in 2010 to hold dialogues, discussions and exchange of views on a wide range of global issues in the interest of humanity. Among 500 participants from 60 countries, Agefi Luxembourg was invited this year and among the many topics (education, innovation …) was particularly interested by the inaugural speech of President Ilham Aliyev on Azerbaijan (1) and by the joint session of the religious leaders on “The Policy of Multiculturalism as a Factor of Ensuring Stability in Society“. The president of Azerbaijan has reminded that the history and culture of his country (independent 1918-1920 and since 1991) has commanded a multicultural and multi-confessional society.

  The president has also emphasized the social and economic improvements over the last 10 years, including 3,000 new schools, sending Azerbaijani youngsters to study in higher educational institutions of the world, creating a modern health infrastructure with the building and renovation of more than 500 healthcare institutions meeting today the highest standards, the reduction of the rate of poverty from 49% to 5.3%, thanks to Azerbaijan’s fastest growing economy of the world, the creation of 2 million jobs and the reduction of unemployment to less than 5%, the tripling of the economy and a very low foreign debt (8% of GDP), with budget revenues growing more than 20 times. The president has demonstrated that oil and gas, the main asset of Azerbaijan, is not enough to bring success: in the president’s own words, “Azerbaijan has accumulated a unique experience in using oil revenues correct and converting the “black gold” into human capital“. President Aliyev denounced the great humanitarian disaster of Nagorno-Karabakh (20% of the territory of Azerbaijan occupied by Armenia, condemned by the UN Security Council), as a result, 613 persons were killed, including 106 women, 63 children and 70 elderly people, the displacement of 1 million people, ethnic cleansing, mosques, tombs, historical monuments desecrated and museums looted … Azerbaijan is independent but certainly not isolated: it was elected a few years ago as a member of the UN Security Council, has joined the club of space countries and is a member of the Council of Europe and of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Azerbaijan was host of Eurovision (2008) and of the Islamic Society Games last year, will be host to the European Olympics next year, to the European and Islamic games in two years and to the 2020 European Football Cup. “The Policy of Multiculturalism as a Factor of Ensuring Stability in Society” was a panel with the Sheikh ul-Islam (le leader of the Muslim community, 96% of the population), the archbishop of Baku and eparch of the Russian Orthodox Church in Azerbaijan, the Catholic bishop and the head of the Community of Mountain Jews in Baku as Azerbaijan has adopted multiculturalism as a state policy and, according to President Aliyev, “has never experienced confrontations or misunderstandings on religious and ethnic grounds, and it is our greatest asset”. ————————— An excellent overview of this multicultural policy is provided by “Azerbaijan: multiculturalism as style of life”, Diplomat Magazine 5 November 2016   https://diplomatmagazine.eu/2016/11/05/azerbaijan-multiculturalism-as-a-style-of-life/ (1) http://bakuforum.az/speech-by-president-of-azerbaijan-mr-ilham-aliyev/?fid=23 Content by AZERTAC, The Azerbaijan State News Agency: https://azertag.az/en/xeber/Editor_of_AGEFI_Luxembourg_hails_promotion_of_multiculturalism_traditions_by_Azerbaijan-1209774

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About the author: Adelin Remy, editor ofAgefi – Le Journal Financier de Luxembourg, the only exclusively financial newspaper in Luxembourg

