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.
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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.
Interview with H. E. Judge Nawaf Salam, International Court of Justice, The HagueBy Marwan Hani Osseiran, Visiting Professional, ICC
On a sunny afternoon in February, I headed to meet H.E. the newly elected and sworn judge Nawaf Salam of Lebanon to the International Court of Justice at the Peace Palace. Judge Salam was elected on November 9, 2017 as judge on the International Court of Justice for the 2018-2027 term, having received a concurrent majority of votes in the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council. He was officially sworn as Judge of the Court on the morning of February 6, 2018.
High Peace is the literal translation of H.E.’s name from Arabic and it is as befitting as destiny. The International Court of Justice, commonly referred to as the World Court, is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. It settles legal disputes between members states and gives advisory opinions to authorized UN organs and specialized agencies. The Court is designed as a mechanism to resolve legal disputes peacefully in order for states to avoid resorting to war.
Judge Salam is a Lebanese diplomat, jurist and academic. He received a doctorate in Political Science from the Institut d’Etudes Politique de Paris, an LL.M. From Harvard Law School and a doctorate in History from Sorbonne University. He spent over 20 years teaching international law and international relations at various leading universities in Beirut, Paris and Cambridge, Massachusetts.
He was also practitioner at a leading international law firm in Beirut before becoming an ambassador and a political appointee for Lebanon to the United Nations in NY. During his tenure at the United Nations, he had the historical opportunity to be a member of the Security Council and presided it for two months during that time. He is considered a kind of a renaissance man who has made a difference, during a difficult time for the region of the Middle East and for Lebanon, such as self-determination of people and the establishment of independent Palestine State; Lebanon’s right to disassociation from the Syrian conflict; implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1701; and the creation of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.
The main negotiations took place before H.E. arrived in NY through Security Council resolution establishing the STL. The creation of the STL came as a response to end impunity that shook international peace on the 14 February 2005, resulted in the killing of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri and 24 others and injured more than 228 people. H.E. advocated for end to impunity and through the Security Council, a result of the establishment of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.
Excellency: When we look back at your family history, your vast studies in international law, your career as a diplomat and legal adviser, we wonder if you had always aspired to be here; did you plan your path to the Peace Palace?
Judge Salam did not always aspire to join the Court. H.E. stressed as we sit down. It was not planned, he remarked. After becoming the Permanent Representative of Lebanon to the United Nations in NY, he had the idea of submitting his candidature. He got interested in doing more in international affairs.
Marwan Osseiran and Judge Salam during the interview.Excellency: Your grandfather, a parliamentarian and a leader who advocated for the decentralization and modernization of the Ottoman Empire. He was a member of the executive committee of the First Arab Congress and formulated Arab national demands in 1913. You did not know your grandfather but I wonder how much strength, faith and inspiration you drew from your forebear in your formative years and until now?
H.E. points to a small frame in his bookshelves, his grandfather’s Salim Salam’s ID card. He was a source of inspiration for me, he remarks. He was not only a modernizing figure, he also pushed hard for reforms, leading the “Beirut Reform Movement’ during the Ottoman Empire. He was a liberal spirit. He was also close to Emir Faisal who led the 1916 Arab Revolt and subsequently the Arab delegation to the Paris Peace Conference in 1919.
Like his grandfather, Judge Salam has a very special relationship to Beirut and is aware of the very important role it played in the renaissance movement of the region through its universities, publishing houses, and free press promoting a whole spirit of modernization and reform in the entire region. Today, H.E. stressed the need for a new renaissance for the region to promote ideas and values like the rule of law, human rights, accountability, an end of immunity. Judge Salam belongs to a generation that was informed by Beirut, the City and the progressive role it played in the past.
Excellency: Aside from those important issues related to self-determination, right to disassociation from other State’s conflict, duty for States to bring an end to impunity, what comes to your mind, what worries you right now in international law?
H.E. stressed the continuous need to development of international law. Yesterday we faced emerging issues of international environmental law for instance; today, we have cyber-crime. We need to consolidate the relatively new concept of international criminal law and the creation of the ICC. We are on the right track, he repeats.
Excellency: Customarily and through its long existence the ICJ and the Permanent Court of Justice had “reserved” seats for Security Council permanent members. Now that Judge Greenwood was not re-elected, it will be the first time that the United Kingdom will not have a judge on the Court. Your election was quite interesting in that respect. Perhaps you can give your opinion on the need to have a fair representation of all geographic regions on the bench? Please comment.
Judge Salam explained Article 9 of the statute of the ICJ and stressed the importance of a better balance as a whole, the representation of the main forms of civilization and of the principal legal systems of the world. Definitely, in the Charter of the UN, there are no reserved seats, he remarks. It is clear that the Security Council no longer reflects the world as it is today. The composition of the court didn’t need to continue reflecting that of the Security Council. Clearly, this is no longer the case.
Tuesday, 3 July 2018, Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg: HE Ambassador Dr. Gordan Grlić Radman paid his courtesy visit to the Hamburg Senate, and was welcomed by State Secretary, Dr. Annette Tabbara, Plenipotentiary to the Federation, the European Union and for Foreign Affairs, on behalf of First Mayor of Hamburg, Dr. Peter Tschentscher.
Ambassador Grlić Radman was accredited to Germany on 16 October 2018, thus becoming the seventh head of mission from Croatia in Germany. Previous to this function he was ambassador to Hungary.
