The Queen Mother of Bhutan

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Royal Secretariat of Her Majesty the Gyalyum Sangay Choden Wangchuck. Her Majesty Gyalyum Sangay Choden Wangchuck, Queen Mother of Bhutan. Her Majesty Gyalyum Sangay Choden Wangchuck was born on the 11th of May 1963 in the capital of Bhutan, Thimphu. Her Majesty is youngest of the four queens of Bhutan’s most celebrated monarch His Majesty the Fourth King Jigme Singye Wangchuck. Her Majesty has been actively involved in promoting the country’s rich cultural heritage and supports various social causes in Bhutan. She is compassionate about the welfare of women, youth and children and has been recognized as an advocate for the prevention of HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases both nationally and internationally. In the year 1999, Her Majesty graciously accepted the role of the United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) Goodwill Ambassador in Bhutan. In the same year she received the national honors of the “Commemorative Silver Jubilee Medal of King Jigme Singye Wangchuck”. In 2008 Her Majesty was awarded the “His Majesty the King Jigme Khesar Investiture Medal”. As the UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador Her Majesty is a pioneer in creating awareness for reproductive, sexual and mental health in Bhutan. Through her personal interventions she has been able to create a platform for discussions and interactions with various stakeholders across Bhutan advocating better living conditions for the vulnerable groups in Bhutanese society.
Her Majesty launches the ‘state of World population’ at the World population day.
Her Majesty Gyalyum Sangay Choden Wangchuck’s inherent compassion towards the welfare of women, youth and children of Bhutan has been deepened by her extensive interactions with all segments of the Bhutanese population, especially the disadvantaged and marginalized. Her Majesty has travelled throughout the country, to the remotest districts, which are still inaccessible by roads even today. To realize this noble vision for enriching the lives of those less fortunate individuals, Her Majesty the Gyalyum established The Gyalyum Charitable Trust on 12th January 2016. The Trust is the umbrella organization that works to ensure the long-term sustainability of the charitable organizations so that the indispensable services provided by them continue to benefit all sections of society. The objectives of the organization is to foster cooperation between RENEW- Respect, Nurture, Educate and Empower Women (renew.org.bt), The Royal Textile Academy (www.royaltextileacademy.org) and the Chapters which include The Craft Gallery, The Gyalyum Scholarship Fund and The Dharma Initiative in pursuance of their aims, objectives and plans. Furthermore, the Gyalyum Charitable Trust is mandated to identify and seek funding sources to benefit and provide the sustenance for the organizations that fall under the aegis of the Trust. In order to support and empower the disadvantaged and marginalized women in Bhutan, Her Majesty established RENEW an acronym for Respect, Educate Nurture and Empower Women. RENEW was conceptualized in the year 2000 and officially established in the year 2004 and is dedicated to empower vulnerable women, especially the victims and survivors of domestic violence so that they can emerge as socially and economically independent members of their communities.
Her Majesty receives the National Order of Merit (First Class) for RENEW and the Royal Textile Academy of Bhutan from His Majesty the King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. Accompanied by HRH Princes Eeuphelma Choden Wangchuck (right).
With the aim to preserve and promote weaving heritage of Bhutan, the Royal Textile Academy was instituted in May 2005. As a non-government, non-profit organization under the Royal patronage of Her Majesty the Gyalyum Sangay Choden Wangchuck, it is established as an educational center to preserve and conserve all forms of Bhutanese textile traditions. The Textile Museum located in the RTA premises is committed to furthering the understanding of Bhutan’s achievements in the Textile arts. It is the national center to collect, document, preserve, interpret and display Bhutan’s textile heritage and is dedicated to fostering and promoting the living textile arts. Her Majesty believes in the power of education and recognizes the importance that empowerment through education of marginalized sections of society are essential for the overall socio- economic developmental process. The Gyalyum Scholarship Fund, a chapter that operates under the auspices of the Gyalyum Charitable Trust, was initiated in 2003 with the ancillary technical support from the Department of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Education. Today, the programme provides support to over 500 children in national and international schools and universities. Her Majesty is deeply spiritual and actively supports Dharma activities. Through the Dharma Initiative Her Majesty supports the restoration of old monasteries, provision of support to monasteries for their upkeep and maintenance, education and provides sustenance allowances to monks and nuns. Her Majesty also established the Tara Lhadron Zhingkham Lhakhang, a temple dedicated to the 21 Taras located in the historically and spiritually significant temple grounds of Parigzampa Astrology School in Dechhencholing, Thimphu. The Craft Gallery was established as a chapter under the Gyalyum Charitable Trust. Modeled as a showroom and sales outlet, it aims to promote the marketing and development of all forms of Bhutanese handicrafts. The Craft Gallery promotes local artisans and encourages product development to adapt the age-old traditional crafts to contemporary tastes. In recognition of her work, Her Majesty was conferred by His Majesty the King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck the National Order of Merit (1st Class) on December 17th, 2016 for RENEW and the Royal Textile Academy. The highest honor awarded to a Civil Society Organization for distinguished and meritorious service to the State. Her Majesty the Gyalyum ‘s selfless dedication and her efforts to improve the welfare of disadvantaged and marginalized have been recognized at the highest levels. Her Majesty continues to uplift the lives of Bhutanese by supporting their endeavors and helping create new opportunities.  