Ms. Cora van Nieuwenhuizen, Dutch Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management, Mdm. Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, Viet Nam Chairwoman of the National Assembly and the Ambassador of Viet Nam to the Netherlands, H.E. Ambassador Ngo Thi Hoa. The celebration of the 45th anniversary of Viet Nam and the Netherlands diplomatic relations in the Netherlands was launched by the Chairwoman of the National Assembly, Mdm. Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, with the presence of the Dutch Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management Ms. Cora van Nieuwenhuizen. During the unique occasion the Embassy of Viet Nam presented an special issue Viet Nam 45 Anniversary published in collaboration with Diplomat Magazine. The Netherlands is among the first Western countries that established diplomatic relations with Viet Nam in 1973. Over the past years, together with diplomatic, trade and investment cooperation, the bilateral cooperation in other fields such as defense, culture and tourism, education and training, transportation, cooperation among cities, and multilateral cooperation, and more… have also witnessed remarkable progress. More importantly, the relationship between Viet Nam and the Netherlands has become a strategic partnership, with the Strategic Partnership on Climate Change and Water Management along with the Strategic Partnership for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security concluded respectively in 2010 and 2014. In 2017, bilateral trade turnover reached US $ 7.7 billion. In the first four months of 2018, two-way trade value reached $ 2.3 billion (an increase of nearly 13% over the same period of 2017). The Netherlands has become the biggest EU export market for Viet Nam. In terms of investment, the Netherlands has been the largest European investor in Viet Nam, ranking the 11th out of 116 countries and territories investing in Viet Nam with 304 projects and a total registered capital of $ 8.17 billion. ———————- Photography by Roy Strik  

By Roy Lie Atjam. From 2-5 October 2018 the annual Cybersecurity Week, organized by The Hague Security Delta, was held in The Hague. Simultaneously the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy organized the One Conference which aims to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and ideas concerning cybersecurity. It was during these events, on Wednesday 3 October 2018, that I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. lkhom Abdullaev, PhD at his hotel in The Hague. He is here to expand his network to hopefully meet with as many kindred spirits as possible and to share cyber threat legislation. An event of such international stature is an ideal venue to attain these objectives. Who is Mr. Abdullaev. First and foremost, he is a married man with two adult children and also the proud grandfather of three grandsons. With this his posterity is safeguarded one would say. Mr. Abdullaev has built an impressive resume. Besides being a proud patriarch, he is a former director of an NGO dealing in ICT. For the past nine years, he has shifted his focus to politics holding several positions in the Uzbek government, which has a presidential system similar to that of France. Abdullaev currently works as:

• Chairman of the Committee of the Legislative Chamber of the “Oliy Majlis” / Parliament of Uzbekistan(issues of innovative development, information policy and information technologies)
• Member of the Uzbekistan National Revival Democratic Party. This party holds 36 seats in the Uzbek Parliament. The ruling government has 53 seats out of a total of 150.
• Chairman of the Public Council on the openness of state bodies. On behalf of the public, this council monitors an “openness index” of government bodies in Uzbekistan and publishes it twice a year.

  Abdullaev is no novice in The Hague; he has been here in the past seeking cooperation between the Uzbekistan parliamentary committees and the Dutch parliamentary committees for security and justice on cybersecurity. He relates how in 2017 the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), established a work group to deal with cybersecurity. The focus is to benefit from mutual experiences. The Republic of Uzbekistan is a member of the CIS – Commonwealth of Independent States, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). It is also a member of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. For the past two years, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s government has implemented many changes to improve democracy in his country. It is of paramount importance for the public to have a free flow of information. To achieve this, the president has issued a decree that each citizen has the right to pose a question, make requests and receive responses to their questions. This presidential decree applies to all level of government; national, regional and municipal. The Netherlands also has such a law called “Wet Openbaarheid van Bestuur” (WOB). In addition, there’s also the phenomena “ombudsman”; an official who’s appointed to look into complaints against the government. Another main focus of the Uzbek parliament is Cybersecurity. It is no secret that in our era of technology, cybercrime remains an unrelenting threat to governmental systems, the energy and public sector, and critical infrastructure objects, particularly in the financial sector. From major governments to small households, internet safety is an ongoing plague that unfortunately has no major solution in the foreseeable future. While politicians like Mr. Abdullaev and cybersecurity experts are continuing to share ideas on fighting cybercrime in numerous ways, we do well to ask ourselves: in what ways am I protecting my personal data? To what extent do I stick to compliance requirements on corporate or governmental level?

