By Barend ter Haar. In international relations, the costs of a misunderstanding can be extremely high. If only the US would have in time understood that Saddam Hussein intended to invade Kuwait or if only Saddam Hussein would have understood that the US would use force to reverse that invasion, the Gulf wars might have been prevented and the Middle East might look differently today. During the Cold War the governments in Moscow and the West were well aware of such risks. Their worldviews differed fundamentally, but they took great care to prevent fateful misunderstandings, inter alia by implementing a number of confidence and security building measures (CSBMs). Now this relation has been turned upside down. There is no fundamental ideological disagreement between Moscow and Western capitals about pressing global issues such as climate change, terrorism and proliferation, but at the practical level it proves very difficult to agree on CSBMs that could help to prevent dangerous accidents or misunderstandings. This is a potential dangerous situation. Western governments and think tanks have difficulty in understanding Russia´s intentions. Is there a grand strategy behind its involvement in the Crimea, in Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Transnistria and Eastern Ukraine? Or is Russia just improvising and using every opportunity to enlarge its territory or its exclusive zone of influence, without any clear idea of the strategic consequences of its decisions? The most probable answer is that foreign policy is made in Moscow like it is made in most Western capitals: on the basis of contradictory ideas reacting to the opportunities and challenges of the moment without paying much attention to the longer term consequences. (Take for example the contradiction between the view of West-European governments that refugees should be taken care of in their own region and their unwillingness to provide sufficient funds to make this possible.) Moscow does accept in principle that all the successor states of the Soviet Union are independent, but seemingly feels it has a special obligation towards people of Russian origin and/or Russian speakers in those states. It somehow realizes that its long term interest is to be surrounded by stable and prospering neighbors, but it seems to have difficulty to withstand the temptation to interfere in those states and thereby destabilize them. As a result, Russian actions are difficult to predict and the risk of dangerous misunderstandings is real. To end with an optimistic note: the current problems are not insurmountable, provided all governments are willing to address the contradictions in their policies. —-  

By Jhr. Mr. Alexander W. Beelaerts van Blokland LL M, Justice (Judge) in the (Dutch) Court of Appeal and honorary Special Advisor International Affairs (since 2004) of the City of The Hague.   In 1950 on the 9th of May the French official Jean Monnet (‘the father of modern Europe’), the French Minister of Foreign Affairs Robert Schuman and the West German ‘Bundeskansler’ Konrad Adenauer presented a plan – ‘The Schuman Plan’– for cooperation between the two old enemies France and Germany. Soon afterwards The Netherlands, Italy, Belgium and Luxemburg joined and that was the start of what now is the European Union. Every year on that same day – May 9th- Europe celebrates ‘Europe Day’. Of course The Hague participates, with no less than four European institutions based in that city: Europol, Eurojust, the Representation of the European Commission and the Informationbureau of the European Parliament. And of course all 28 EU member states have an embassy in the Hague. On Monday May 9th the official opening will take place at the City Hall (‘Atrium’) of an exhibition on peace and justice in Europe, more specifically on the work and activities of Europol and Eurojust. From 4.30 pm onwards you are welcome. At 5 pm the director of the Foreign Press Association Mr Jan Hennop will welcome you and then the Mayor of The Hague, former Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Jozias van Aartsen will open the exhibition. Two more speakers will follow. First Mr Ale Ferzat , a well known cartoonist from Syria who was awarded the Sacharov prize in 2011 and then Mr Peter Altmeier, cabinet minister in Germany, to be followed by a reception at about 5.30 pm.   a.beelaerts@planet.nl  

  In 2015, the Work and Security Act became effective which brought about drastic changes to the employment law in the Netherlands, especially for Embassies and Consulates. How does the new employment law work in actual practice for Embassies and Consulates? In this newsletter, Russell Advocaten will inform you on how the courts decide on different aspects of the new employment law. *** By Jan Dop. Request to set aside the employment contract rejected more frequently For Embassies and Consulates, the most drastic change is the requirement of a dismissal permit or legal proceedings to dismiss locally hired staff effective since 1 July 2015. Until then, this was not mandatory. Therefore, it is important for Embassies and Consulates to be aware of the fact that the decisions under the Work and Security Act reflect a clear trend towards rejecting requests to set aside employment contracts much more frequently. It concerns in particular requests based on the inadequate performance of employees, in which is decided that the employer has not made sufficiently clear that there is inadequate performance, or has not done enough to help the employee perform better. This shows how important it is for Embassies and Consulates to keep sound personnel files before commencing legal proceedings. If the personnel file is not sound, the request to set aside the employment contract is likely to be rejected. This will also have consequences for the costs of a dismissal. Termination by a settlement agreement including compensation of the employee can be used as an alternative for setting aside the employment contract. However, the employee is likely to expect a higher compensation than the amount of transition compensation due in case of an insufficiently documented personnel file.   