Profiles in Leadership Part II

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By Anton Lutter. This last part of my previous article, will focus on the frontrunners of the two government parties and some new contenders and smaller parties. The largest government party, the VVD (Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie/Peoples party for Freedom and Democracy, liberal but in the Dutch context centre-right) is headed by the prime minister Mr. Mark Rutte. Born in The Hague in 1967 he has already a long career in politics. During his history studies at Leiden University he became the president of the youth organization of the VVD. After his studies he worked for several companies at the same time being on the national board of the VVD. In 2002 he became Undersecretary in the Social Affairs and Employment ministry, until 2004 in the first and second Balkenende cabinet. In 2003 he was elected to the Tweede Kamer (parliament), but served only briefly to continue as undersecretary. Again from 2004 until the fall of the Balkenende II cabinet in june 2006 Rutte served as Undersecretary for Higher Education and Science, within the Education, Culture and Science ministry. He then immediately returned to parliament and became the leader of the VVD parliamentary group. His leadership position within his party was consolidated after he won the contest for this position from Mrs. Rita Verdonk, the Minister of Justice. He has been uncontested in this position as of now not in the least place because of the fact that he led his party to a large victory in the parliamentary elections in 2010 making the VVD, with 31 seats, the largest party in parliament for the first time ever. Rutte himself became the first liberal prime minister since Mr. Cort van der Linden became prime minister in 1913, at the same being the first prime minister for the VVD. As frontrunner in the 2014 elections he enlarged the VVD seats to 41 and until now is serving as prime minister. In the february 2017 elections he will be the frontrunner fort the fourth time. The other government party is the PVDA (Partij van de Arbeid/Labour party, socialist). The PVDA is the only party which held a leadership contest for the next general elections. The contest in december 2016 was between Diederik Samsom and Lodewijk Asscher. Samsom born in Groningen 1971 and a nuclear physicist by trade, was elected to the Tweede Kamer in 2003 becoming the political leader of PVDA in 2012. The victorous contender Lodewijk Asscher and thus front runner in 2017 is the current deputy-prime minister and Minister of Social Affairs and Employment. Asscher was born in 1974 in Amsterdam and studie law at the University of Amsterdam earning a doctorate in law in 2002. His political career is local, entering the city council of Amsterdam in 2002. After the 2006 city council elections he served as alderman of Economics, Airport and Harbour, and deputy mayor of Amsterdam until 2010. From 2010 until 2012 he was an alderman of Finance in Amsterdam. From november 2012 until today he’s in the cabinet as a minister and is the PVDA frontrunner in the coming elections. Of the smaller parties the Partij van de Dieren (Party for the Animals) is the Dutch party which garnered world wide attention for the sole reason being the only party ever founded particularly for animal welfare. Its frontrunner and current political leader is Marianne Thieme, born in Ede in 1972. She studied law at Erasmus University in Rotterdam and attended Sorbonne. During her studies she also became a vegetarian. In 2002 she founded the above party which obtained two seats in the Tweede Kamer during the 2016 elections and earlier in 2014 they won a seat in European Parliament. Before entering parliament Mrs. Thieme worked for animal welfare organizations. In 2015 two PVDA members of the parliament – Tunahan Kuzu and Selçuk Öztürk – left their group in opposition to Minister Asscher’s position in the integration debate. They founded DENK (=THINK) party which has clear viewpoints on migration and integration basically in opposition to the PVV. Tunuhan Kuzu, a Dutchman of Turkish background is a member of the Tweede Kamer since 2012 and studied public administration at Erasmus University. Before he entered parliament he was a healthcare advisor at PriceWaterhouseCooper and a member of Rotterdam city council between 2008 and 2012. He is the parties frontrunner in the comming elections. To end the Profiles in Leadership it is interesting to look at the results of the so-called Ukraine Referendum held in april 2016. Important promoters of the “no” to the association agreement with Ukraine, which won at the end – Mr. Jan Roos, and Mr. Thierry Baudet – are starting their own political party. Also the leading “no” organization GeenPeil, has changed into a political party of which journalist Jan Dijkgraaf will be frontrunner. Journalist Jan Roos will be frontrunner of the VoorNederland (For The Netherlands, VNL) party which was founded in 2014 by two members of parliament who left the PVV group. Thierry Baudet, who is a doctor of law from Leiden University and a known author on politics is the founder of thinktank Forum voor Democratie (Forum for Democracy) also in 2014. Mr. Baudet is the frontrunner and will compete in the upcoming elections. All three parties are considered leaning to the right.
About the author: Mr. Anton Lutter is a  former City Councillor of The Hague.    Reference:
Profiles in Leadership Part I
     

