On the picture, Professor Hector Olasolo during his speech, Peace Palace, The Hague. On Wednesday 31st May, the Opening Ceremony for the VI Ibero-American Week of International Justice will take place at the Peace Palace. H.E. Judge Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi, President of the International Criminal Court, H.E. Ambassador Sergio Ugalde, Vicepresident of the Assembly of States Parties of the International Criminal Court, H.E. Ambassador Johan Van der Werff, Ambassador of the Netherlands to International Organisations, and Prof. Héctor Olasolo, Chairman of the Ibero-American Institute of The Hague for Peace, Human Rights and International Justice (IIH) will be the speakers of such an occassion.

Since 2011, the Ibero-American Week of International Justice is organised each year during the first ten days of June by the IIH. It has the the institutional support of the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court, the Hague Municipality, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the University of The Hague for Applied Sciences, the Grotious Center for International Studies, the TMC Asser Institute, the Hague Academic Coalition, the Embassies of several Ibero-American States, the General Ibero-American Secretariat, the Coalition for the ICC and a number of Ibero-American Universities and organisations. According to Prof. Hector Olasolo, IIH Chairman, “the aim of the Ibero-American Week is to create a space in which academics, international and national state officials, members of civil society, students, and the general public at large, coming from the countries in the Ibero-American region and the Netherlands, may exchange their views and initiatives on International Justice. Likewise, it aims to promote a deeper knowledge and a better understanding of Hague-based International Court, Tribunals and Organisations”. The Ibero-American Week is comprised of a number of events in Spanish, with some lectures in Portuguese, including a Moot Court on the International Criminal Court, an Essay Contest on International Justice, a Seminar on Ibero-American Thinking  on International Justice, a Research Group on the Ibero-American Epistemological Perspective on Justice, a guided tour to the historical buildings of the City of The Hague, and several visits to Hague-based International Courts, Tribunals and Organisations. Translation into English is provided for some of the activities.

On the occassion of its VII Edition, the I Polyphonic Day of International Justice, which will deal with issues concerning international law (private, public and criminal) with speakers from different geographic areas (Africa, Arab countries, China, Ibero-America, Iran and Russia), will take place at the Hague University for Applied Sciences (HHS). The I Polyphonic Day aims at bringing together and debating the views and perspectives of academics and professionals coming from the said geographic regions. As you can see in the attached Programme, the I Polyphonic Day on International Justice is organised by the Ibero-American Institute of The Hague (IIH) as part of the VII Ibero-American Week of International Justice, in partnership with a number of partners including the The HSS, The Hague Project for Peace and Justice of the Foreign Ministry of The Netherlands, the African Foundation for International Law, the Chinese Initiative on International Law (CIIL), the Center for International and Comparative Criminal Law of Lomonosov Moscow State University, the Iranian Center for International Criminal Law, The United Nations University for Peace, the University of El Rosario (Colombia), the Hague Academic Coalition, the Coalition for the International Criminal Law, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, Tirant lo Blanch Publishers, the International Law Student Association (ILSA) at the HHS and the Corax Student Association at the HHS.

The I Polyphonic Day will be hosted at the Aula  of the Hague University of Applied Sciences, located at Johanna Westerdijkplein 75 (just behind Holland Spoors Train Station), 2521 EN The Hague, on Wednesday 7^th June 2017 from 10h30 to 19h30. All readers of Diplomats Magazine are invited to attend the I Polyphonic Day. For registration you only need to write an email to: inscripcionesiih@gmail.com by 2^nd June 2017. The I Polyphonic Day will be followed from 20h00 to 21h30 by a Hague Talks Session on Diversity and International Law organised by the Hague Programme on Peace and Justice of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This Session will take place in The Humanity House located at Prinsengracht 8 from.

————– For more information in general the contact email is: inscripcionesiih@gmail.com . News and update about the IIH and all events of the VII Ibero-American Week of International justice may be found on: IIH Web Site: http://www.iberoamericaninstituteofthehague.org/ IIH Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100012360003751 IIH Twitter: https://twitter.com/InstitutoIIH IIH Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQniR5puGjKYrTPN2wRygyQ See also the web site of the Hague University for Applied Sciences at: www.the hagueuniversity.com          

On the picture Ambassador Simona Frankel greeting Ms Latifa Bounajra (Proximus) together with Ambassador Aharon Leshno-Yaar and spouse. Wednesday, 3 May 2017, Cercle de Lorraine, Brussels: In honour of Israel’s 69th Yom Ha’atzmaut (Independence Day), the Israeli heads of missions with residence in Brussels co-hosted a very-well attended reception for fellow ambassadors, Belgian politicians, representatives of the Jewish community in Belgium as well as EU representatives.