Notice via WhatsApp message At least one month before the end of a fixed-term contract lasting for six months or longer, the employee must be notified on whether or not the employment contract will be continued. Such notice must be given in writing. The Amsterdam District Court decided that the obligation to notify will be fulfilled merely by sending a WhatsApp message if the employee reacts to this message, so that it is clear that the employee has received it. As it is the task of the Embassy or Consulate, as an employer, to prove that the employee has received the notice, it is advisable to have the employee sign the notice as seen or to send the notice by registered mail.   Entitlement to transition compensation in the event of dismissal due to imputable acts or omissions Up to 1 July 2015, Embassies and Consulates could often terminate the employment contract of their employees without being obliged to pay a severance payment. However, since 1 July 2015, each employee, whose employment contract lasted for two years or longer and is terminated upon initiative of the employer, is, in principle, entitled to a transition compensation, this includes employees of Embassies and Consulates. The entitlement to transition compensation will lapse due to imputable acts or omissions by the employee. However, the court will be able to grant the employee transition compensation even in the event of imputable acts or omissions, if not granting compensation would be unacceptable according to standards of reasonableness and fairness. The Zeeland-West-Brabant District Court has made use of this option in a case regarding a secondary school teacher who had given one of his students the answers of a test. According to the Court, this was a case of dismissal due to imputable acts or omissions. However, the Court did grant the teacher transition compensation. The teacher had been teaching at the school for almost ten years and would have been punished disproportionally for a transgression had he not been granted compensation.   Employer not obliged to inform employee of potential entitlement to transition compensation The Midden-Nederland District Court decided that there is no general obligation for the employer to inform the employee of a potential entitlement to transition compensation in negotiations on termination with mutual consent. After a termination with mutual consent, each employee has a reflection period of 14 days. This is sufficient time to get information on the rights and duties with respect to a termination of the employment contract; information can be received from a lawyer, for instance.   The level of fair compensation A fair compensation may be granted due to imputable acts by the Embassy or Consulate as an employer. What the factors are and why they will be determining for the level of fair compensation is (still) unclear. The Limburg District Court granted an employee a fair compensation of EUR 5,000 who had been dismissed instantly without due cause. According to the Court, the level of compensation followed “the exceptional circumstances of the case” and took into account the employer’s financial situation. The Oost-Brabant District Court granted an employee a fair compensation whose employment contract had been terminated upon his request due to imputable acts by the employer. The level of fair compensation equalled the transition compensation. Thus, this employee received a total amount of over EUR 30,000, consisting of twice the transition compensation. In a later decision, the Oost-Brabant District Court based the level of the fair compensation on the difference between the most recent salary of the employee and the amount of unemployment benefits for a period of six months (the employee is expected to find a new job within this period). A fair compensation was granted, consisting of EUR 10,000.   Maintaining a dormant employment contract a seriously imputable act? An employee of an Embassy or Consulate who is unable to work and whose employment contract is terminated after two years of incapacity for work upon the initiative of the employer is, in principle, entitled to transition compensation. The Midden-Nederland District Court decided on the question whether maintaining of a dormant employment contract with an employee who had been unable to work for more than two years could be considered a seriously imputable act by the employer who tried to avoid transition compensation. In this case, the employee himself had requested the Court to set aside the employment contract and to be granted transition compensation and a fair compensation. The employee no longer received a salary. According to the employee, the employer did not want to terminate the employment contract to avoid having to pay transition compensation. The employer denied that. The Midden-Nederland District Court decided that if the employment contract is kept dormant solely to avoid transition payment, this is indecent but cannot be considered a seriously imputable act. The District Court terminated the employment contract but granted neither transition compensation nor a fair compensation. Currently, the government considers an amendment of the law, i.e. to determine that no transition compensation is due after 2 years of sickness absence of the employee. Action Make sure to keep sound records of the (inadequate) performance of employees. Ensure you will have proof of the mandatory notice in the case of fixed-term contracts.   More information: Would you like to get further information about how the new employment law works in actual practice for Embassies and Consulates? Or do you have any other questions regarding hiring and firing staff?. Please contact: Jan Dop, LL.M. (jan.dop@russell.nl). About the author: Jan Dop is partner and Head of the Embassy Desk at Russell Advocaten. He advises and represents corporations, entrepreneurs and HR departments in corporate and commercial matters.