Brazil’s Locomotive Breath

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By Nicola Bilotta. The Brazilian ‘locomotive’ has stopped. Oil production has been one of crucial drives in fostering not only economic but social growth in Brazil, but now sees the country gripped by economic crisis and political instability. The inquiry of Petrobras’s scandal is changing the equilibrium of powers in Latin “China”.   The process of growth and modernization in Brazil has been always described as an example to be followed by other developing countries. Nevertheless, the Brazilian ‘locomotive’ has stopped. The country is going through a period of dramatic political and economic instability. Although the Olympics Games should have been an international show of Brazilian power, they revealed the structural weakness of a country full of ambiguities and contradictions instead. Petrobras’ inquiry, combined with negative effects of the economic crisis, seem to have temporarily buried the China of South America. Oil wealth becoming yet another time not a blessing but a curse. “In a broader sense, the hydrocarbons and its scarcity phychologization, its monetization (and related weaponization) is serving rather a coercive and restrictive status quo than a developmental incentive” – diagnoses prof. Anis H. Bajrektarevic, and concludes: “That essentially calls not for an engagement but compliance.“ To describe the history of the nation we need to focus our attention on oil, because the black gold is the embodiment of the success -and fall- of the Brazilian economy. Oil – how black is gold One the central drivers of Brazilian economic growth has been the production and the export of natural resources and their products. Looking at Brazil’s GDP between 1982 and 2015, three main trends can be observed. (i) A stable growth pattern from 1982 to 2002. (ii) The GDP rocketing up between 2003 and 2012, with a light slowdown during 2009-2010 caused by the financial crisis. (iii) A fall of GDP’s values between 2012 and 2015. Analyzing the evolution of the percentage of annual GDP growth’s, it is not possible to identify a specific trend. The most significant point that can be made is the constant growth of the GDP between 2004 and 2008, which was around 5% per year. The economic growth does not just imply a dramatic increase of GDP but also the improvement in social-economic status of millions of poor brasilians. Starting from 2001 the level of absolute poverty – defined as the percentage living with less than two dollars per day – decreased 12%. The levels of relative poverty – defined as the percentange of people with less than 50% of the average income – fell by 25% between 2002 and 2013. The value of export and of the satellite activities of natural resources for Brazilian is represented by their proportion on the total GDP. As clearly shown in Graph 4, one of the engines of the Brazilian boom in the 2000s has been oil. Its incidence on GDP increased remarkably from 1999, a stable growth that reached its peak during 2000s. Between 2003 and 2006 oil rents produced around 3% of total GDP. Graph 5 shows the cost of oil per barrel from 1980 to 2015. To clarify, the most important oil reserve in Brazil is Pré-Sal, which needs to compete in a market in which the price is of at least 70 dollars per barrel in order to be profitable. The fall of the international price of oil, then, has been penalizing the Brazilian economy that was already damaged by the crisis of Chinese demand and the slowdown of FDI. Eike Batista, imagine of Brazilian fable The story of Erike Batista is bond with the growth and the fall of Brazilian economy. Batista has been one of the richest man in the world, 8th in the Forbes rank of worldwide billionaires and owner of 30 billion dollars in 2012. However, this changed in 2014 when he admitted to the loss of his wealth and his debt of one billion dollars. How is it possible that this self-made billionaire lost his wealth totalling a whopping 30 billion dollars? The success and the fall of Batista’s business is connected to oil. In the 80s, after completing his metallurgic studies, he went to Amazon forest to implement machines in the research and the extraction of gold. In the 1983 he bought a small society in the Canadian stock exchange, of extraction and trade of natural resources., that gained the value of 1.7 billion dollars in a few years. In 2002 he sold his company for 875 million. The devaluation of the asset was due to wrong investment done by the society in Greece, Russia and Czech Republic, which cost million of loss. Batista exploited new opportunities that arose during the Brazilian economic boom. Between 2001 and 2002 he created and subsequently sold two companies to the Brazilian state; a thermodynamics and an iron production company. The holding that would make a Batista billionaire was OGX (Petròleo e Gàs Participacoes), specialized in the research and refinement of oil and gas. The market strategy of OGX was aggressive from the beginning. In 2007 he arranged the rights of exploration for 21 areas for OGX doubling the amount offered by its competitors. The next year OGX was able to produce barrels at the cost of 145 dollars per barrel and it announced their structures would be able to produce 1 million barrel per day in 2019. Batista’s ambitions and his confidence in Brazilian economy encouraged him to invest a large amount of money to build up an harbour at Acu, 400 km away from Rio de Janeiro. The project was supposed to create a centre for the refinement and the trade of oil products, thereby radically increasing OGX’ productivity. From 2008 onwards, the Brazilian magistrate started to investigate bribes that Batista allegedly gave to the Governator of Amapà, Waldex Gòez, concessions of privileges for his companies. Even though the media caught wind of the investigation, the judiciary case was closed without any charges. The slowdown of Brazilian economy and the fall of the oil barrel started to strain foreign investors and foreign shareholders and lead them to reduce investments into Batista’s companies. The final blow was caused by the Abu Dhabi fund, Mudabala Development, which retired from EBX – one of Batista’s holdings – and asked for the liquidation of all their stock