OPCW Director-General Congratulates Iraq on Complete Destruction of Chemical Weapons Remnants THE HAGUE, Netherlands — 13 March 2018 — The Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü, congratulated the Government of Iraq on the completion of the destruction of the country’s chemical weapons remnants, during today’s visit of the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Iraq, H.E. Dr Abdulrazzaq Al Jaleel Essa. “I welcome this notable achievement and congratulate the Iraqi Government for their efforts in ensuring the proper destruction of these dangerous chemicals and for fulfilling its obligations deriving from the Chemical Weapons Convention,” stated the Director-General. Ambassador Üzümcü presented to the Minister a certificate recognising the Iraqi Government’s complete destruction of its chemical weapons remnants. The Director-General further briefed Minister Al Jaleel Essa on the OPCW’s latest activities, including progress in the destruction of the declared former chemical weapons production facilities, the threat posed by non-State actors’ access to chemical weapons, and peaceful uses of chemistry. Minister Al Jaleel Essa’s delegation included Iraq’s Permanent Representative to the OPCW, H.E. Dr Hisham Al-Alawi; the Head of the Al Muthana project, Mr Magid Shannoon Khalaf, Spokesperson to the Minister, Dr Hayder Mohammed Jebur; and Ms Kani Shareef, First Secretary, Permanent Representation of Iraq to the OPCW.

The Attorney General of Uganda; representatives of the ICC Office of the Prosecutor with other trainers and trainees ICC Office of the Prosecutor participates in training initiative in Uganda: Collaboration is key to closing the impunity gap. In collaboration with the Ugandan national authorities and with the support and financial assistance of the Danish Embassy in Kampala, Uganda, the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (“ICC“ or “the Court”) contributed to a three-day seminar on addressing international crimes, held from the 6^th to the 9^th of March, in Kampala. At the workshop, representatives from the ICC Office of the Prosecutor (“Office”) in attendance shared their experiences, lessons learned and best practices with a wide range of stakeholders, namely law enforcement and justice sectors.  In addition to the Office, participants included Judges of the International Crimes Division of the High Court of Uganda; Prosecutors of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions; police and intelligence officers, as well as representatives of the Ugandan Prisons Service.  Trainers were drawn from the three Divisions of the Office, as well as from the Ugandan Directorate of Public Prosecutions and the Ugandan Criminal Investigative Division. In addition to sharing best practices, participants exchanged on ways to transfer skills and share information, as appropriate, in an effort to advance the collective obligation to fight against impunity for international crimes. In his opening address, Mr. Phakiso Mochochoko, Director of the Jurisdiction, Complementarity, and Cooperation Division of the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC, highlighted the importance of cooperation and complementarity as enshrined in the Rome Statute. He thanked Uganda for its cooperation with the ICC since the opening of the investigation into the situation. “This workshop is an opportunity for the Office of the Prosecutor to contribute to the Ugandan justice system through the sharing of experiences the Office has gained, and best practices it has developed over the years,” he told the audience. He stressed that collaboration is key to closing the impunity gap and bringing a measure of justice to the victims. The Attorney General of Uganda, The Honourable Mr. William Byaruhanga, thanked the Office of the Prosecutor for participating in the seminar with Kampala as the venue. He highlighted that equipping those involved in criminal investigations, at all levels, with practical skills drawn from experience, “is not a luxury, but a necessity. The seminar fits very well with Uganda’s objective of making the complementarity principle a reality,” he added. The Honourable Justice Moses Mukiibi, Head of the International Crimes Division of the High Court of Uganda, welcomed the initiative. He outlined some of the challenges faced by the Ugandan judicial system before concluding that “effective investigation of international crimes and prosecuting those found to be responsible will set Uganda on a path towards sustainable peace, democracy and observance of the rule of law.” In closing the event, the Ambassador of Denmark in Kampala, H.E. Mr. Mogens Pedersen, stressed the importance of justice for the affected communities in Uganda and expressed his appreciation for “the effort of the ICC in partnering with the Uganda Directorate of Public Prosecutions, Judiciary, and the Police in organising this training on sharing of best practices and experience in the investigation and prosecution of international crimes.”