In fact more than 500 guests attended the function including the Belgian Federal Minister for Budget, Sophie Wilmès, EU Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, Věra Jourová, EU Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, Andrus Ansip as well as members of the Federal and Regional parliaments of Belgium.  Israeli Independence is fêted annually on 5 Iyar according to the Hebrew calendar, the corresponding Gregorian date this year was 2 May 2017. It entails the State of Israel’s establishment, or more precisely the date when its independence was proclaimed by Israel’s first Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion after publicly reading the Israeli Declaration of Independence on 5 Iyar 5708/14 May 1948. 

Both ambassadors based in Brussels, namely HE Ms Simona Frankel and HE Mr Aharaon Leshno-Yaar, highlighted respectively the recent development of bilateral and multilateral relations between Israel and Belgium and Israel and the European Union during their allocutions to the guests.  For Israel relations with EU member states are of particular relevance as the block is the country’s largest trading partner globally.  For further information: Embassy of the State of Israel to Belgium and Luxembourg (HE Ambassador Simona Frankel): http://embassies.gov.il/language/Pages/default.aspx Mission of Israel to the EU and NATO (HE Ambassador Aharon Leshno-Yaar): http://embassies.gov.il/eu/NewsAndEvents/Newsletter/Pages/Israel’s-new-Ambassador-to-the-EU—NATO—Meet-Aharon-Leshno-Yaar.aspx Album: https://www.facebook.com/pg/IsraelinBelgium/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1617616821612364 ————— Pictures by the Embassy of Israel to Belgium and Luxembourg.    

On the picture The Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China, Mr Liu Lihua, meeting the Director-General of the OPCW, Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü. Deputy Minister Liu, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China visits the OPCW THE HAGUE, Netherlands — 18 May 2017 — The Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü, and the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China, Mr Liu Lihua, agreed to further avenues of cooperation between the OPCW and China in The Hague today. The Director-General provided an update on ongoing OPCW activities, including in relation to Syria and further briefed Deputy Minister Liu on OPCW-China cooperation. Ambassador Üzümcü appreciated China’s firm commitment to the implementation of the CWC and its contribution to OPCW programmes and projects. Director-General Üzümcü highlighted the prominent role played by China’s chemical industry and its increasing relevance vis-à-vis the implementation of the Convention. Deputy Minister Liu reaffirmed China’s commitment to advancing the goals of the Chemical Weapons Convention as well as continuing cooperation with the OPCW on a number of issues, including on the verification regime and future priorities of OPCW. —– Picture by OPCW.    

                            On the picture H.E. I Gusti Agung Wesaka Puja, Ambassador of Indonesia to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. By Roy Lie A Tjam. On 11 May 2017, H.E. I Gusti Agung Wesaka Puja, Ambassador of Indonesia in the Netherlands launched an Indonesia made Guitar in the Netherlands. The launching took place at the prestigious edifice of the Embassy of Indonesia in The Hague. The guitars are jointly produced by the Dutch company Homestead Neheem International and PT. Genta Trikarya in Bandung, the city of music. Robin van de Poll from Homestead told the audience about the collaboration which started in 2012. He had read about the high-quality guitars produced in Bandung in a magazine for guitar enthusiasts so he decided to visit the company. For additional Roy Strik’s pictures, please open the following link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/albums/72157683936546476 At first, he was not thinking about a business venture, however afterward the team decided to collaborate in the production of a high-quality brand guitar for the European market. Ambassador Puja in his remarks commended the collaboration between Homestead and PT Genta Trikarya. It’s a fine business example involving businesses from the two countries. He added that the high-quality guitars might further inform the Dutch public about one of Indonesia’s high-end finished products, such as guitars from Bandung. “I am confident that this collaboration will also enhance people-to-people relations through musical instruments as I believe that music is a universal language”, said Ambassador Puja. Talking about music being a universal language, reference was made to the phenomena known in the Netherlands as Indo Rock. Youngsters from the so-called Indo community developed a peculiar style of music(Indo rock) Some exponents of the indo rock epoch(1960s – 1990) were: Tielman Brothers along with their sister Jane, The Blue Diamonds and several others. De-facto, Indonesian musical influence in the Netherlands stretched over many decades. A representative for the Indonesian company, PT. Genta Trikarya, Mr. Awan Nasution, told the audience through video call, that the team in Bandung is proud of the fact that they have produced guitars for the musicians in the Netherlands. Homestead Guitars products are produced in Bandung based on fine Indonesian timbers such Javanese Rosewood, Javanese Mahogany dan Makassar Ebony. The products will be marketed not only in the Netherlands, but also to wider European Union market. The climax of the event was when Ambassador Puja presented the first guitar to the legendary Dutch guitarist, George Kooymans. Mr. Kooijmans has been a member of the band, Golden Earring, renowned in the 1960s and 70s Furthermore, guitars were presented to other well known. Dutch musicians: Mr. Henny Vriente, known from the Band Doe Maar in the 1980s and also to musician Mr. Boudewijn de Groot, A concise number of media representatives witnessed the event. The recipients of the guitars(trio) created a new band called “Vreemde Kostgangers” They tried out the guitars and played some of their songs. “Mooi” they extolled. The guitars had been specially build to meet the demands of the trio Homestead Neheem International, is ready to serve the Dutch- and European market with a piece of sterling Indonesian artistry.                                  