By John Dunkelgrün. The Hague is not just the international city of law and justice but also a real hub for the visual arts. We have several world class museums and a surprisingly number of good local ones. But a special attraction is the annual open air sculpture exposition on the Lange Voorhout, easily the most beautiful promenade in The Netherlands. Lately this exposition has been organised by “Beelden aan Zee”, that wonderful sculpture museum near the Scheveningen boulevard. Its director, Professor Jan Teeuwisse has combined these outdoor expositions with a matching one in the museum itself. This has proven to be a very successful formula, especially with the “one-country themes” he has chosen in the last few years. After focussing on China, Russia and Flanders, the theme this year is contemporary sculpture from Brazil. The talented young free-lance curator Ms. Carolyn H. Drake has brought together works from a representative group of important contemporary Brazilian artists. She chose existing works as well as new works especially made for this exposition. The exposition has works from as early as the 1970’s and makes reference to Brazilian movements such as Neo-Concretism and Tropicaliá from the 1950’s and 60’s to show the origins and development of modern sculpture in Brasil “Beleza” in Brasil means not just beauty, but it can have many meanings, all variations of good, all right, glad to see you, etc. Like many things in Brasil, the word is sort of a façade. Few countries put so much emphasis on outward appearances as Brasil. This manifests itself in an extreme interest in beauty of the body, clothing, architecture etc. Consumerism is rampant whether people can afford it or not. An almost bankrupt government spends billions on the Olympic Games and local governments are equally exuberant. Whenever a city gets a new mayor, everything changes, from the city emblem onwards. The country may be on hard times, but buildings are going up like mushrooms. There is a strong feeling of “short-termness”, here today, gone tomorrow, that inspired the work of Marcius Galan, among others. Today’s artists as everywhere reflect the trends and occurrences of Brasil today as well as significant global trends and concerns. And so it is with this exhibition. There is work that toys with consumerism by Cildo Meireles and Marcelo Cidade and there is art that pricks fake façades by using materials that look like something totally different. Brasil is a big country with a huge and multiracial population. It is a vibrant and multi-facetted country. This has a distinct and recognisable influence on its many artists. Ms. Drake has battled financial and bureaucratic hurdles in order to bring together an exciting collection of works that can be enjoyed on many levels. Casual observers can take pleasure in just looking at the sculptures and installations. For the truly interested there will be guided tours on the Lange Voorhout and in the museum, which will give the participants more insight into the background and the meaning of the works. But exclusive for readers of Diplomat Magazine, there will be a tour guided by Ms. Drake herself on Tuesday, June 21^st at 11 am. This free (except for the museum entrance) tour will be limited to 30 people, so please register quickly at diploevents@gmail.com The tour will start in the museum and continue on the Lange Voorhout on the Kneuterdijk side. There is an excellent direct tram (#1) that will take you directly there from the museum. Brasil, Beleza?! Lange Voorhout, Den Haag                           26 May ~ 21 August Museum Beelden aan Zee, Scheveningen      26 May ~ 2 October www.beeldenaanzee.nl

By Prof. dr. André Nijhof & The United Nations initiated already 35 years ago a university in Costa Rica called the University for Peace (or Upeace in short). This institute attracts students from all over the world with an interest in the mission of the United Nations. In April 2016 we had the privilege of taking a group of students of Upeace on a field visit to the Dutch embassy in San Jose. On the way to the embassy students were still joking about long waiting hours to get a visa and hearing stories about national citizens in prison. On the way back, after the conversations with representatives of the embassy the same students were talking about the additional information they received about recent issues they were reading about in the newspaper and that it didn’t matter what question they asked, the representatives always had an insightful answer to it. This illustrates the new role of international diplomacy. For all 17 areas included in the Global Goals of the United Nations, governments, non-governmental organizations and companies have to work together if we want to create impact. International diplomacy is in a perfect position to build bridges between all these societal actors and can therefore fulfil an important role in engaging all relevant actors for these goals. But this will require a lot from diplomats. According to research of the Academy for Business in Society five reflexive abilities are relevant for this type of work: systemic thinking, embracing diversity and managing risk, balancing global and local views, emotional awareness and – maybe even most importantly – initiating meaningful dialogues (Wilson, Lenssen and Hind, 2006). What these qualities have in common is that they do not, first of all, reflect characteristics of individuals but characteristics of relationships. Effective international diplomacy in the age of sustainable development will depend on the ability to connect all relevant societal actors for the delivery of impactful initiatives targeted at the global goals.

Five reflexive abilities needed in international diplomacy:   1.     Systemic thinking: the ability to understand the interdependency of systems between the economy and society 2.     Embracing diversity and managing risk: the ability to recognize and respect differences, building bridges across different groups and seeking common ground without forcing consensus. 3.     Balancing global and local views: the capacity to see and appreciate the impact of local decisions on the global stage for issues like climate change, access to medicine and social inequalities. 4.     Emotional awareness: the ability to recognize that decisions are not always driven by economic rationality, the tolerance of unusual approaches and a sense of humility in dealing with the big societal questions we face. 5.     Meaningful Dialogue: the ability to hold productive conversations by seeking out and valuing the views of others, including their hopes, fears and taken for granted assumptions.

  Both authors of this blog are visiting professors at Upeace.  Bout the authors: Prof Dr André Nijhof is full professor in Sustainable Business and Stewardship and is visiting professor at Chang Gung University in Taiwan and the University for Peace in Costa Rica. Nika Salvetti is a PhD candidate and practitioner in the field of CSR, Sustainability, Social Responsibility where she worked on in different developing countries such as Bangladesh, Uganda, Guatemala, as well as in Costa Rica, the overall Balkans and Middle East. About Nyenrode Business Universiteit Nyenrode Business Universiteit is the only private university in the Netherlands, founded for and by business. Nyenrode pillars of Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Stewardship are reflected in all of their programs which include undergraduate and graduate degrees in management, business, finance and accounting. Nyenrode is a proud partner of Diplomat Magazine. Together, they have developed the Nyenrode – Diplomat Magazine Award which recognizes the talents from the diplomat network in the Netherlands and worldwide by providing them with exclusive scholarships for the programs Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Master (MSc) in Management, full-time International MBA and part-time Executive MBA. For more information visit www.nyenrodemasters.nl/diplomat and register for the launching event on June 1st at the Carlton Ambassador Den Haag.  

