On the picture H.E. Philippe Couvreur, Registrar at the International Court of Justice, last year during the 6th Ibero-American Week of International Justice.
The I Polyphonic Day of International Justice that will take place on 7 June 2017 (starting at 11h00) at the Aula of the Hague University for Applied Sciences (Johanna Westerdijkplein 75.
The event is organised by the Ibero-American Institute of The Hague, in cooperation with Hague University for Applied Sciences, the Hague Peace and Justice Programme of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Netherlands, the Chinese Initiative for International Law, the African Foundation for International Law, the Center for International and Comparative Law of the Lomonosov Moscow State University, the Iranian Center for International Criminal Law, the ICC Coalition, the Hague Academic Coalition and Martinus Nijhoff Publishers.
Speakers are coming from Arab countries, China, Iran, Russia, Africa and Ibero-America to talk about different international law issues.
Participation in the Programme is for free. Registration: inscripcionesiih@gmail.com
Mayor Jozias van Aartsen.By Roy Lie A Tjam.
Departing Mayor of The Hague Jozias van Aartsen hosted an exclusive reception to take leave of the Corps Diplomatique in The Hague on 20 February. In attendance were the ambassadors of Costa Rica, India, Chile, Georgia, Peru, Belgium, Morocco, Bolivia, Germany, Lebanon, Czech Republic, and Bosnia & Herzegovina among others, along with representatives of the international courts and institutions, and staff from the Dutch Royal Court.
For additional Hester Dijsktra’s pictures, please open the following link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/albums/72157679465281980The Minister of Foreign Affairs. Mr Bert Koenders.
The venue was chosen with care; Gemeente Museum The Hague, where a unique exposition of works by Piet Mondriaan and Bert van der Leck was on display.
The first to speak at the reception was Benno Tempel, director of the Gemeente Museum. He thanked Mayor van Aartsen for his unstinting support, advice and close cooperation on matters pertaining to the Gemeente Museum.
Linda Divon, Mayor Jozias van Aartsen and spouse and former Israeli Ambassador to the Netherlands, Hain Divon.
The placing of the transparent glass ceiling and the relocation of the Escher collection are tangible proof of this, he explained. Mr. Tempel and artist Omar Muni offered the Mayor a leather bag personally designed by Mr. Muni.
Ab van der Touw, CEO of Siemens Nederland, was next in line to address Mayor van Aartsen and his guests. Mr. Van der Touw, a personal friend of Mr. van Aartsen, briefly referred to the latter’s stint as Minister of Agriculture and Foreign Affairs. I know you as a person who has always been impartial, he told the Mayor.
The Ambassador of the Plurinational State of Bolivia. H.E. Eduardo Rodriguez Veltze and Judge Silvia Fernandez de Gurmendi, President of the International Criminal Court.
Such an active person should and could not disappear from the scene. Mr van der Touw, in his animated presentation, included some remarks in the local vernacular (Haagenaars and Hagenezen) that was well received by the Hagenaars, Hagenezen and others in the audience.
A magnificent musical intermezzo on piano and trumpet of ‘The Prince of Denmark’s March’, performed by two students from the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague, added luster to the program.
Mayor van Artsen was also congratulated by Bert Koenders, Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, who spoke on behalf of the Dutch government.
A somewhat moved Jozias van Aartsen remarked that he simply did his job, and he did it with pleasure.
Mayor van Aartsen then addressed the hundreds who had come to bid him farewell. He told the guests:
“That we should meet each other precisely at this spot is something which gives me great pleasure, and for various reasons. Because not only is this a beautiful building, but it also houses an impressive collection as Benno Tempel already noted, the biggest Mondrian collection in the world.”Counsellor/Economic & Trade , Embassy of the Republic of Kenya, Rose Sumbeiywo and Roy Lie A Tjam, from Diplomat Magazine.“The Gemeente museum airs, in my view, the liberalism in the philosophical sense of the word, the sense of community and tolerance, in line with the thinking of the architect of this museum, Hendrik Berlage, a famous Dutch architect and urban planner. An individual who in the early decades of the twentieth century to a large degree also helped shape The Hague as a city. He was a visionary, as demonstrated by his plan for a ‘world capital’ as a place that would house international organizations.”“The Gemeente museum narrowly escaped destruction during the Second World War when this part of The Hague was largely torn down to make way for German fortifications. There is something of an ironic symbolism in the fact that the International Zone, with its OPCW, ICTY, Europol, Eurojust, and this museum, are now all situated precisely within that area. From a city at war to a city of peace. In the period immediately after 1945, and again after the fall of the Berlin Wall, international cooperation really began to take shape, which was also reflected in the development of our international city of peace and justice.”“It was here in The Hague, too, that the unification of Europe began in 1948 – all driven by the bitter experience of two world wars fueled by nationalism and delusions of grandeur. Never again, was the slogan of the day. A new world at peace; that was the goal. The founders of ‘De Stijl’, the centenary of which we are celebrating with this exhibition, created a new art for a new a new world. The world in which art and life would come together.”The musical intermezzo ‘Honeysuckle Rose’ by the Brass Ensemble of the Marine Band concluded the formal part of the reception.