Ambassador of Georgia H.E. Mr. Konstantine Surguladze and Georgian participants of two training programs The Administration of Justice and Integrity of Civil Servants. On March 13, at the premises of the Embassy of Georgia, in The Hague, the Helsinki Committee organized a networking reception in the framework of Matra Rule of Law two training programs The Administration of Justice and Integrity of Civil Servants. The Matra Rule of Law Training Programme is a four-year (2017 – 2020) programme designed to strengthen institutional capacity in the field of Rule of Law within government organizations in Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey, and Ukraine. The training introduces the participants to Dutch best practices in a particular rule of law theme within the European Union framework and provides opportunities to exchange experiences. The Matra programme is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. Two training programs from Georgian side was attended by the representatives of the Ministry of Justice, Administration of the Government, State Audit Office, Public Defenders Office, High Council of Justice, Prosecutors Office and High Council of Justice.

Ambassador of Georgia H.E. Mr. Konstantine Surguladze welcomed the audience and thanked the Netherlands Helsinki Committee, Leiden Law School, The Hague Academy for Local Governance, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands for implementing and financing very valuable and useful programme. A networking reception was attended by the participants, Ambassadors of the participants’ countries, policy officer of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and representatives of the organizations contributing to the training programme. During the reception, the guest had the opportunity to taste Georgian wine and traditional dishes.

On the picture H.E. Mrs. Vestine Nahimana, Ambassador of Burundi, H.E. Ms. Sahar Ghanem, Ambassador of Yemen and Latvia Ambassador, HE Mrs Ilze Ruse and H.E. Mrs. Katri Viinikka, Ambassador of Finland. The Ladies Ambassadors’ group celebrated together the International Women’s Day, with a memorable Vin d’honneur organised by the Ambassador of Guatemala, H.E. Marithza Ruiz, who is the coordinator of this group of women in the Netherlands after taking the lead from the Ambassador of Tanzania, H.E.  Ms. Irene Florence M. Kasyanju. For additional Hester Dijkstra’s images, please open the link below: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/albums/72157694441342205

The International Women’s Day, originally called International Working Women’s Day, is celebrated on Match 8^th every year. This tradition dates back to 1910, began during the 1910 International Socialist Women’s Conference, and Marc 8^th soon became a national holiday in Russia and the communist bloc. Years later, in 1975, it was adopted by the United Nations, thus losing its political connotation and becoming a universal day for women across the globe.

Across different regions, the focus of the celebrations is different, although the common feature is the demonstration of respect, appreciation, and love towards women and their economic, political, and social achievements. This day is also the main day in the movement for women’s rights, and it is often use to claim for an array of new causes too. In The Hague, the Ambassadors discussed recent global issues and enjoyed lively conversations at Kookstudio France in Javastraat.

The Ambassador of Guatemala also described more in detail the nature of the meeting: “As in past years – she said – we will organise meetings with ministers, state secretaries, and other officials of the Dutch government, and international organisations based in The Hague. More importantly, as coordinator of the Lady Ambassadors, I will make a special effort to ensure it becomes a two-way exercise.”

“We wish to better understand our host country, and we also have much to share about our individual countries and regions. It is more than networking; it is about exploring how we can help each other, and make more lasting contributions to advance our mutual agendas.”

     

IHE Delft hosted a half-day workshop on Wednesday 7th March for Ambassadors and Embassy officials on the subject of water diplomacy and water cooperation. The topic is of great importance and relevance, as demonstrated by the active participation by representatives from over 50 countries. Following an introduction to the Institute by the Rector, Mr. Eddy Moors, an overview of key elements and issues in water diplomacy and water cooperation, was presented by speakers Zaki Shubber and Aaron Wolf. The underlying theme was that research has indicated that overall countries do cooperate over shared water resources. The audience was reminded of the large number of treaties and conventions which already exist to jointly manage water, although a significant number of basins do not have a legal framework in place. Two positive examples of shared waters that were mentioned are the Rhine basin, where all parties have been working together to improve water quality and the Geneva Aquifer, which is jointly managed by Switzerland and France. The point was also made several times that water cooperation is essential at all levels, from the local to the international, and that there is a connection between these levels in the case of transboundary water bodies. Joyeeta Gupta discussed broader dimensions of water diplomacy and the global nature of larger issues related to water, including water crossing borders beyond what is visible. The range of water discussed extended from green water to atmospheric water and referred to virtual water. The critical impact of climate change on water issues was also highlighted in light of the very close relationship between water and climate change as well as development. A discussion session followed, during which the panel of speakers gave their views on different current issues and possible future developments in water diplomacy as well as on the importance of resolving water issues for the continued stability of the world.