By Ynze Kliphuis, real estate lawyer at Russell Advocaten (embassydesk@russell.nl) Embassies, Consulates and Diplomats enjoy diplomatic immunity. Nevertheless, Dutch law is applicable to real estate owned by diplomats and diplomatic missions in the Netherlands, because these premises – regardless of their diplomatic status – are Dutch territory. What is important to know before you buy or lease real estate in the Netherlands? Dutch real estate contracts Dutch contracts are concise when compared to common law contracts, because basic rules are codified in laws, acts and regulations. These rules do not have to be repeated in the contract. Moreover, the meaning of a Dutch contract is not only in its wording, but also in the intentions, expectations and factual behaviour of the parties involved. To minimize conflicts, it is important to clearly record these in the contract. Buying or leasing? Buying is a long term investment. Prices for housing accommodation in Amsterdam and The Hague are rising. Here, buying is an attractive investment if the premises suit your needs for a number of years. Leasing offers more flexibility. This can be pleasant in case of a short stay or changing needs with respect to square meters. A Diplomat with a large family and staff will need more space than a young, single employee at the beginning of his or her diplomatic career. In addition, lessees only need to perform small daily maintenance activities. Office space will be abundantly available in the years to come. Those in search of a (common) office space should be able to negotiate competitive lease conditions. It is important to verify in advance whether your purposes for the premises, correspond with the zoning plan (not all villas in Wassenaar may be used as an office) and whether municipal permits are required. Changes to the building that have an effect on the appearance of the premises (cleaning/painting the facade or changing single glazing into double glazing!) require a permit, especially if the premises are a registered monument or part of a conservation area, as is the case with most Embassies. Security measures for Embassies, such as alarms, cameras, fences and/or roll-down shutters, often require a permit. Buying real estate For buyers it is important to do as much research as possible into the state of the premises (No defects? All permits?) and into its designated use according to the municipal zoning plan. The seller can only be held accountable for hidden defects if these defects prevent the normal use of the premises, e.g. foundations affected by woodworm or seriously polluted soil. For the purchase of real estate usually a written deed of purchase is used. A separate notarial deed of transfer is required for the transfer of ownership, which has to be registered in the land register. After that, the buyer will be owner and the premises are safe from seizure by a creditor of the seller. Leasing real estate In the event of leasing it’s important to realize that tenants are allowed to make only minor changes to leased premises without prior approval from the landlord, for example paintjobs to the interior, putting a coat of arms on the façade or erecting a flagpole. Major changes, such as implementing thorough security measures (fences and/or bulletproof glass), removing walls or extending the premises, require the landlord’s approval which can be replaced by the District Court’s permission. Therefore, it’s wise to check in advance whether major changes have to be carried out. If both location and rent are attractive, it’s worth considering to ask the landlord whether he gives permission for a major reconstruction. As mentioned above, a municipal permit may (also) be required for changes. When property is leased, usually a deposit must be paid. If the lessee returns the leased property without defects to the lesser, the lesser has to refund the deposit, Therefore, the condition of the leased object has to be documented (with photos) at the beginning and at the end of the lease. We advise the lessee to be present on both occasions. Office space is usually leased for a definite period of time. A fixed term lease will be terminated by operation of law, but the tenant must receive an eviction notice. The lease of office space for an indefinite term can formally be terminated one month ahead. Residential accommodation is usually leased for an indefinite term. However, it is also possible to lease or let for a fixed term, for instance if you will stay in a different place for a short period of time. This must be laid down in a so-called ‘diplomats clause’. Lessees of residential accommodation enjoy a lot of protection and it is difficult to evict them from their lodgings. Conclusion Although Embassies and Consulates, and diplomats, enjoy a special status in the Netherlands, they have to deal with Dutch real estate law when it comes to their Dutch premises and houses. If questions or issues arise, it is advisable to get specialist legal advice.  