options which totalled 1.5 billion dollars. The financial pressure then cut the liquidity of Batista’s companies, which, having invested a lot of money, survived using financial leverage. Like a balloon, EBX snapped under the weight of financial debts that made Batista lose all of his assets. Petrobas investigation In March 2014, a group of Brazilian judges started to investigate the relationship between the Worker’s Party and the public oil company Petrobras. The charge was that executive directors of Petrobras and of the main building societies (Btp) developed a corrupt system in which Btp would receive contracts for the construction of oil platforms increasing the building costs between 1% and 3%. In exchange, governmental parties would obtain illegal funds to sponsor political campaigns. The companies involved were Camargo Corrêa, Oas, Utc-Constram, Odebrecht, Mendes Júnior, Engevix, Queiroz Galvão, Iesa Óleo & Gás e Galvão Engenharia and members of the Workers’ Party, the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (Pmdb) and the Progressive Party. (Pp). The main consequence of the inquiry was the delegitimization of the Workers’ Party that led Brazil from 2002 onwards. The President, Dilma Rouseleff was forced to leave office despite the fact she was not personally involved in the investigation. The successor of former President Lula endured immediate pressure to resign for her knowledge of systematic corruption as Chairman of Petrobras and Minister of Energy (2003-2005). Nevertheless, the impeachment of Rouseleff regarded the charge of having transferred public funds from national banks to finance social expenses that went beyond the fixed amount allocated for public expenses. However, the charges that led to her dismissal did not include the Petrobas scandal. Eduardo Cunha was the political leader leading the group that called for Dilma’s dismissal. Paradoxically, he was not only found with a secret million dollar bank account in Switzerland, but was also barred from assuming any public position for eight years due to an investigation for his involvement in corruption and bribes. Some representatives of worldwide left-wing parties talk about a conspiracy to dismiss the Workers’ Party. The Brazilian and international elite allegedly exploited the economic crisis to destroy the consensus of Lula and Rouseleff’s party, which had always had significant popular support. Lula won the election in 2002 with 46.4% of the votes against just 23.3% of his opposing candidate José Serra. In 2006, Lula was confirmed President with 48.6% in the next election. His successor, Dilma Rouseleff, won in 2010 with 46.9% of the votes. Even though she experienced a small decline, Rouseleff won the election in 2014 with 41.6% of the votes. These Brazilian governments made enemies in the international market due to their politics of nationalization and semi-nationalization of natural resources. For example, Petrobras, founded in 1953, was partially privatized during the 90s. However, Lula started a propagandist campaign in 2007 to return company under state control. In addition, to prevent the private exploitation of the Pré-Sal oil reserve, Lula’s government passed a law to give to Petrobras the monopoly to explore the area and extract oil from Pré-Sal. Some influential voices, such as independent Brazilian experts and academics raised concerns about the nature of the process. Pedro Fassoni Arruda argues that there were secret powers behind the impeachment that were also involved in the coup d’etat in 1964. In a similar vein, Pablo Ortellado criticised the framing of Rouseleff in the media. Sapelli contends that the modern political history of Brazil is characterized by a deep fragmentation of parties, which means every President has to deal with many small personalist parties. The external support that every government needs to administrate generated the construction of a system of corruption intrinsic to Brazilian society. Many experts believe that judge’s actions could enforce the trust of markets and investors in Brazilian institutions. Cutting the ambiguous bonds that exist between parties and companies should help to make the legal framework more stable and safe, strengthening the power of the Law. This could be a message from Brazil to all the world, that whoever is corrupted, no matter what status, will be punished. Recently, the news reported the Brazilian parliament approved a law with 292 in 393 to abolish the monopoly of Petrobras on the reserve of Pré-Sal. This law seems to be just the first step of a greater project of privatization pursued by President Michel Temer. With strong politics of liberalization for Brazilian natural resources, Brazil seems to offer intriguing opportunities for business and investments for many multinationals. If Petrobras’ inquiry is just conspiracy or smart intuition is hard to understand. Surely, the destiny of Brazil will be, another time, defined by black gold. For better or worse. About the author: Nicola Bilotta has a BA and a MA in History from Università degli Studi di Milano and a MSc in Economic History from the London School of Economics. He works as a Global Finance Research Assistant at The Banker (Financial Times) and collaborates as an external researcher at ISAG (Istituto di Alti Studi di Geopolitica e Scienze Ausiliari) N_bilotta@lse.ac.uk   Bibliography:
  1. Blankfeld, Big Man in Brazil, Forbes 3/11/2010
ECB, What is driving Brazil’s economic downturn, Issue 1/2016-Box 1
  1. Leahy, Brazil’s left fears Rousseff coup, Financial Times 3/04/2016
D. Miranda, Brazilian politician who led Rousseff impeachment arrested on corruption charges, 21/04/2016 OECD, Economic Surveys Brazil, 11/2015 S. Romero e V. Sreeharsha, Dilma Rousseff Targeted in Brazil by Lawmakers Facing Scandals of Their Own, New York Times 14/04/2016 M, Sandy, Brazilian politician who led Rousseff impeachment arrested on corruption charges, The Guardian 19/10/2016
  1. Sapelli, Dal Brasile all’Italia. I poteri forti dietro le inchieste pilotate sul petrolio, Il Sussidiario 7/04/2016
  2. P. Spinetto, P. Millard and K. Wells, How Brazil’s Richest Man Lost $ 34.5 billion, 4/10/2013 Bloomerang 4/10/2013
World Bank, Dataset Brazil, http://data.worldbank.org/country/brazil  

