African Ambassadors’ Dinner 2016

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African Ambassadors’ Dinner 2016
By Roy Lie A Tjam. The annual African Ambassadors’ Dinner was held the headquarters of Rabobank in Utrecht on December 15, 2016. The event was co organized by the NABC, with several Ambassadors in attendance. Prior to the dinner, attendees engaged in a full day of networking with the Dutch private sector. The packed programme featured an Ambassadors’ matchmaking session and a strong line-up of guest speakers. They included Juriaan Ruys from LandLife; Mette Gongrijp from MFA, Mamadou Touré from Ubuntu Capital, Maarten van Herpen from Philips, and Coert Beerman from Rabobank. A highlight of the day was when participants chose the winner of the 2016 Doing Business in Africa award, which went to Bosbouwbedrijf FORM International. NABC director Irene Visser presented the award to Paul Cave, the company’s CEO. FORM International is engaged in sustainable forestry in Ghana and Tanzania. In northern Ghana, the company manages 20 thousand hectares of land which has had to recover from deforestation. A reforestation project is now underway, implementing teak and various indigenous materials. H.E. Jean Pierre Karabaranga, Ambassador of Rwanda to the Netherlands, thanked the organizers for putting together such an excellent programme. The famous dinner was followed by a cocktail reception.

Consular Corps of Curaçao gets new board

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Consular Corps of Curaçao gets new board
On the picture from left to right: Paul Pradin (Member), Margaret Hawthorne (Vice-Dean), Karel Frielink (Dean), Ivan Moreno Jr. (Treasurer) and Paul van de Laarschot (Secretary). D.r.p.d.: Sr. Paul Pradin (miembro), Sra. Margaret Hawthorne (visepresidente), Sr. Karel Frielink (presidente), Sr. Ivan Moreno jr. (tesorero) i Sr. Paul van de Laarschot (sekretario). Van links naar rechts: Paul Pradin (lid), Margaret Hawthorne (vice-voorzitter), Karel Frielink (voorzitter), Ivan Moreno jr. (penningmeester) en Paul van de Laarschot (secretaris).   A new Board of the Consular Corps of Curaçao was appointed at the recent annual general meeting. Karel Frielink, honorary consul of Germany, was appointed the new Dean. The other board members appointed were Margaret Hawthorne (U.S. Consul General) as Vice-Dean, Ivan Moreno Jr. (honorary consul of Belgium) as Treasurer, Paul van de Laarschot (honorary consul of Hungary) as Secretary and Paul Pradin (honorary consul of France) as Member. The Consular Corps of Curaçao represents 33 countries. Its members serve as consul general, vice-consul, or honorary consul. They assist citizens from the countries they represent visiting or living in Curaçao in some legal and consular matters. They also work to promote good relations between Curaçao and the country they represent. In his acceptance speech, the new Dean has called on the Curaçao government to take the necessary measures to ensure that the Directorate of Foreign Affairs will be fully staffed as soon as possible. Given the number and nature of consular matters, it is of the utmost importance that members of the Consular Corps can closely work together with the Curaçao Directorate of Foreign Affairs. The new Dean also stated that the Consular Corps of Curaçao will do whatever it can to support and facilitate the government of Curaçao in building and maintaining meaningful relationships with other countries. The Consular Corps will be more visible via social media, for instance through informing the public in Curaçao about consular matters.

The Hague International Network THIN Extraordinary Session

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The Hague International Network THIN Extraordinary Session
On the picture Andrew van Esch (director The Hague International Network) Mr Han ten Broeke, Dutch MP for VVD (Liberal Conservatives), Mr Nikola Dimitrov, Distinguished Fellow at The Hague Institute for Global Justice (former Ambassador for FYRM Macedonia), Dr Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy, Dutch Member of the European Parliament for D66 (Social Liberals).   By Roy Lie A Tjam. The Hague International Network (THIN) concurrently held its first meeting for 2017 on Friday 20 January with the investiture of the President of the USA Mr. Donald John Trump. The attendees of the event were able to follow the investiture ceremony live on gigantic screens.
Dr Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy, Dutch MEP for D66.
This event that was intended to analyse the investiture was graced by the presence of many illustrious individuals. Some Ambassadors and Diplomats joined the unique gathering in addition to members of the international community. After watching the ceremony, a panel of experts unpacked the proceedings.
Mr Nikola Dimitrov, Distinguished Fellow at The Hague Institute for
Global Justice.
Among them were:
  • Andrew van Esh (Director at THIN)
  • Han ten Broeke, the Dutch MP for VVD and spokesperson on Foreign Affairs. Over and above that, he also chairs the standing parliamentary commission for the Defence
  • Chris van Voorden, Director at Innovation Quarters who is also responsible for foreign investments
  • Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy, Dutch Member of the European Parliament for D66 who is also a specialist on environmental issues and climate change, and
  • Nikola Dimitrov, Distinguished Fellow of The Hague Institute for Global Security as well as a former Ambassador of Macedonia in Washington and the Netherlands.
Italian Ambassador, H.E. Mr Andrea Perugini and his wife.
The panel commented on the ceremony and foretold what the Trump administration will mean for Europe and the Netherlands in particular. The fabulous THIN meeting and screening took place at Brasserie Mondano of the World Trade Centre in The Hague.
A cross section of the public.
Photography by the Word Trade Center, The Hague.  

North American foreign chiefs appointed

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North American foreign chiefs appointed
On the picture Luis Videgaray, Secretary of Foreign Affairs. United Mexican States: On 4 January 2017, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto appointed Luis Videgaray Caso in the capacity as “Secretary of Foreign Affairs“. In his first allocution in the latter position, he said about his policy, “Mexico would pursue a course of intelligence and dignity, opening the doors to dialogue”. Until late 2016 Videgaray Caso was Minister of Finance.
Chrystia Freeland, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs.
http://www.gob.mx/sre Dominion of Canada: On 10 January 2017, The Honourable Chrystia Freeland was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs during a cabinet reshuffle in Justin Trudeau‘s administration. Prior to this office she held the ministerial post of Minister of International Trade, and was responsible for the trade agreement with the EU. http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca

Japanese delegation unveils artwork donation to ICC

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Japanese delegation unveils artwork donation to ICC
Japanese delegation unveils artwork donation to International Criminal Court H.E. Hiroshi Inomata, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Netherlands, Ms. Naoko Saiki, Director-General, International Legal Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Judge Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi, ICC President and Ms Fatou Bensouda, ICC Prosecutor unveiling the artwork (left); the “Peace and Justice Bell”(right) ©ICC-CPI On 23-24 January 2017, Ms. Naoko Saiki, Director-General, International Legal Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, visited the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, the Netherlands, and met with ICC President Judge Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi, ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, and ICC Registrar Herman von Hebel. On 24 January, Ms. Naoko Saiki and H.E. Hiroshi Inomata, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Netherlands unveiled a new artwork donation to the ICC. The artwork, the “Peace and Justice Bell”, has been modelled on the Hiroshima Peace Bell, which was cast in 1967 by the late Mr Masahiko Katori (1899-1988), a renowned bronze artist and bell-caster in Japan. The Hiroshima Peace Bell has since served as a symbol of peace, rung once a year at the annual Peace Memorial Ceremony of Hiroshima. Ms. Saiki stated in her remarks at the ceremony that the donation of this artwork symbolizes Japan’s longstanding pursuit of peace and, at the same time, its dedication to upholding the Court’s resolution to guarantee lasting respect for and the enforcement of international justice. The “Peace and Justice Bell” thus epitomizes the goals, values and principles represented by the Court. Expressing the Court’s gratitude to the government of Japan for the donation, the ICC President said: “This thoughtful gift reminds us that the two ideals of peace and justice are interrelated and must go hand in hand. I am confident that the Peace and Justice Bell, placed at the Court’s Permanent Premises, will serve as an inspiration for reflection and commitment to the goals of the Rome Statute.” Since the move to its new permanent premises in December 2015, the ICC received artwork donations from the Governments of Slovenia, Tunisia, Korea and Liechtenstein, representing their cultural heritage as well as reflecting the mandate of the Court.

Women Economic Forum to take place in The Hague this week

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Women Economic Forum to take place in The Hague this week
On the picture His Excellency J. S. Mukul, Ambassador of India. By Liudmyla Palamar. Women Economic Forum (WEF) will take place in the World Forum in The Hague on the 27th and 28th of January 2017. The program of the international conference, aiming to foster empowering conversations and connections among women, will include a range of prominent speeches, professional workshops and networking events. Women Economic Forum takes place on a regular basis in different cities around the world. The conference in the Netherlands will be followed by multiple events in the USA, Canada, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cyprus and more than ten other countries. Being focused on mutually beneficial knowledge exchange, learning and networking Women Economic Forum creates an avenue for women to expand their professional and business connections.
H.E. Jean Pierre Karabaranga, Ambassador of Rwanda.
  The program of the WEF in The Hague includes the speeches of H.E. Alphonsus Stoelinga, Ambassador of Netherlands to India, H.E. J. S. Mukul, Ambassador of India to Netherlands, H.E. Dr. Momar Diop, Ambassador of Senegal to Netherlands, H.E. Jean Pierre Karabaranga, Ambassador of Rwanda to Netherlands, H.E. Judge Sanji Monageng,Vice-President, International Criminal Court, H.E. Judge Joyce Aluoch, First Vice-President, International Criminal Court and other prominent members of the diplomatic community. During the 2-day conference participants will also have an opportunity to attend a broad range of workshops and parallels on diverse topics such as “EU – Creating Environment for Sustainable & Inclusive Growth,” “The Future for Youth,” “Social Media and Youth,” etc. Among other side events, a workshop titled “The Happy Me” will be organized by the author of the book “Life Outside Your Comfort Zone” Marwa Saleh. The professional trainer from Dale Ca
Marwa Saleh
rnegie Corporation, will give an engaging training, designed “to help people start removing their limiting beliefs.”   Information: More information about the Women Economic Forum (WEF) can be found on the official website of the event: www.wef.org.in More information about “The Happy Me” workshop can be found on http://www.wef.org.in/marwa-saleh/

IX President of Malta opens Maltese EU presidency

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IX President of Malta opens Maltese EU presidency
Monday, 16 January 2017, Brussels: HM the VII King of the Belgians received the IX President of Malta, Marie Louise Coleiro Preca for an afternoon meeting concerning Belgian-Maltese relations as well as the state of the European Union as Malta assumed the rotating presidency of the council from 1 January 2017.  The meeting between King Philippus and President Coleiro Preca took place at the centrally located Royal Palace of Brussels.  Later in the evening President Coleiro Preca partook at the inaugural reception, and subsequent concert to open the Maltese EU presidency. In her remarks to attending EU authorities, EU permanent representatives, ambassadors and officials of the EU and Belgium, President Coleiro Preca called for European unity as well as a common ground in dealing with the refugee crisis in spite of its unpopularity in many countries.  The Centre for Fine Arts BOZAR in Brussels was the venue for the prestigious opening attended likewise by Malta’s Prime Minister Dr Joseph Muscat, and co-hosted by the Maltese Permanent Representative to the EU, HE Ambassador Marlene Bonnici and bilateral ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and NATO, HE Ray Azzopardi.    Programme for the Maltese Presidency of the EU Council: https://www.eu2017.mt/Documents/Maltese%20Priorities/EU2017MT%20-%20Presidency%20Priorities%20(EN).pdf https://www.facebook.com/EU2017MT   Photography by the Belgian Royal Household.      

The Ambassador  of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, H.E. Ms. Ngo Thi Hoa

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The Ambassador  of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, H.E. Ms. Ngo Thi Hoa

H.E. Mrs. Ngo Thi Hoa is the new Ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. She is bringing decades-worth of diplomatic experience to her new term in The Hague along with a very clear goal.

After graduating from the Diplomat Academy of Vietnam in 1987, Mrs. Hoa spent the next few years honing her foreign language skills. In addition to French and English, which she learned in the Academy, she studied Russian at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv in Ukraine throughout 1988. After returning to Hanoi, Vietnam, she also spent time learning Khmer until 1989.

When she joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam (MOFA) in 1991, Mrs. Hoa was assigned to be an expert in the Southeast Asia – South Asia – South Pacific Department (SEA-SA-SP). She served her first term abroad as an attache at the Embassy of Vietnam in the Philippines from 1996 to 1999, during which she earned her Master’s degree in International Studies at De La Salle University situated in Manila.

After returning from the Philippines, she was appointed as the Assistant to the Director-General of the SEA-SA-SP Department and later promoted to be the department’s Deputy Director-General in 2005. Three years later, Mrs. Hoa served her second term abroad in Cambodia as Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission until 2011.

Following her term in Phnom Penh, she was appointed Deputy Director-General of the Personnel Department as well as the head of the Women’s Committee at MOFA. Two years later, Mrs. Hoa was appointed Inspector in Chief – a position she held until her third term abroad. In 2016, she was named the Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and she recently presented her credentials to His Majesty King Willem-Alexander on January 25th, 2017.

In the upcoming years, Mrs. Hoa aims to strengthen and elevate the multi-faceted cooperative relationship between Vietnam and the Netherlands. She wishes to facilitate more collaboration between these two countries, especially in the areas of climate change, water management, modern agriculture, and more. Her additional goals during this term are also to promote Vietnamese culture and support the Vietnamese community here in the Netherlands. She has her mind set on organizing an array of events and activities to achieve these aims.

Furthermore, Mrs. Hoa hopes to successfully represent her country in the multilateral domain as Vietnam is a member of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Committee of The Hague.

In her free time, Mrs. Hoa likes to do sports (such as cycling, tennis, and golf), reading, watching movies, traveling, and she is also a foodie. Additionally, she is passionate about feminism and charity as well. Mrs. Hoa wishes to bring these hobbies and interests into the events that she will hold in the future; at the moment, she is already thinking about an event that would promote Vietnamese cuisine.

In addition to her aforementioned hobbies, Mrs. Hoa is also interested in home decor and gardening. The Vietnamese Embassy recently moved to a new location and the building is currently under renovation, meaning that it is a blank canvas waiting to be painted on. Upon knowing this, she is extremely thrilled to decorate the embassy in a way that would showcase the Vietnamese style. The idea is to have traditional Vietnamese decor and artwork displayed throughout the embassy, with flowers and trees being in various places including the courtyard.

The diplomat community in The Hague sends a warm welcome to Ambassador Hoa and we are very excited to see her ideas come to fruition.

The Feel at Home in The Hague Fair

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The Feel at Home in The Hague Fair
Welcoming Internationals to The Hague  On Sunday 5th February 2017, The Feel at Home in The Hague Fair will celebrate its 10th Anniversary.  The Fair will be officially opened by the Mayor of The Hague, Jozias van Aartsen, who will address a special welcome to the international community which plays such an important role in the region. More than 4000 visitors attended the event in the Hague City Hall in 2016 and appreciated the unique ambiance created by the combination of 150 diverse exhibitors with a dynamic programme of activities and entertainment, workshops and seminars.   A meeting point for the whole community  No other expat event in the Netherlands engenders quite the same sense of community as The Hague Feel at Home Fair, where nearly a half of the stands are local sports and social clubs or volunteer organisations. These groups exhibit free of charge and relish the opportunity to network, advertise their activities and recruit new members.   Showcase for Small Businesses  Alongside these community groups are dozens of small business stands, many of them run by internationals who themselves moved to The Netherlands as an expat. They take great pleasure in animating the Fair with activities, tastings and performances which help them to connect with fellow internationals.  A Free Seminar Programme This year, Education will be the central theme, covering the range of educational choices from pre-school to adult education. Contributors to the Education Programme of talks, seminars and workshops  include many of region’s international schools and universities, and visitors will also have the opportunity to meet the speakers and panelists informally in the Education Zone. There will also be a complementary series of seminars and workshops on all aspects of life in The Netherlands, from buying a house to learning about Dutch culture. Attendance at all seminars and workshops is free. Entertainment and Food  The day is made richer through a lively entertainment programme provided by our international schools, amateur clubs and local professional cultural organisations. This year, with its focus on culture, the Fair will be especially animated, with three different performance spaces – The Podium, Central Park and STET’s Children’s Theatre.  Furthermore, The Feel at Home in The Hague Fair will be taking its entertainment programme out into the city centre, with some performances being repeated in De Bijenkorf department store. The icing on the cake is an International Food Court taking a culinary trip around the World, from Africa to India, Peru and back to Europe . The combination of these elements  gives the Feel at Home in The Hague Fair a unique flavour, which explains why the event plays such a special role as a meeting point for the entire international community.  A Dynamic International City As you might expect, around a fifth of our visitors last year were newcomers to The Netherlands, but perhaps more surprisingly, over a third had lived here more than 10 years! What these two groups had in common was a desire to learn more about things to do and events and activities happening in their region.     By showcasing the huge range of clubs to join and things to do locally, The Feel at Home in The Hague International Community Fair is a celebration of the region as an interesting and dynamic place for internationals to live. For Internationals and internationally-minded locals to come meet with friends and share in the pleasure of the great city of The Hague.  Registering for Free Tickets  Entrance is free for visitors who register in advance on our website: www.feelathomeinthehague.com  On our website and  Facebook page visitors  can also keep up to date with developments    

Indonesia Festivity

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Indonesia Festivity
By Roy Lie A Tjam. The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in the Netherlands under the acumen leadership of Ambassador H.E. I Gusti A. Wesaka Puja, hosted the Indonesia Cultural Festivity or Gebyar Budaya Indonesia on  December 26th, 2016. Hundreds of guests descended upon Emplaza Hall, Rijswijk in order to participate in what could only be called an incredibly interactive and exciting way to end the year. The festival helped to showcase the harmonious and rich aspects of Indonesian culture. The night began with a welcome address by Ambassador Puja who thanked everyone for attending; the following groups participated in the program: Stichting Peduli Seni, Ina Dance, Boi Akih Band, Leidhsche 1922, Bandit Band, OEsman Arif & Silvia van Santen Jazz Trio, Night Breaker and  Justin Palmeley. Furthermore, as expected of Indonesian hospitality, several food stalls provided the vast number of guests with the range of savoury Indonesian dishes. Gebyar Budaya Indonesia was the last event in the busy 2016 calendar (Culinary week Rotterdam, Film week, Jazz Festival) hosted by the Indonesian Embassy and it will certainly go down into history as an unforgettable day. .  
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