Guests enjoyed the ongoing exhibition entitled 100 Years of De Stijl, showcasing the largest Piet Mondriaan collection in the world, and many works of his contemporary Bart van der Leck.
The Young entrepreneurs looking to do business with Africa can join in with a new initiative: Making Africa Work. This year, some 40 entrepreneurs from the Netherlands will be given the opportunity to obtain support in establishing a business in Africa.
The assistance offered to them in finding local partners and developing their business plan is expected to help them achieve a faster and better business launch. The project also hopes to boost employment opportunities in Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Rwanda and Sierra Leone. After all, the best guarantee for new jobs and local growth is new business. Entrepreneurs wishing to set up or expand their business in these countries, can get in touch with PUM and Africa in Motion, starting today.
Making Africa Work is aimed both at African migrants and students wishing to start up a business in their country of origin, and Dutch entrepreneurs who see Africa as a growth market, and are looking for partners. “Matching migrants and Dutch businesses with promising African companies, is a modern form of essential development aid. By offering coaching, combining market research and drawing up sound business plans, the programme will promote employment as well as business opportunities in Africa,” explained Johan van de Gronden, CEO of PUM Netherlands senior experts. Making Africa Work is a one-year pilot project based on experience accrued by Africa in Motion, which in the past matched a.o. a Rwandan migrant and a Dutch dairy farmer, who have since established a successful collaborative venture in Rwanda.
Africa as a growth market
Every year, the numbers of young people joining the labour market outstrip the number of jobs available. As a result, unemployment is growing; a development that promotes migration. One way of reducing this migratory pressure is to encourage entrepreneurship, since new businesses generate new jobs. Dutch companies can make a contribution, because Africa is an attractive growth market with huge potential. In the expansion phase of their business, however, it is unfortunately often difficult for entrepreneurs to make the shift to the African continent. Making Africa Work can help them, with its local contacts and expertise.
Matching businesses here and there
Making Africa Work is a programme implemented by PUM Netherlands senior experts (PUM) and Africa in Motion (AIM) and financed by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The one-year programme will be operated in Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Rwanda and Sierra Leone. By appealing to existing partners in the Netherlands and in the region, the aim is to have established forty matches between entrepreneurs here and in the target countries by the end of the year, with a business plan for each successful match, backed up by market research and feasibility studies.
Registration
Entrepreneurs wishing to elaborate their ideas into business plans and looking for local partners can register via www.makingafricawork.orgAbout PUM Netherlands senior experts (www.pum.nl)
PUM is Europe’s largest ‘employment agency’ for professional volunteers who wish to share their commercial knowledge and experience with entrepreneurs in developing countries. PUM was established in 1978 by employers’ organisation VNO-NCW, based on the vision that entrepreneurship is the driving force for sustainable development.
The organisation has been active for decades in Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Rwanda and Sierra Leone, and has an extensive network of local partners in those countries, including incubators, Chambers of Commerce and industry associations, all of whom will be mobilised for making Making Africa Work. PUM will also involve its Dutch network of entrepreneurs in implementing this programme, and deploy senior experts as project coaches.
About Africa in Motion (www.africainmotion.nl)
AIM is an initiative by African migrants in the Netherlands. Since 2010, AIM has aimed to increase the impact of African diaspora on sustainable economic growth in their countries of origin. In 2015, AIM facilitated a series of matches between Rwandan students and Dutch entrepreneurs, that have led to combined business activities in Rwanda. AIM will be providing coaches for Making Africa Work, and mobilising its network of diaspora organisations.
After the Malta Summit of 3 February 2017 highlighted the need for a review of EU return policy, the Commission presented a renewed EU Action Plan on Return and a set of recommendations to Member States on how to make return procedures more effective.
The measures proposed by the Commission consist of practical steps which can have an immediate impact.