ICC President concludes official visit to Valencia, Spain

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Today, 3 February 2017, the President of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Judge Silvia Fernández concluded a two-day official visit to Valencia, Spain, where she delivered a keynote address at the General Assembly of the International Criminal Bar (ICB). During her stay, Judge Fernández also received the highest distinction of the historic Court of Waters and met with the local authorities.

In her address to the General Assembly of the ICB, the ICC President highlighted the ICB’s fundamental contribution to consolidate the role of the defence at an international level. “Since its creation, the International Criminal Bar has made fundamental contributions to the independence and effectiveness of counsel before the International Criminal Court,” said President Fernández.

“Lawyers occupy a central role at the International Criminal Court, and are involved in every aspect of its functioning, notably as counsel for suspects, the accused and the victims. Hence, the independence and quality of our lawyers is of paramount importance for the Court,” she added.

On 2 February, President Fernández held meetings with authorities in Valencia, including the President of the Generalitat Valenciana Ximo Puig and the Mayor of Valencia, Joan Ribó. She also visited the Court of Waters (Tribunal de las Aguas), the oldest judicial institution in Europe, which is recognized on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. There she was honoured to receive the Court’s award entitled the “imposición de la Blusa y Medalla de Plata”.

Malta at the Presidency of the Council of the European Union

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On the picture Ambassador Ray Azzopardi during the opening of the Art Exhibition by Maltese painters at the European Parliament. The Presidency of the Council of the European Union provided Malta with an excellent opportunity to showcase its cultural heritage, here, in Brussels. Despite being the smallest Member State of the EU, Malta is rich in its history and culture. This is partly as a result of its strategic location in the centre of the Mediterranean Sea, which many consider it a cradle of civilisations. Malta has been blessed with architectural majesty and artistic grandeur. Visitors and dignitaries are always marvelled with the richness of Malta’s artistic heritage despite the size of the country.
Heads of European States at Valleta during the Malta Summit.
The embassy of Malta to the Kingdom of Belgium is constantly working to give Malta its deserved visibility, here, in Belgium. Malta is a blend of various cultural and artistic treasures coupled with a Mediterranean Joie de vivre. The opening concert by the world acclaimed tenor Joseph Calleja, at the BOZAR last January, witnessed Malta’s cultural richness.
Tenor Joseph Calleja with Mro. Brian Scehmbri and the Malta Philaharmonic at the Bozar.
  One of the upcoming activities worth marking in your calendar is the Malta Land and Sea exhibition taking place at the BOZAR Centre of Fine Arts between the 17 February 2017 and the 28 May 2017. This exhibition includes various artworks predominantly by Caravaggio, which are usually displayed at Palazzo Pitti in Florence Italy. It will be the first time to exhibit these fine artworks outside Italy, as part of Malta’s cultural events to mark the Maltese Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Chancellor Merkel at the background of Caravaggio’s the Beheading of St John.
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was an Italian artist who spent part of his life on the Maltese islands, during which he commissioned one of his rich treasures that is also preserved to its authenticity by Heritage Malta. The embassy of Malta in Brussels is working to bring diplomats who are based in Brussels closer to each other, by hosting working lunches and other events, in which numerous themes are discussed. Also, work is proceeding well on the preparations for the DEAC days, which is scheduled to take place in Malta in April this year. The participants will have the opportunity to meet with the Maltese authorities, covering different sectors. The informal Malta Summit held on the 3 February 2017, showed what Malta, as a small country, can achieve despite its scarce resources. EU leaders seemed to have enjoyed what Malta has to offer. Fortunately, our climate did not disappoint our EU heads of state during the summit, whereby most of the EU leaders had the opportunity to visit St. John’s Co-Cathedral; one of Malta’s magnificent artistic treasure. Besides its baroque celebration, St. John’s Co-Cathedral houses another artistic gem by Caravaggio, depicting the ‘Beheading of St. John the Baptist’.
The Malta Philharmonic during the Concert to mark the start of the Maltese Presidency of the Council of the EU at the BOZAR.
During the informal summit Malta’s environment embraced the true objective of the Maltese Presidency – rEUnion with the aim to bringing Europe closer to its people. Malta proved to be an outstanding backdrop to put high on the European agenda the evolving priorities of the EU, while bringing Member States closer together. It provided the right atmosphere for EU leaders to enjoy their work in a country that fosters peace and stability in the Mediterranean neighbourhood. If you want to keep yourself updated with Malta’s cultural activities, you can visit our website www.reunion.org.mt The six months of the Maltese Presidency of the Council of the EU are a great opportunity to discover the welfare and prosperity nurtured within the Maltese islands and its citizens. ————————- For additional pictures, please open the following link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/albums/72157676435266264

