As a result of coordinated operational activities, authorities from Slovakia and the UK, supported by Eurojust and Europol, have dismantled an organised criminal group involved in trafficking Slovak victims for the purposes of sham marriages and sexual exploitation. Last week, house searches were performed in Glasgow by Police Scotland. Europol specialists were deployed on the spot to support the national authorities. As a result, five suspects were arrested and detained in police custody. Sixteen women – potential victims of trafficking – were also identified and were offered care and assistance by a specialised NGO. A significant amount of evidence (numerous travel documents, computer equipment, mobile telephones and cash) was seized during the operation, and will be used for further investigation. This joint action was preceded by extensive and complex investigations supported by Eurojust and Europol. Few days ago, the second phase of this coordinated operation took place in Trebisov, Slovakia, where four search warrants were executed and four arrests were made. The modus operandi of this organised criminal group was to recruit vulnerable women from challenging socio-economic backgrounds by deception, promising them attractive and well-paid jobs abroad, and then forcing them into sham marriages and prostitution. Europol actively supported this human trafficking operation and provided operational and analytical support to Slovakia and the UK throughout the investigation. Europol specialists in THB delivered real-time cross-checks of the data gathered using a mobile office and data extraction device during the actions. Eurojust and Europol facilitated judicial and police cooperation within a joint investigation team, bringing together efforts from both Member States. Several operational and coordination meetings were held at Europol and Eurojust.    

Tribunal President Carmel Agius today concluded a three-day official visit to Zagreb, Croatia. During the visit, President Agius met with the Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Davor Ivo Stier, Minister of Justice Ante Šprlje, and President of the Supreme Court Branko Hrvatin.

Croatian Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands Andrea Gustović-Ercegovac also participated in the visit.    During the meetings President Agius and Croatian officials discussed a range of topics including in particular the need to intensify regional cooperation in the prosecution of war crimes. In the context of the Tribunal’s closure at the end of 2017, President Agius expressed hope that the countries of the former Yugoslavia will continue the work of the Tribunal by bringing to justice those alleged to have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. He stressed the need to do this efficiently as time is running out, and that the current state of cooperation among the countries of the former Yugoslavia must be improved.   The Tribunal’s legacy was another important topic of the meetings. President Agius informed the Croatian President and Prime Minister about the “ICTY Legacy Dialogues”,  a series of public events to be held throughout the year, aimed at ensuring that the Tribunal’s legacy continues to be impactful and to contribute to the processes of transitional justice in Croatia and throughout the region after the ICTY closes down. Further, President Agius recalled the initiative for the establishment of ICTY information centres, pursuant to Security Council Resolution 1966 (2010), which would make the Tribunal’s public records and archives available to the citizens of Croatia and throughout the region. The President invited the Croatian officials to further explore the possibilities for establishing such an information centre in Zagreb. This initiative was very well received by the Croatian leadership, who expressed their interest and support. This was the first in a series of visits that President Agius will pay to the countries of the former Yugoslavia before the ICTY closes at the end of this year.  

The latest documentary of the Tribunal’s Outreach Programme, Dubrovnik and Crimes against Cultural Heritage, had its English language premiere Thursday February 16,  at The Hague University of Applied Sciences, as part of the ICTY Legacy Dialogues series. The documentary provides an overview of the Tribunal’s work in adjudicating crimes of systematic destruction of institutions dedicated to religion, education or culture. The screening was attended by more than 120 guests, including diplomats, representatives of international and non-governmental organisations, lawyers, academics and students. Welcoming the guests, Tribunal President Judge Carmel Agius said: “Destruction of cultural heritage is a topic that, unfortunately, has regained prominence in today’s world […]. At the ICTY, we believe that our contribution to these efforts forms an important part of our legacy.” Following the screening, a panel discussion was held which explored issues relating to the adjudication of crimes against cultural heritage, with a focus on the ICTY’s pioneering work in clarifying the applicable law and bringing these crimes to justice. The panellists also discussed lessons to be learned for both the prevention of crimes against cultural heritage and adequate judicial responses to the commission of such crimes. The panel included Ms Marina Lostal, lecturer in international criminal law at The Hague University of Applied Sciences; Ms Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović, Secretary General of Europa Nostra – an association for the safeguarding of Europe’s cultural heritage; and Ms Laurel Baig, Senior Appeals Counsel in the Office of the Prosecutor of the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals. Speaking about the relevance of the Tribunal’s legacy, Ms Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović said: “I think it is very very important that the extraordinary work, the painstaking work of the ICTY, has to go out of the walls of that building here in The Hague. The story has to be told to a much wider public.” Dubrovnik and Crimes against Cultural Heritage is the sixth in a series of documentary films produced by the ICTY’s Outreach Programme, as part of its efforts to bring the work and achievements of the Tribunal closer to audiences in the former Yugoslavia and around the world. The documentary is available online in English and in Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian. To obtain a free copy of the DVD, please send an e-mail to outreach@icty.org. The complete series of Outreach-produced documentaries can be viewed on the Tribunal’s website. The Outreach Programme is generously supported by the European Union.