First Vice-President Frans Timmermans said: “We are working hard on partnerships with countries of origin and transit. In order for this to be successful, it is now also time to improve our internal procedures and make sure that all persons who do not need international protection are returned humanely and swiftly. We want to continue to offer succour to persons in need of international protection. We owe it to them, to our partners outside the EU, and to our citizens to be able to say clearly: when in need, we’ll help, when not, you must return.”
Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos said: “We need to give protection to those in need, but we must also return those who have no right to stay in the EU, in full compliance with the fundamental rights and the principle of non-refoulement. Ensuring that irregular migrants are returned swiftly will not only take pressure off the asylum systems in Member States and ensure appropriate capacity to protect those who are genuinely in need of protection, it will also be a strong signal against taking dangerous irregular journeys to the EU in the first place. With today’s Action Plan and Recommendation, the Commission is providing support to Member States in their efforts to step up returns, as called for by the EU leaders at the Malta Summit.”
Despite the progress on the implementation of the actions under the 2015 EU Action Plan on Return, more resolute action is still needed. The current migratory challenges demand a thorough assessment of how Member States can use the EU’s existing legal, operational and financial instruments on return better. Faster procedures, stronger measures against absconding, a multidisciplinary approach by national authorities and better cooperation and coordination between Member States can all help to ensure a more effective return policy without diminishing fundamental rights safeguards.
The Commission recommendations are fully in line with international and human rights and the principle of non-refoulement.
The Commission notably recommends that Member States:
Improve the coordination among all the services and authorities involved in the return process in each Member State by June
Remove inefficiencies by shortening deadlines for appeals, systematically issuing return decisions that do not have an expiry date and combining decisions on the ending of a legal stay with the issuance of a return decision to avoid duplicate work;
Tackle abuses of the system by making use of the possibility to assess asylum claims in accelerated or, where considered appropriate, border procedures when it is suspected asylum claims are made merely to delay the enforcement of a return decision;
Prevent absconding by detaining people who have received a return decision and who show signs they will not comply such as refusal to cooperate in the identification process or opposing a return operation violently or fraudulently;
Increase the effectiveness of return procedures and decisions by only granting voluntary departure if necessary and if a request is made and giving the shortest possible periods for voluntary departure, taking into account individual circumstances;
Set up operational assisted voluntary return programmes by 1 June 2017 and ensure proper dissemination of information on voluntary return and assisted voluntary return and reintegration programmes.
A renewed Action Plan on Return
The renewed Action Plan on Return sets out steps at each stage of the return process to tackle key challenges for return both at EU level and in the cooperation with countries of origin and transit.
Actions proposed at EU level include:
Increased financial support to Member States with €200 million in 2017 for national return efforts as well as for specific joint European return and reintegration activities;
Improving information exchange to enforce return by collecting real time information at national level and sharing it using the existing Integrated Return Management Application, as well as speeding up work on adopting the proposals to reform the Schengen Information System and Eurodac and to establish an EU Entry-Exit System (EES) and a European Travel Information System (ETIAS);
Exchanging best practices to ensure reintegration packages are consistent and coherent among all Member States to avoid countries of origin favouring returns from countries offering higher reintegration packages or assisted-voluntary return-shopping by irregular migrants;
Offering full support to Member States by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency with the Agency called on to step up pre-return assistance, increase its return support unit staff and set up a commercial flight mechanism for financing returns by June, as well as step up the training of third country authorities on return by October;
Overcoming the challenges of readmission by working to swiftly conclude the negotiations of Readmission Agreements with Nigeria, Tunisia and Jordan and striving to engage with Morocco and Algeria.
Within the Partnership Framework, employ collective leverage in a coordinated and effective manner through tailor-made approaches with third countries to jointly manage migration and further improve cooperation on return and readmission. (see also today’s report on the implementation of the Partnership Framework: IP/17/402).
The Commission will report on progress made by December 2017.
The Hague, 6 March 2017 – The President of the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (“MICT” or “Mechanism”), Judge Theodor Meron, on Friday met with a delegation from the National Human Rights Commission of the Republic of Korea (“NHRCK”), including the Chairperson of the NHRCK, Mr. Sung-ho Lee, the NHRCK’s International Cooperation Team Director, Mr. Hyoung-seok Cho, and the International Cooperation Team Deputy Director, Mr. Yun-kul Jung. The Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Netherlands, H.E. Jong-hyun Choe, and the Embassy’s Counsellor, Mr. Jong-sun Kang, also took part in the meeting. Judge Seon-ki Park, a Judge of the Mechanism from the Republic of Korea, joined President Meron in welcoming the delegation.
