By Joe Ray.

A highlight for many in The Hague is the annual celebration hosted by the Hong Kong Netherlands Chamber of Commerce together with the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Brussels.

Guests were welcomed by Ms. Shirley Lamb, Special Representative for Hong Kong Economic and Trade Affairs to the EU, who highlighted the close relationship between Hong Kong and the Netherlands and looked ahead to some of the many economic opportunities that the new year will bring.

The audience was then addressed by Mr Hans Poulis, Chair of the Netherlands Hong Kong Business Association, and Mr George Ammerlaan, Chair of the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in the Netherlands.

After toasting the forthcoming Year of the Dog, guests were treated to a remarkable marimba performance by Fiona Foo Pui-yee, one of the world’s leading marimba soloists. The marimba is a percussion instrument consisting of a set of wooden bars struck with mallets to produce musical tones. Resonators suspended underneath the bars amplify their sound.

Ms Pui-yee’s performance was as novel as it was energetic; for many in the room this was their first experience of marimba music, and it left a lasting impression.

After the performance, the event was concluded with a buffet and networking reception.

ICC Prosecutor, Mrs Fatou Bensouda, participated in the 54^th edition of the Munich Security Conference:“Accountability for Rome Statute crimes is an essential component of promoting human security”.

The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (“ICC”), Mrs Fatou Bensouda, participated in the 54^th Munich Security Conference (“MSC”) held in Munich, Germany from the 16^th to the 18^th of February.

Chaired by H.E. the Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger, the conference once again brought together world leaders and policy makers from around the globe to debate the state of international security and related challenges. The MSC, the world’s leading platform for debates on international security, is attended by Heads of States, Governments and international organisations; Ministers; high-ranking members of the Armed Forces; and representatives of business, science, civil society and the media.

The Prosecutor’s participation highlights the important role that the ICC, as a first permanent independent international criminal jurisdiction, plays and the contribution it can make to international security through the exercise of its mandate under the Rome Statute.

“As we approach the 20^th anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute, we must recall that atrocity crimes threaten the peace, security and well-being of the world.  It is therefore critical that in global security discussions, this recognition is increasingly mainstreamed”, said Prosecutor Bensouda. “Full support for the investigation and prosecution of atrocity crimes at the domestic and international levels is necessary if we hope to curb the devastating impact of conflict on civilian lives.  Accountability for Rome Statute crimes is an essential component of promoting human security.”

In the margins of the conference, at the invitation of Ms Helle Thorning-Schmidt, CEO of Save the Children, and former Prime Minister of Denmark, the Prosecutor participated on a panel discussion exploring how to better protect children in armed conflict.  She highlighted her Office’s work aimed at protecting the rights of children within the Rome Statute legal framework through the investigation and prosecution of crimes against and affecting children, as well as the Office’s Policy on Children adopted in 2016.

The Prosecutor called for collective action to protect children in times of conflict.  “There should be no place for children in war. Their voices and stories of unspeakable abuses must not go unheard, and the law must respond to their plight in a manner that has their best interests foremost in mind.  If we fail them, we have not only failed our humanity but also abdicated our obligation to secure our ever-interconnected future”, she stated.

This year’s Conference also presented Prosecutor Bensouda the opportunity to hold a number of productive bilateral meetings with senior officials from States, regional and international organizations as well as civil society to advance the work of her Office.

The Prosecutor met, among others, with H.E. Mr. Paul Kagame, Chairperson of the African Union and President of Rwanda; H.E. Mr. Giorgi Kvirikashvili, Prime Minister of Georgia; H.E. Ms. Aurelia C.K. Frick, Foreign Minister of Liechtenstein; H.E. Mr.  Miroslav Lajčák, President of the UN General Assembly (72^nd session); H.E. Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission; H.E. Mr. Thomas Greminger, Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe; Prof. Ghassan Salamé, Head of the UN Support Mission in Libya; and Mr. Kenneth Roth, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch.