Pictured here (from left to right): ICCBA Vice-President (Defence) Mr Chief Charles Taku, ICC First Vice-President Judge Joyce Aluoch, ICCBA President Mr David Hooper Q.C., ICC President Judge Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi, and ICCBA Vice-President (Victims) Mr Ghislain M. Mabanga © ICC-CPI On 20 July 2016, Mr David Hooper Q.C., the President of the recently constituted International Criminal Court Bar Association (“ICCBA”), together with Mr Ghislain M. Mabanga, ICCBA Vice-President (Victims) and Mr Chief Charles Taku, Vice-President (Defence), paid first official visits to the three Principals of the International Criminal Court (“ICC” or the “Court”). “We have been greatly encouraged in our meetings with the President, Prosecutor and Registrar and by their clear recognition of the positive role we can play in the future development of the ICC. The ICC has been all the poorer in not having had an association to provide an independent and effective voice for defence and victims counsel. I am sure that now we have such an association we can and will step up to play our part”, said Mr Hooper. ICC President Judge Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi, alongside Vice-President Judge Joyce Aluoch, welcomed the establishment of the ICCBA, noting the importance of an independent body which gives a unified voice to counsel before the ICC.

In a separate meeting, the Prosecutor of the Court, Mrs Fatou Bensouda congratulated the representatives of the ICCBA for the establishment of the Association, emphasizing that an independent peer-led association of counsel, which, inter alia, reinforces the highest standards of the legal profession is a helpful development.  She welcomed cooperation between her Office and the ICCBA. In his meeting with the first elected leadership of the ICCBA, the Registrar of the Court, Herman von Hebel, also highlighted the importance of the ICCBA’s establishment and expressed his willingness to cooperate closely with the Association on all issues of mutual interest and concern.

The ICCBA was established in The Hague, at the seat of the Court, on 1 July 2016, as the first bar association for counsel and their assistants eligible to practise before the Court. It is an independent association and not part of the Court, with the goal of advancing the general interests of counsel appearing before the Court, reinforcing the full independence of counsel, and strengthening equality of arms at the ICC. For additional photos, please open the following link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/icc-cpi/albums/72157654937958628  

Her Majesty Queen Noor By Roy Lie A Tjam On Thursday evening, 7^th July 2016, Her Majesty Queen Noor, Dutch Foreign Minister H.E. Bert Koenders, Mayor of The Hague, Honourable Jozias Van Aartsen, H.E. Ambassador Thomas Miller, Chairman  ICMP,   Kathryn Bomberger, Director-General  ICMP along with Norah Fuatham from Uganda and Ram Kumar Bhandari from Nepal, spoke at the formal opening of International Committee of Missing Persons’ (ICMP) new headquarters at Koninginnegracht 12 in The Hague. Coincidentally, it was also the celebration of 20 years of the ICMP. For additional Marian van Noort’s pictures, please open the following link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/albums/72157670548614570

The ICMP was founded on the 29^th June 1996 by the initiative of the US President at the time Bill Clinton, in order to spearhead the effort to account for the 40,000 people who were missing as a result of the conflict in the country formerly known as Yugoslavia. Twenty years later, more than 70 percent of those people have been accounted for (including 7,000 of the 8,000 victims of the Srebrenica genocide).

ICMP endeavors to secure the co-operation of governments and other authorities in locating and identifying the people missing as a result of armed conflicts, human rights abuses, disasters and other causes and to assist them in doing so. The ICMP also supports the work of other organizations in their efforts and encourages public involvement in its activities as well as contributing to the development of appropriate expressions of commemoration and tribute to the missing people.

A diverse audience consisting of Ambassadors, diplomats, past- and sitting Dutch politicians and masses of other people attended the function at the new ICMP Head Quarters in The Hague. Guests and speakers at the function included; Bert Koenders, Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jozias van Aartsen; Mayor of The Hague, HM Queen Noor, Wim Kok; former Dutch Prime Minister and representatives of families of the missing people around the world.

Minister Bert Koenders in his address applauded the ICMP for its achievements and encouraged them to proceed with the excellent job they are currently doing. Mayor Jozias van Aartsen noted how, thanks to you (the ICMP), tens of thousands of victims of ethnic cleansing have received a proper burial. Rest assured that you can always rely on our support for you (the ICMP), and the important work carried out by you and your staff.

H.M Her Majesty Queen Noor reflected: I have been an ICMP Commissioner since 2001, I believe this organization’s role is indispensable in mitigating human suffering and in supporting the broad effort to maintain global stability. I hope that you will join me in supporting ICMP as it begins a new phase of its existence with the opening of its headquarters in The Hague Norah Fuatham from Uganda and Ram Kumar Bhandari from Nepal, representatives of the family members of the missing people from their respective countries briefly addressed the audience, giving their thanks to the organization for all the help they have given them during this hard time. Ambassador Thomas Miller, chairman ICMP: We are honored and grateful for the support of over 30 countries during the 20-year span of ICMP’s work. I would like to take this opportunity to announce the good news that Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, the former Foreign Minister of Thailand and the former Secretary-General of ASEAN, has just accepted our invitation to become an ICMP Commissioner. In conclusion, let me thank all of the organizations represented here this evening, including those that I haven’t had an opportunity to thank personally. A classical music performance by Stichting Music Works concluded the evening.    