European Commission launches consultation on Common Agricultural Policy

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Brussels, 2 February 2017

Modernising and simplifying the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), one of the European Union’s longstanding policies, will allow it to better respond to today’s social, political, environmental and economic challenges.
The European Commission today launched the first phase of the modernisation and simplification of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) with the opening of a three-month public consultation. The contributions received will support the Commission’s work to define the agricultural policy priorities for the future. A modernised and simplified Common Agricultural Policy would address the key challenges that agriculture and rural areas are facing while at the same time contributing to the Commission’s policy priorities (notably jobs and growth), to sustainable development, a budget focused on results, simplification and subsidiarity. Announcing the consultation process, EU Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner Phil Hogan said: “Today we are taking the next steps towards modernising and simplifying the Common Agricultural Policy for the 21st Century. By launching this public consultation, we are asking all stakeholders and those interested in the future of food and farming in Europe to participate in shaping a policy for all the people of Europe. This public consultation feeds directly into the roadmap for the Future Common Agricultural Policy announced by President Juncker in December. The Common Agricultural Policy is already delivering major benefits for every European citizen, in terms of food security, the vitality of rural areas, the rural environment and the contribution to the climate change challenge. By designing a roadmap for the future, I am confident it can deliver even more. But we must refine it, and revitalise it, and – of course – we must adequately fund it.” The public consultation will run for 12 weeks and will give farmers, citizens, organisations and any other interested parties the chance to have their say on the future of the Common Agricultural Policy. The input from the consultation will be used by the Commission to help draft a Communication, due by the end of 2017 that will include conclusions on the current performance of the Common Agricultural Policy and potential policy options for the future based on reliable evidence. The results of the public consultation will be published online and presented by Commissioner Hogan at a conference in Brussels in July 2017.

Europe’s energy transition

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  Brussels, 1 February 2017 The Second Report on the State of the Energy Union shows that the modernisation of the European Union economy and the transition to a low-carbon era are happening. In terms of greenhouse gas emissions, energy efficiency and renewable energy, Europe is on track to reach its 2020 targets. To further drive this process, the Commission today is announcing a new Energy Union tour. In line with its commitment to report annually on the state of the Energy Union, the European Commission is publishing today its Second State of the Energy Union Report. This report looks at the progress made since the publication of the first State of the Energy Union in November 2015. These reports are central elements to monitor the implementation of this key priority of the Juncker Commission. Maroš Šefčovič, the Vice-President responsible for the Energy Union, said: “The Energy Union is about more than energy and climate alone; it is about accelerating the fundamental modernisation of Europe’s entire economy, making it low-carbon, energy and resource efficient, in a socially fair manner.” “We should also strengthen the Energy Union’s external dimension, to enhance the EU’s global leadership role. Now that a large part of the relevant legislative proposals are on the table, 2017 should be the year of implementation. This is the message that I will bring to Member States during the new Energy Union tour, which I will launch on 3 February”. Miguel Arias Cañete, Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, said: “Europe is well on track to meet its 2020 climate and energy targets. Despite the current geopolitical uncertainties, Europe is forging ahead with the clean energy transition”. ” There is no alternative. And the facts speak for themselves: renewable energy is now cost-competitive and sometimes cheaper than fossil fuels, employs over one million people in Europe, attracts more investments than many other sectors, and has reduced our fossil fuels imports bill by €16 billion. Now, efforts will need to be sustained as Europe works with its partners to lead the global race to a more sustainable, competitive economy.” Since the publication of the first State of the Energy Union, several trends in the EU’s transition to a low-carbon economy were continued and strengthened. The Commission will carry out further in-depth analysis of Member States’ policies, using the new Energy Union Tour throughout 2017. For the Energy Union, 2016 was the year of delivery where the vision of the Energy Union Framework Strategy was further translated into concrete legislative and non-legislative initiatives, above all with the “Clean Energy for all Europeans” package presented on 30 November 2016. The EU as a whole has continued to make good progress on delivering the Energy Union objectives, in particular on the 2020 energy and climate targets (see MEMO/17/162 and MEMO/17/163). It has already achieved its 2020 final energy consumption target. The same is true for greenhouse gas emissions: in 2015, EU greenhouse gas emissions were 22% below the 1990 level. The EU is also on track in the renewable sector where – based on 2014 data – the share of renewables reached 16 % of the EU’s gross final energy consumption. Another important trend is that the EU continues to successfully decouple its economic growth from its greenhouse gas emissions. During the 1990-2015 period, the EU’s combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 50 %, while total emissions decreased by 22 %. Following the conclusion of the Paris Agreement in December 2015, it was the swift ratification by the EU that enabled the entry into force of the first-ever universal, legally-binding global climate deal on 4 November 2016. In a fast-changing geopolitical environment, a successful Energy Union is crucial to protect the long term economic interests and well-being of Europe and of Europeans. That is why work on the Energy Union in the past months has included a reinforced focus on energy diplomacy, designed to strengthen security of energy supply, to expand exports of EU low carbon technology solutions and to boost Europe’s industrial competitiveness. In 2016, the Commission also presented a European low emission mobility strategy with a clear ambition: by mid-century, greenhouse gas emissions from transport should be at least 60 % lower than in 1990 and be firmly on the path towards zero, while ensuring the mobility needs of people and goods as well as global connectivity.