By Sheila Turabaz. On the 26^th of September, the Great Hall of Justice of the Peace Palace – generally known as the courtroom where the hearings of the International Court of Justice are held – was not centered around dispute settlement but on the recognition and celebration of the efforts and accomplishments of noble individuals and organizations, furthering the cause of international peace “in whatever way, by word or deed in the form of international action, in literature, or the arts”. The Carnegie Wateler Peace Prize is the second-oldest award for peacemakers (after the Nobel Peace Prize). The Carnegie Wateler Peace Prize is awarded every two years and alternates between a Dutch and an international laureate. Mr. Bernard Bot, Chairman of the Board of the Carnegie Foundation and Former Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, awarded the prize to Belgian war correspondent Mr. Rudi Vranckx during a ceremony attended by various dignitaries, among those ambassadors, diplomats, representatives of international organizations, Dutch officials as well as others who are active in the pursuit of peace and justice. Mr. Vranckx has been reporting on war and conflicts around the world for thirty years, including the uprising against dictator Nicolae Ceausescu in Romania, the Yugoslav Wars and various conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa. As expressed by Mr. Bot Mr. Vranckx “was one of the last European journalists to leave Egypt during the violence of the Arab Spring. A job, or maybe even a way of life, that is not without risks. During an attack in Syria he lost his French colleague. The board of the Carnegie Foundation recognizes his enormous courage to travel to the most dangerous conflict areas in the world.” While adding that “In his reports and his many books Mr. Vranckx shows us the lives of many people in conflict areas. Thanks to his beautiful, in-depth, honest and sometimes heart-breaking stories he gives those people a face. Stories of ordinary people, about human beings just like you and me, but with a lot of impact. The stories of Vranckx inspire and encourage others to take action or at least ensure that those people are not forgotten.”

Mr. Bot also stressed the important role that journalism still plays in the prevention of war and the quest for peace: “through its capacity to investigate, journalism can help people question established ideas and reflect on pressing issues”. However, he also showed concern about the widespread phenomenon “fake news”: “The way information is distributed can also contribute to escalate conflict, providing information that is manipulated. In this sense, journalism and mass media greatly shape and impact societies.”, while adding that “the board (of the Carnegie Foundation) believes that access to independent information is crucial in the transformation to peace or in the prevention of escalating conflicts. A journalist that contributes to peace, focuses on trying to humanize all victims of a conflict, seeking to uncover the complexities behind violent driven situations. Mr. Rudi Vranckx puts all of this, in the best way, in practice”. There is no more befitting location for a peace prize award ceremony to be held than in the Great Hall of Justice, surrounded by the goddess of Peace, Lady Justice , white doves and many other symbols of peace manifested through art. Throughout the ceremony, musical intermezzo’s by Damast Duo – consisting of Syrian violinist Shalan Alhamwy and Belgian pianist and accordionist Jonas Malfliet – created a pleasant and inspiring atmosphere, blending Arabic music with Western European traditions. In his acceptance speech, Mr. Vranckx mentioned his efforts to stimulate creativity through the making of music despite the abominable conditions of the inhabitants in the war-torn Iraqi city of Mosul: “When passing by Mosul’s razed music academy, I heard Imagine. This may be a naïve song from my youth, but what I really heard in the midst of all this destruction was hope. So, we decided to bring musical instruments to Mosul. We called this project of hope Imagine Mosul. Thousands of Belgians responded with enthusiasm. It struck a sensitive chord in our own society, longing for hope and action against polarization and hatred. It gave me strength, because even as a journalist, sometimes in the darkness, you need this glimmer of hope. First and foremost, journalism must deliver accurate reporting, but it can be more. Because journalism can also be a means to an end: a just and fair society, without violence or hatred. Reach out through the heart, into the minds. We all need an antidote.”

Mr. Vranckx was awarded a certificate and 35.000 EUR prize money, joining the list of outstanding individuals and organizations – including Sigrid Kaag, current Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, former United States Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). to whom the prize was awarded since 1931. Moreover, the first Youth Carnegie Peace Prize was awarded to the Colombian youth-led organization BogotArt for their initiative ‘Letters for Reconciliation’. The project was aimed towards fostering dialogue between civil society and FARC ex-combatants in Colombia. As the winner is offered the Carnegie Wateler Peace Prize certificate, the Latin phrase Pacis Palmae Digniores Quam Tropaea Belli (“The Palms of Peace are More Honorable than the Trophies of War”) catches the eye: a saying, which is still as relevant today as ever.