Peter van der Vliet, Director and Sustainable Development Goals Ambassador, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, announces The Netherlands’ voluntary contribution of €200,000 for the individual and collective reparations awards in the Katanga case. Trust Fund for Victims decides to provide $1 million for the reparations awarded to victims in the Katanga case, welcomes earmarked donations of €200,000 from the Netherlands On the second day of its 16th Meeting, occurring from 16 to 18 May 2017, the Board of Directors of the Trust Fund for Victims (“the Trust Fund” or “TFV”) at the International Criminal Court (“ICC”) decided to provide $1,000,000 USD to pay for the individual and collective awards for reparations ordered by Trial Chamber II in the case of The Prosecutor v. Germain Katanga. This means that the full amount of the costs of the reparations awards ordered by the Trial Chamber on 24 March 2017 will be initially provided by the Trust Fund. For additional Kim Vermaat’s pictures, please open the following link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/albums/72157680917141254

“The Rome Statute’s innovative inclusion of the potential to award reparations to victims following a criminal conviction underscores the victim-centred approach of the entire Rome Statute system. As established by the Court, ‘reparations oblige those responsible for serious crimes to repair the harm they caused to the victims’. Reparations therefore are a critical part of the reparative justice afforded to victims under the Rome Statute. “In light of Mr Katanga’s indigence and while recalling that he nonetheless remains liable for the reparations ordered against him, it is our sincerest hope that the Trust Fund’s complement of $1,000,000 USD to the payment of the awards for reparations will ensure that the victims in the Katanga case receive the real tangible benefits of these awards and that they are received in a timely manner.”,  Statement from the Trust Fund’s Board of Directors. The Trust Fund will now present to the ICC judges – by 27 June 2017 – a plan for implementing the individual and collective reparations in this case, describing the projects it intends to then develop. The Trust Fund’s resources come mainly from voluntary contributions from States Parties, foundations, and individuals. In order to ensure that it has adequate resources for its assistance mandate activities and to complement the payment of awards for reparations that may be ordered in currently ongoing or future cases, the Trust Fund also solicits and encourages donations specific to ordered awards for reparations, which permit it to avoid depleting its reparations funds reserve.

On  May 17,  2017, the government of The Netherlands, a State Party to the ICC and long-time supporter of the Trust Fund, announced that it will make a voluntary contribution of €200,000. This donation is earmarked for the full payment of the individual awards for reparations ($74,250) and to go towards the collective reparations awards (the remaining $925,750) in the Katanga case.

“The compensation may provide relief to the victims in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They have suffered so much already and we cannot have them wait any longer” Said Mr Bert Koenders, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. “The Netherlands earmarked donation to the Katanga case victims help ensure that the reparations awarded to these victim survivors do not remain simply words on a legal document, but instead result in the victim survivors of Mr Katanga’s crimes receiving tangible and meaningful reparations to remedy the harms they have suffered and begin their journey on a path of recovery, healing, and creating a better future for them, their families and their communities. We are grateful to The Netherlands for this important donation and encourage other State Parties to join in making the Rome Statute’s promise of reparations to victims a reality by making a voluntary contribution to the Trust Fund.” Mr Motoo Noguchi, Chairman of the Trust Fund for Victims Board of Directors