By Aleksandra Krstic. The recent all-shoot out in Azerbaijan between the ethnic Armenians and Azerbaijani forces brought yet another round of casualties, psychological traumas and property destructions. Sudden and severe as it was, the event sent its shock waves all over Caucasus and well beyond. Is Caucasus receiving the ‘residual heat’ from the boiling MENA? Is this a next Syria? Is a grand accommodation pacific scenario possible? Or will it be more realistic that the South Caucasus ends up violently torn apart by the grand compensation that affects all from Afghanistan up to the EU-Turkey deal? ********   Most observes would fully agree that for such (frozen) conflicts like this between Azerbaijan and Armenia, mediation and dialogue across the conflict cycle have no alternative. Further on, most would agree that the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) with its Minsk Group remains both the best suited FORA as well as the only international body mandated for the resolution of the conflict. However, one cannot escape the feeling that despite more than 20 years of negotiations, this conflict remains unresolved. What is the extent of the OSCE failure to effectively utilize existing conflict resolution and post-conflict rehabilitation tools? The very mandate of the Co-Chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group is based on CSCE Budapest Summit document of 1994, which tasks them to conduct speedy negotiations for the conclusion of a political agreement on the cessation of the armed conflict, the implementation of which will eliminate major consequences of the conflict and permit the convening of the Minsk Conference. In Budapest, the participating States have reconfirmed their commitment to the relevant Resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and underlined that the co-Chairmen should be guided in all their negotiating efforts by the OSCE principles and agreed mandate, and should be accountable to its Chairmanship and the Permanent Council (PC). Nevertheless, as it emerged from this sudden eruption of violence in the region in late March/early April of 2016, the OSCE and its Minsk Group have been side-stepped from the settlement process. Why? Over the years, the role of the OSCE and its participating States, including those that are members of the Minsk Group, has been limited to extending formal support to the activities of the Co-chairmen. It gradually led to change the conflict resolution process into conflict containment activities as reflected in artificial and out-of-mandate prioritization of tasks of the co-Chairmen to focus on prevention of escalation rather than lasting solution, and interference with the activities of other international organizations wishing to contribute to the true and comprehensive settlement of the conflict. In parallel, one may observe rather selective approaches by some OSCE Member States and regional groupings to the principles with regard to the protracted conflicts in the OSCE area. As an ending result, the Organization as such lost its control over the process. Such a lack of control over the activities led to negligence to inherent balance and inter-linkage between the principles of the most fundamental Security structure of Europe achieved ever – the Helsinki Final Act. It is rather dangerous and counterproductive to equalize the principles of non-use of force against the territorial integrity of political independence of the States, territorial integrity and equal rights and self-determination of peoples, which some publicly present as a basis for a settlement. Misinterpretation is evident even in naming of these principles. These voices claim that there is no hierarchy among the above mentioned principles and that these elements should be observed and applied independently of each other. In fact, such a voluntary interpretation of the principles is in direct contradiction to the letter and very spirit of the Helsinki Decalogue and its Final Act, which in seven out of ten principles places strong emphasis on the necessity to fully respect internationally recognized borders of states and their territorial integrity against any attempt of forceful acquisition of territories or change of borders, and (one-sided) application of self-determination. Such a deviation from the agreed character of the principles unfortunately provided Armenia with a card blanche to justify its territorial claims against Azerbaijan, consolidate the status-quo and made the process of settlement dependent on whims of the Armenian side. Several FORAs (incl. the OSCE mechanisms) openly claim that they have no responsibility for the conflict resolution, and that the parties need to demonstrate political will and to make necessary compromises (‘no way to exert pressure on the sides’ and ‘we can only be a communication channel between the two conflicting parties’ lines of usual rhetoric). In the meantime, Armenia keeps holding a premium over the internationally recognized territories of Azerbaijan, which it continues to occupy. Clearly, that ‘process’ is far away from OSCE principles and commitments, and will dangerously backfire elsewhere in Europe. Unless we want another Syria, and yet Europe entirely enveloped by the insecure neighbourhood all the way from Mediterranean to Caucasus, we need a tremendous progress in the settlement of the conflict. Over last years, most of conflict resolution-potent initiatives have been blocked in the OSCE. Discussion on the conflict has been turned into a taboo within the OSCE, even when the informal discussions are in question – and so, not only when Caucasus was in case. If we want to revive this particular process and return it from a de facto conflict containment back on track to the conflict resolution process, the following steps for Caucasus are needed: To unblock and fully revitalize the OSCE Minsk Group, and intensify the efforts towards earliest pacific solution of the conflict, especially by