On the Picture H.E. President Jean-Claude Juncker. European Commission welcomes Parliament’s support of trade deal with Canada Strasbourg, 15 February 2017 CETA marks the beginning of a new era in the EU-Canada relationship. Today, the European Parliament voted in favour of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the EU and Canada, concluding the ratification process of this deal at the EU level. Welcoming the outcome of the vote held in Strasbourg, President Jean-Claude Juncker said: “Today’s vote by the European Parliament is an important milestone in the democratic process of ratification of the agreement reached with Canada and it also allows for its provisional entry into force. As a result, EU companies and citizens will start to reap the benefits that the agreement offers as soon as possible. This trade deal has been subject to an in-depth parliamentary scrutiny which reflects the increased interest of citizens in trade policy. The intense exchanges on CETA throughout this process are testimony to the democratic nature of European decision making. This progressive agreement is an opportunity to shape globalisation together and influence the setting of global trade rules. The best example of this is the work that we are already doing with our Canadian friends to establish multilateral rules to deal with investment issues. I now call on all Member States to conduct an inclusive and thorough discussion at national level with the relevant stakeholders in the context of the national ratification process of the agreement”. Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström said: “This vote is the start of a new era in EU-Canada relations – together we are sending a strong signal today. By building bridges rather than walls, we can face the challenges that confront our societies together. In these uncertain times, with rising protectionism around the world, CETA underlines our strong commitment to sustainable trade. Canada is a close ally of Europe. We share values and ideals, and a commitment to open markets and fair social policies. Canada is an important economic partner, with yearly trade between us worth nearly a 100 billion euros*. Once the Canadian parliament has ratified this agreement, the next step is to put it provisionally in place, which I hope can be done swiftly and effectively. Citizens and companies on both sides of the Atlantic should start reaping these benefits very soon.” What will CETA do? CETA creates new opportunities for EU companies. It will save EU businesses over €500 million a year currently paid in tariffs on goods that are exported to Canada. Almost 99% of these savings start from day one. It will give EU companies the best access they’ve ever had to Canadian public procurement contracts, including at provincial level (as well as federal and municipal). The agreement will overwhelmingly benefit smaller companies who can least afford the cost of red tape. Small businesses will save time and money, for example by avoiding duplicative testing requirements, lengthy customs procedures and costly legal fees. CETA will create new opportunities for farmers and food producers, while fully protecting the sensitivities of the EU. The EU’s openings on certain products are limited and calibrated and are balanced out by Canadian openings that satisfy important European exporting interests, such as cheese, wine and spirits, fruit and vegetables, processed products and the protection of 143 high quality European products (so-called “geographical indications”) on the Canadian market. The EU’s 500 million consumers will also benefit from CETA. The agreement offers greater choice while upholding European standards, as only products and services that fully respect all EU regulations will be able to enter the EU market. This means that CETA will not change the way the EU regulates food safety, including GMO products or the ban on hormone-treated beef. The agreement will give better legal certainty in the service economy, better mobility for company employees, and a framework to enable recognition of professional qualifications, from architects to crane operators. The current form of investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) that exists in many bilateral trade agreements negotiated by EU governments has been replaced with a new and improved Investment Court System. The new mechanism will be transparent and not based on ad hoc tribunals. Member States will continue to be able to organise public services as they wish. This and other issues have been further clarified in a Joint Interpretative Instrument that will have legal force and that clearly and unambiguously outlines what Canada and the European Union have agreed in a number of CETA articles. Background and next steps On 30 October, the EU and Canada signed the trade agreement and today the European Parliament gave its consent. This paves the way for CETA to enter into force provisionally, once it has also been ratified on the Canadian side. CETA will be fully implemented once the parliaments in all Member States ratify the deal according to their respective domestic constitutional requirements. There is clear proof that free trade agreements spur European growth and jobs. As an example, EU exports to South Korea have increased by more than 55% since the EU-Korea trade deal entered into force in 2011. Exports of certain agricultural products increased by 70%, and EU car sales in South Korea tripled over this five-year period. The Korea agreement was also provisionally applied during its ratification process. On average, each additional €1 billion of exports supports 15.000 jobs in the EU. 31 million jobs in Europe depend on exports. More information: Factsheet: CETA – a trade deal that sets a new standard for global trade CETA in your town – interactive map with country info, as well as infographics by country CETA: Background, Q&A, contents Benefits of CETA & exporters’ stories The text of the agreement  

Pictured H.E. Sidiki Kaba, President of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court . ASP President welcomes Gambia’s decision not to withdraw from the Rome Statute   The President of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) H.E. Sidiki Kaba welcomes the decision of the newly-elected Government of the Gambia not to withdraw from the Rome Statute, the founding treaty of the ICC. “This important decision signals the renewed commitment of the new authorities of The Gambia to the ICC, and to the shared values of all States Parties, of prosecuting the most serious crimes that shock the conscience of humanity,” said President Kaba. President Kaba invited all States Parties to continue their support of the Rome Statute system and to encourage other States to ratify the treaty in order to achieve universality as soon as possible. “I am convinced that the continued support of the international community and the cooperation of States remain necessary to ensure the effectiveness of the ICC,” the President stated.   On 10 November 2016 the Islamic Republic of the Gambia notified its decision to withdraw from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, as depositary of the Treaty. Following the election of a new President, on 10 February 2017, the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of the Gambia to the United Nations notified the annulment of its former decision with immediate effect.