XX Prince Claus Awards 2016

15 December 2016, Royal Palace Amsterdam: HRH Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands, Honorary Chair  of the Prince Claus Fund, presented six Prince Claus Awards for extraordinary achievements in the field of culture and development. Their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima as well as Their Royal Highnesses Princess Beatrix, Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands and Princess Mabel van Oranje-Nassau were present at the ceremony. Likewise Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, HE Ms Lilianne Ploumen, who held an allocution deputising for Foreign Minister Bert Koenders. The Prince Claus Fund honours individuals, or organisations whose cultural actions have a positive impact. For the fund, culture is a basic human need that ought to be encouraged, and protected worldwide. 2016 was particularly special because the fund celebrated 20 years since it was born out of the vision of the late Prince Claus of the Netherlands with the monetary backing of the Dutch Foreign Ministry. The principal Prince Claus Award went to Thai filmmaker and artist Apichatpong Weerasethakul. Five additional awards were bestowed upon: Kamal Mouzawak (Lebanon), PeaceNiche | The Second Floor (T2F) (Pakistan), Bahia Shehab (Egypt/Lebanon), La Silla Vacía (Colombia) and Vo Trong Nghia Architects (Viêt Nam). The annual Prince Claus Awards honour outstanding achievements in culture and development, particularly in areas where resources or opportunities for cultural expression, creative production and preservation of cultural heritage are limited. All 2016 Prince Claus Laureates will be additionally honoured in their home countries in the upcoming months. For further information: http://princeclausfund.org/en/activities/2016-prince-claus-awards-presented-in-amsterdam.html https://frankvanbeek.smugmug.com/Other/2016-Prince-Claus-Awards/n-m3KCKn/ https://www.facebook.com/pg/princeclausfund/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1386763574668587 ———- Picture of the laureates with the Dutch royals at the Royal Palace Amsterdam by Frank van Beek.

Ceremony of the 2016 Prince Claus Award to “La Silla Vacía” (The Empty Seat) in Amsterdam

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Photo by Frank van Beek.
On 15 December 2017, the ceremony of the Prince Claus Award was held at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam. His Royal Highness Constantijn of the Netherlands presented six Prince Claus Awards as a Dutch recognition to outstanding cultural and educational achievements worldwide. Among the winners, the Embassy stands out the Colombian digital portal “La Silla Vacía” (The Empty Seat), which was represented by its founder and Director Juanita León.
The Ambassador of Colombia to the Netherlands, Juan José Quintana, was invited to this important ceremony, among which their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima and their Royal Highnesses Princess Laurentien, Princess Beatrix and Princess Mabel of the Netherlands were present as well as high level personalities from the Dutch Government such as the Minister of Foreign Trade and Cooperation Development, Lilianne Ploumen. All 2016 Prince Claus Laureates will be honoured in their home countries as well in the coming months. To check the video of the award ceremony about the work of “La Silla Vacía”, click here  

India Republic Day 2017: A Display of Cultural Diversity

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 H.E. J.S. Mukul, Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. By Roy Lie A Tjam. In India, Republic Day is a time for showcasing the country’s the latest defense arsenal and rich cultural heritage at the huge Republic Day parade at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi. Every year on Republic Day, India invites a visiting head of state, who is the country’s guest of honour for the ceremony. This year’s guest of honour was the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, H.E. Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. On the eve of the sixty-eighth Republic Day, President of India, H.E.  Mr. Pranab Mukherjee,extended warm greetings to his people. He reminded them that when India attained its political freedom on 15th August 1947, it did not have an instrument of governance of its own. For additional Roy Strik’s pictures, please open the following link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/albums/72157679715291986
Mrs. Mita Mukul, H.E. J.S. Mukul and the Ambassador of Mexico, H.E. Eduardo Ibarrola.
It was on 26th January 1950 that the Indian people gave to themselves a Constitution to secure for all citizens justice, liberty, equality, and gender and economic equity. The constitution promised fraternity, dignity of the individual, and unity and integrity of the nation. India became the largest democracy in the world. In The Hague, H.E. J.S. Mukul, Ambassador of India to the Netherlands, quoted from his President’s speech in his own address during the Republic Day celebrations, which took place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on 26 January.
Mrs. Mita Mukul, H.E. J. S. Mukul together with the Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman, His Excellency Muhammed bin Harub bin Abdullah Al Said.
Ambassador Mukul began by explaining that Republic Day is a celebration of India’s Constitution and the values of justice, liberty, equality, pluralism and secularism. He continued: “The year 2017 not only marks India at 70 but also the 70th Anniversary of India-Netherlands diplomatic relations. To commemorate this, we are having a ‘Festival of India’ from January through March 2017. This will showcase Indian classical and folk dances, music, art exhibitions and a food festival. This Festival of India will also be formally inaugurated this evening by jointly lighting the traditional Indian lamp and a glimpse of Indian classical dance ‘Kathak’. The past year, 2016, has been particularly good for bilateral relations underpinned by numerous exchanges, most recently when the Netherlands was a ‘partner country’ at ‘Vibrant Gujarat’ earlier this month.” “Our respective Chambers of Commerce now have a presence in each other’s countries. India’s e-visas for Dutch passport holders have been a resounding success for ease-of-travel to India and are being further liberalized. New direct flight connections have enhanced connectivity, and thus tourism is booming. The Netherlands is India’s sixth largest trading partner in the European Union in 2015-16. Similarly, investment flows both ways have been robust. The Netherlands is India’s fourth largest source of foreign direct investment globally during 2015-16.” “Going forward, India’s growth story remains strong; we are growing at 7.2%. India’s flagship programs like Make-in-India, Digital India, Skill India, Smart Cities, Clean India, Clean Ganga, Start-up-India, Stand-up-India, etc. provide ample complementarities and opportunities for future Indo-Dutch cooperation in niche areas. India’s far-reaching big bang reforms for investments, demonetization and Goods & Services Tax (GST) roll-out promise to be game-changers.”
Mrs Mita Mukul, H. E. J.S. Mukul and Deputy Mayor of The Hague, Mr Rabin Baldewsingh.
Ambassador Mukul also touched on the Indian diaspora in the Netherlands. He said: “We would like to acknowledge the Indian diaspora community – the largest in mainland Europe – for its contributions to the Netherlands, to India, as well as to Indo-Dutch relations. We are extremely proud of the positive and constructive role of the Indian diaspora. It is a matter of great satisfaction that the presence of a large, diversified, integrated, well accomplished and highly regarded Indian diaspora community in the Netherlands has ensured excellent people-to-people interaction in all fields.” Ambassador Mukul concluded: “During the year and a half of my stay in the Netherlands, I have been very touched by the openness, graciousness and cooperation of the Dutch authorities and people. I have been particularly struck by the friendship for India. Their interest in our country, culture, customs, couture and cuisine is remarkable.” “Today, we have a very reputed Indian classical Kathak dance troupe of Aditi Mangaldas performing for us to mark the inauguration of the Festival of India. We also have an Indian buffet in the adjoining restaurant prepared by Chefs Arun Kumar and Jai Kishan from India Tourist Development Corporation (ITDC) who are here for the Indian Food Festival in association with Crowne Plaza Hotel and India Tourism office in Amsterdam as part of the Festival of India.” “Finally, if I may be permitted on a personal note, on behalf of my wife Mita and myself, to convey our profound gratitude and deep appreciation for the whole-hearted cooperation and friendship that we have received from one and all during our stay in The Hague. As I retire from the Indian Foreign Service at the end of April to return back to New Delhi on May 1, 2017, our thoughts will be with our friends here. Our stay may have been short, but was extremely satisfying and enjoyable. The Netherlands will always have a special place wherever we are. We will remember our Dutch hosts, friends from all countries and our Indian diaspora compatriots with very fond memories and a deep sense of nostalgia. We look forward to remaining in close touch up to April here and thereafter from India.”
Indian classical Kathak dance troupe of Aditi Mangaldas.
The Republic Day 2017 celebration in The Hague was an excellent demonstration of Indian cordiality and hospitality. Many of Ambassador Mukul’s friends, colleagues, Dutch civil servants and business figures congregated at Hotel Crowne Plaza to celebrate Republic Day 2017. Guest speakers included Peter Potman, Director Asia and Oceania at the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In his remarks, Potman hinted at the establishment of a Dutch Consulate-General in Bangalore. The Dutch Ambassador to India H.E. Alphonsus Stoelinga also addressed the audience. The Indian classical Kathak dance troupe of Aditi Mangaldas put on a sublime performance, mesmerizing the audience with a rhythmic style of dancing. Aditi Mangaldas is a leading dancer and choreographer in the classical Indian dance form of Kathak, with extensive training under the leading gurus of Kathak. She is today recognised for her artistry, technique, eloquence and characteristic energy that mark every performance.