The meeting, which took place at the Hague branch, was an opportunity to present to the NHRCK the work of the Mechanism. Attendees also discussed the role of international courts and other accountability mechanisms in the protection and promotion of human rights and areas of potential cooperation. The NHRCK was established in 2001 with the mandate to promote and protect human rights, as codified in international human rights conventions and treaties to which the Republic of Korea is a signatory.
Gimba and AB on the Island in Jail, Gantane Kusch and Dann-Jaques Mouton. OMSBy Roy Lie A Tjam.The South African Film Festival 2017 came and went. Hosted by the South African Embassy in te Netherlands lasted from 24-25 February 2017 with an exclusive screening of the feature length feature, “Noem my Skollie” or “Call me Thief” on 24 February 2017. The first screening in Europe was attended by people of the Dutch media, Rotterdam Film Festival, members of the Diplomatic community and several others. Attendees have had ample opportunity to taste South African snacks and also to meet and chat with the friendly director Mr. David Max Brown. One commentator stated: “after watching the trailer earlier this year, I knew ‘Noem My Skollie’ would be a powerful film, but I didn’t expect just how moved I would be. Noem My Skollie is beautifully shot. So much time and effort was spent on costumes, the set etc and it all comes together perfectly on screen.”Noem my Skollie, the screenplay that John W. Fredericks has written is culturally specific but it is universally understood and highly emotional. Most importantly it is based on his own life, written by a man who was already considered a “write off” in his early teens. Now as he approaches 70 years of age and after spending time on death row in the 60’s John still types with one finger and still lives on the notorious Cape FlatsThe Dutch film industry has been growing in recent years, in part to generous government support that has enabled it to develop a sophisticated film production industry and a keen interest in South Africa.There is room for a significant presence of South African films in Dutch cinema theaters and to this end, it provides a unique opportunity for growth in the Netherlands.
By H.E. I Gusti Agung Wesaka Puja, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.The relations between Indonesia and the Netherlands dates back years ago. This relation, which can be characterized as very close and dynamic, have been subjected to various ups and downs. It appears useful to draw a lesson from the developments in both nations’ mutual history in order to maintain and deepen the ties and cooperation in the years to come.At present, relations and cooperation between Indonesia and the Netherlands have been moving in a favourable direction. It is very encouraging to note that not only in the political and economic fields, but also in areas, such as education, science, culture, and tourism, substantial progress has been made.The year 2013 is an important year for both countries as the two nations elevated their relationship into a more comprehensive and strategic partnership 2.0. Prime Minister Rutte and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono launched the Joint Declaration on Comprehensive Partnership that year. By achieving a comprehensive and strategic partnership, Indonesia and the Netherlands are no longer considered as individual countries, but more in the context of international cooperation.The enhancement of the relations between Indonesia and the Netherlands is marked by the visits of both countries’ head of nations and leaders. President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, made an official working visit to the Netherlands on 21-22 April 2016 and as a return, Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, visited Indonesia on 21-23 November 2016. Within the two visits, both countries signed numbers of memorandum of understandings and agreements in different fields of development, in particular in maritime cooperation, business, infrastructure, health, education, agriculture, land, and tourism. The two countries have taken this momentum to boost their bilateral relations with concrete cooperation to reach Indonesia-Netherlands Beyond 2.0.Trade between Indonesia and the Netherlands in 2016 has the tendency to increase according to the data from Centraal Bureau voor Statistiek (CBS). The bilateral trade figure reached € 3,01 billion in 2016. It is also important to note that the Dutch export to Indonesia is slowly increasing since 2014. The Dutch investment is number 4 of the top 10 foreign investors in Indonesia. Between 2010 – 2015, Netherlands is the highest investor in Indonesia with 37.47% out of investments from all other EU member countries. In 2015, Dutch investment in Indonesia reached $1.31 billion in 423 projects, and in 2016 reached $ 1.47 billion in 840 projects.In terms of the food security cooperation, both countries also agreed to set up several projects in the area of climate smart agriculture. On the water management cooperation, a joint project was created to conceive a Master plan that facilitates and encourages flood proof and sustainable development of Jakarta. Indonesia and the Netherlands also agreed to work together to promote a sustainable palm oil production and trade. The agreement includes Indonesia’s commitment to work on a total ban on the production of non-sustainable palm oil in the next several years. The cooperation between Indonesia and the Netherlands in counter-terrorism is developing well. Cooperation with the Netherlands has been instrumental to provide a better coordination for the eradication of radicalization and extremism. Indonesia and Netherlands has been working together in exchanging information, eradicating Foreign Terrorist Fighters, capacity building, and de-radicalization by inter alia promoting interfaith dialogue.In tourism, the number of tourist arriving from the Netherlands is among the largest from Europe. The Netherlands also remains among the most popular destinations for Indonesian tourists. Since 2013 to 2016, the numbers of Dutch tourist coming to Indonesia keep increasing. In 2016, it is recorded 195,463 Dutch tourist visited Indonesia, or a double-digit increase of 13.6% than the numbers of the previous year.It is also interesting to point out that the cooperation in educational and cultural fields has been expanding. An increasing exchange of student and closer cooperation between Dutch and Indonesian universities are the order of the day. A personal approach to the relations is of crucial importance in the development of the bilateral relations between the two nations. To this end, personal contact between our two peoples should be enhanced and deepened. These personal contacts are indeed very important to strengthen the ties between the Dutch people and Indonesians. Needless to say, there are numbers of Dutch people and Indonesians who have personal and close linkage and affinity relationship, which should serve as a solid foundation for enhancing the bilateral cooperation. The dynamic relations between Indonesia and the Netherlands in the past 5 years is significant in the further enhancement of the bilateral relations between the two nations in medium term of 5-10 years. Some aspects that have not yet been discussed in the Joint Declaration on Comprehensive Partnership have been the focus of both nations to enhance their cooperation in years to come. —–Photography by the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in The Hague.
By HRHPrincess Basmah bint Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia.These are trying times – times when you would think that diplomacy might be the strongest currency we have to meet the price of peace. Examples of divisive social pressure are all around, whether it is the waves of migration from south to north, the continued conflict in many parts of the Middle East, the election of Donald Trump, or Brexit. Communities are at breaking point, and countries are divided with trust levels among erstwhile united populations at historically low points. The signs of reconciliation are few.Yet the threat of terrorism casts a shadow over this all. This should be the one thing which spurs us to cooperate because the goal is simple and common to us all: the security of our people to go about their business in safety and without fear of attack. But international security – and the intelligence-sharing that goes with it – is a double-edged sword. To reveal strategies to protect yourself is also to reveal your weaknesses to a potential enemy. And in the margins of this paradox, knowledge that could help protect against attacks goes unshared and the threat of terrorism remains strong. The sad fact is we fail to recognise our friends and allies and drift further apart when we need one another’s cooperation now more than ever.There are recent open examples of success in intelligence sharing – for example, the foiled plot to smuggle of explosives into Bahrain, or the foiled plot in Yemen which sought to place a bomb on a plane bound for the United States. But these examples are too few. This is the obstacle we need to surmount. The immediate pay-off is understanding that effective strategies against terrorism and other types of violent extremism need to focus on prevention just as much, if not more, than cure. Certainly, a military response – ‘hard’ measures – is required for those individuals or groups on the ideological scale who are already committed to carrying out atrocities. This is of course problematic, and the criticisms and anger caused by drone strikes are plentiful and destroys trust. At the same time, however, the general threat of terrorism can be lowered by reducing the flow of people willing to become involved in the preparation or execution of attacks. There are individuals who can be dissuaded from joining such groups with preventative ‘soft’ measures, and there are ways in which communities can learn to better handle the threat of radicalisation where it presents itself. In this way, we can build stronger ties based on trust and clear understanding of mutual benefit, the antidote for these difficult times. This is the stock-in-trade of diplomacy. Persuasion and the sharing of knowledge and lessons learned so that we can build greater resilience among our communities to the threat of terrorism.
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Her Royal Highness Princess Basmah bint Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is the Founder and Chair of the Global United Centre for Research and Analysis: http://www.guraksa.com/en/An acclaimed global speaker, businesswoman and human rights activist based in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. http://basmahbintsaud.com/eng/Recent appearance of HRH Princess Basmah bint Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for The Day/Deutsche Welle: https://share.ard-zdf-box.de/s/IhhO2BGoeTNbYnw
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Photography by Angela Daves-Haley.
By Djoeke Altena, an interview with Princess Camilla Habsburg-Lothringen.
“We need culture to know where we came from”, says her Imperial and Royal Highness Archduchess of Austria and Princess of Tuscany Camilla Habsburg-Lothringen. “At a time when society is complaining, is frustrated and not making the best of what we have, there we need culture. The cultural field enables us to build up dialogues better and faster than administrations can.” Contributing to a better world is why the descendant of the Habsburg house that traces its roots back to Holy Roman Emperor Francis I and Empress Maria Therese of Austria chose the cultural field over a more political role.
How does it feel be the great-great-great-granddaughter of such a historical figure as Maria Theresia?
“This year we celebrate the 300th anniversary of Empress Maria Theresia’s birth. She was bright and very advanced for her time. Great policy such as the obligation to go to school, the vaccination against chicken pox, the opening of the stock market and the founding of the academy for diplomats was some of the many actions implemented by her. Her strong character and personality as a ruler, wife and mother impresses me strongly.
“It is a big responsibility to carry this name, which will always be imprinted on me. It is not easy to fulfil all people’s expectations but I try to be true to myself, not to lose my focus and keep remembering my history, where I come from.”
Do you consider this responsibility to be political?
“No, there is no role for me in politics. The time to get involved is very limited. First you have to get elected, and during the mandate you try to do as much as you can and then the electorate either replaces or re-elects you. All this makes it difficult to make real changes, not to mention the opposition parties that try to block all suggestions, even if they are good ones.
“Politicians mostly take responsibility over a certain period. This is understandable because they receive legitimacy over a certain time. But the downside is that many do not understand the responsibility for future consequences of their actions. Monarchies, nobility and family-run companies all have to make careful decisions as these leave an impact and imprint on the future of generations and the empires or business. Politicians should learn from this, and vow to take consequences for the effects of their actions in the future.
“Besides that, I feel that real change should be realised via initiatives.”
Do you feel that we need change?
“I am pretty thankful to live in a peaceful country with strong stability like Austria. But it worries me that people don’t recognise that. In the last years, throughout Europe, I observe the increase of a complaining and unsatisfied society that is questioning everything. Also, greed and materialism have become very dominant in our times and this leads to a feeling of emptiness. And so it’s understandable that people become very scared and receptive to any kind of manipulative information that threatens this artificial way of life.
“In our times, there is a strong destabilizing fear for the future and of other cultures. The result is a lack of focus and investments. Constant worrying will lead us nowhere and won’t enable us to build a strong future. That is something we need to change.
“I would say that there is a need for respect. Respect is much stronger than tolerance. The population is growing fast, everybody is getting closer, and more people will live in our countries. Just tolerating others will not be sufficient, we need to respect each other and other cultures and learn from them.”
Her Imperial and Royal Highness Archduchess of Austria and Princess of Tuscany Camilla Habsburg-Lothringen.Do you see any role for yourself in this?“I have a background in PR and advertising, besides that I am also very active in the field of networking. But most important for me are values: the stability of a society and passing on of ideas and sending impulses. I was never involved in representing companies, firms, but always more looking in the direction of a so-called atmospheric PR if you understand what I mean. That is a kind of seismographic feeling towards our environment and our global thinking and acting. Searching for solutions, to get together those people who feel and think in a similar way and then move things into action.”Do you consider that to be diplomacy?“Yes. Diplomacy has a very important stabilizing function in this world. I prefer the cultural field because it is neutral and makes it easier to bind people and nations on a diplomatic base. A few months ago I became Director Euro-Mediterranean Diplomacy and Intercultural Affairs at the International Institute for Middle-East and Balkan Studies (IFIMES). In this function I would like to connect the Euro-Mediterranean and Balkan regions and give a voice to those without one. For me that is one of the important aspects of diplomacy.”Do you feel that the European Union contributes to a better world?“The European project – the European Union, brought prosperity and peace to the continent. But now they are getting lost in a big construction of bureaucracy and regulations like on what kind of energy saving light bulbs we are allowed to buy. There are too many paragraphs blocking any fast action. I find this a waste of energy, time and money. There is a real need for solutions to the bigger problems, like immigration for instance. The European Union should focus on the bigger political issues and on the cultural field.“The near future might be challenging, but we need to keep the dialogue going, because together we can tackle every crisis.”Pictures by IFIMES.
The musical intermezzo ‘Honeysuckle Rose’ by the Brass Ensemble of the Marine Band concluded the formal part of the reception.
Guests enjoyed the ongoing exhibition entitled 100 Years of De Stijl, showcasing the largest Piet Mondriaan collection in the world, and many works of his contemporary Bart van der Leck.