using the best services from the member countries willing to constructively solve the problem. Serious attempt of the OSCE to re-establish the dialogue at the level of the communities affected by the conflict is more than essential stabilizer. It is an indispensable instrument for any confidence building measure. To it related as complementary is the exchange of data on the missing persons, a mechanism foreseen in a tripartite approach by the French, Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents late last year. It should be coupled and further enhanced by variety of the P2P programs that could bring Armenians and Azerbaijanis all profiles, ages and origins together. Items above surely presuppose the relaxation of tensions and renunciation of usage of military effectives as a means of conflict resolution. Both Armenia and Azerbaijan (either at different occasions, also through their top diplomats at the OSCE Vienna, ambassador Arman Kirakossian and ambassador Galib Israfilov) signalled their wishes and efforts to move beyond this status quo. That is in line with all statements of the UN and OSCE in past 20 years. Surely, the best way to shake this status quo of containment back on track to the lasting solution, is to eliminate the military factor. Regrettably, the only military factor remaining in the region in/around Nagorno Karabakh is the presence of the Armenian troops – something that surely does not service Armenian community there on a long run! (Mind how much Serbs harmed their own community in Kosovo by their rigid military stance.) If, as currently as of now, Armenian Government is serious of the danger and incidents along the Line of Contact they should withdraw their troops. If so, people could at least feel safer in those territories, halt the massive migratory wave, and plan their own future viably. And finally, a pacific, orderly and balanced re-integration of the currently occupied territories back into the Azerbaijani political, legal, social and economic system – that serves ethnic Armenians on a long run the most. It will shield them from an otherwise lost demographic battle. This would be the best way to reinvigorate the OSCE’s relevance in mediation efforts and create an environment in which the OSCE as an organization can play a meaningful role applying its existing tools – all for the lasting benefits of the peoples and nations of Caucasus. The OSCE area should be what is meant to be – the area of security and stability. Stubbornness and irrational pride should never be an obstacle to this higher end.   About the author: Aleksandra Krstić, studied in Belgrade (Political Science) and in Moscow (Plekhanov’s IBS). Currently, a post-doctoral researcher at the Kent University in Brussels (Intl. Relations). Specialist for the MENA-Balkans frozen and controlled conflicts. Contact: alex-alex@gmail.com    

At the beginning of the new school year, and periodically throughout, American School of The Hague (ASH) welcomes new students, families and teachers into its international community. At the same time, the current community “refreshes” for the new school year and students are faced with different classes, making new friends, learning new routines, which can be a lot of change to adapt too. This can leave new ASH members feeling disoriented and lonely, experiencing grieving for those they left behind, or facing cross cultural confusion, misunderstandings or conflicts within their new learning situations and living environments. To help ease the transition process, A Safe Harbour was established at ASH many years ago and is still considered one of the best Transitions Programs in the international school community. A Safe Harbour isn’t just one program or one person, it is an umbrella of individuals, activities, programs and committees that work hand in hand to help each of the community members with all of the aspects of arriving, orientating, integrating and departing. It is a network of teachers, students and parents working together to provide a comprehensive approach, to address the challenges and opportunities that arise with moving among cultures. Due to these collaborative efforts, A Safe Harbour committees work together “to help students, parents, and staff cope with the challenges, and maximize the opportunities, inherent in the experience of international relocation and cross-cultural mobility”. Throughout the school year, A Safe Harbour helps families, staff, and students transition to the School and to their new lives in The Netherlands: Expat Life Experience – addressing the various transitional phases that individuals pass through and identifying challenges faced as expats, Third Culture Kids and Global Nomads. Student Ambassadors – selecting and training of 60 students, Grades 9 – 12, who help run New Student Orientation in August and any intakes during the school year, as well as communicating with new students prior to their arrival. Student Ambassadors hold weekly meetings throughout the year to plan for, and train, students for Orientation Week in August. Regular Parent Welcome Coffees – held by the PTO and their various committees to give new parents an opportunity to expand their social network within the school and feel more at home in The Netherlands. The various committees within the ASH PTO help families’ transition, be it through practical information on living in the host country to getting settled with the dynamics of the School. Staff Ambassadors – helping new staff transition to ASH, checking-in with new hires throughout the school year to make sure they are settling in well. The key to a good arrival is a good departure, no matter where you go in the world, which is why A Safe Harbour initiatives also support students, parents and staff when departing from the American School of The Hague community. The joint efforts of parents, staff and students are what make the ASH community flourish. A Safe Harbour – bridging cultures, bridging lives.