By Roy Lie A Tjam. The Cabinet of the Minister Plenipotentiary of Curacao celebrated the country’s Flag Day (Dia di Bandera) in The Hague on 7 July 2016. H.E. Minister Marvelyne Wiels organized a reception to celebrate the memorable occasion. Fellow Minister Plenipotentiaries and Ambassadors from around the world (Japan, Peru, Estonia, Germany and the Philippines) attended the lively event, alongside other members of the Diplomatic Community and Mr. Piet Hein Donner, Vice President of the Council of State. For additional Kim Vermaat’s pictures, please open the following link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/sets/72157671609977045  

The Minister Plenipotentiary of the country Curacao in The Hague is the representative of the Curacao Government in the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Council of Ministers of the Kingdom consists of the Ministers Plenipotentiary of the autonomous countries St. Maarten, Aruba and Curacao, and Ministers of the Dutch government. Meetings of the Council of Ministers are convened monthly.

After Mr. Duer Dania welcomed the guests, the evening continued with a declamation by Mr. Anton de Bie. Ms. Tamara Nivillac gave a stirring interpretation of the National Anthem of Curacao. Subsequently, the Minister for Aruba H.E. Mr. Boekhoudt and his counterpart of St Martin, H.E. Ms. Doran York, delivered a speech. It was then time for H.E. Marvelyne Wiels to deliver her welcome remarks. In her address, Ms. Wiels paid tribute to several patriots (yu’I korsow) for their outstanding achievements in various domains. Charlysen Jansen, Anbasja Blanken, Reynard Francisca, Laurindo Andrea, David Paulus, Francis Sling, Robby Schouten and Gershwin Bonevacia all received an award. The program was completed with the renowned Curacao Wals (D’Art Holland) as well as the excellent Curacao pastechi and other savory snacks.  

Pictured at the OPCW Headquarters in The Hague, Canadian Minister, the Honourable Stéphane Dion and OPCW Director General, Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü.

The Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü, met today with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, the Honourable Stéphane Dion, at OPCW Headquarters in The Hague.

The Director-General updated the Minister of Foreign Affairs on his recent high-level consultations with the Syrian Arab Republic. Ambassador Üzümcü then briefed him on the OPCW’s work with its member states to address the threat of use of chemical weapons by non-state actors as well as on the future priorities of the Organisation. Ambassador Üzümcü conveyed his deep gratitude to Canada for its generous contributions in recent years towards the OPCW’s work in Syria and Libya, totalling almost €17 million. This amount includes €2.5 million for the OPCW’s Trust Fund for Syria Missions and €1.8 million for the OPCW-United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism’s efforts to determine accountability for chemical weapons use in Syria. Both contributions were announced in February 2016. “Canada’s steadfast support for the OPCW’s mission has made the world a much safer and secure place. Today, we have reaffirmed our resolve to jointly meet future challenges, as only concerted action can bring effective solutions,” said the Director-General. Minister Dion remarked, “The OPCW is an integral part of the global disarmament architecture. Recent chemical weapons use in Syria and Iraq demonstrates that the Organisation’s mission is as vital and pressing as ever. Canada is proud to support the OPCW’s untiring efforts to rid the world of this inhumane class of weaponry.” For more details:

• Canada’s contribution to support OPCW work in Syria
• UN Security Council Resolution 2235 Establishing JointInvestigative Mechanism

Mgr. Giacinto Berloco, Apostolic Nuncio and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps to the Kingdom of Belgium, with (from left to right) Dr. Kaire Mbuende, Ambassador of Namibia, Mrs. Latungika Loide Shikwambi, First Secretary at the Namibian Embassy, and Mr. Andre Apollus, Counsellor Agriculture of the Namibian Embassy. The Embassy of the Republic of Namibia in Brussels celebrated the 26th anniversary of the Independence of Namibia. H.E. Dr. Kaire Mbuende, Ambassador of Namibia, organized a reception at the ACP House in Brussels on Friday 18 March 2016 to mark this occasion.

For the photo-album of this event, please click the link below: 
https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNBvZB75MTxufnTCB9QMH9OqGxzgzGgk
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The occasion was graced by ambassadors, diplomats, the Secretary-General of the ACP Group of States, Namibian Members of Parliament, the honorary consuls of Namibia in the Netherlands, civil servants from Belgium and the EU, business people and members of the diaspora. Ambassador Mbuende delivered a statement in which he characterized the event as representing not only the commemoration of the lowering of the South African apartheid flag and the hoisting of the Namibian national flag but above all as a celebration of 26 years of democracy, peace and stability and sustained economic growth. The ambassador drew the attention of the gathering to the Harambee Prosperity Plan which was then soon to be unveiled by the President of Namibia, Dr. Hage Geingob. The Harambee Prosperity Plan “aims to address income inequality by declaring an all-out war on the scourge of poverty.  It is based on five pillars, social development; economic development; infrastructures development; and effective governance; service delivery; and international relations and cooperation. A number of critical success factors have been identified for each of the pillars. The Plan will complement our National Development Plans and Vision 2030, thus recognizing and building on previous successes and achievements but attempting to expedite the significant reduction in poverty levels, reducing inequalities and uplifting the living standards of all Namibians. In the short term, the plan will offer immediate relief to the vulnerable groups and in the long run it will set precedent for innovative government intervention for effective service delivery.”

The Ambassador also spoke about the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the EU, which are in the meantime signed. “The Agreement offers us Duty Free and Quota Free access to the EU market on essentially all our products.  The market access granted provides an excellent opportunity for our exporters to take full advantage of the window of opportunities provided by the preferential terms in the Agreement. In our view this provides predictable and transparent rules for trade, and consequently confidence for investors. The challenge for us is to address the various supply side constraints. We hope that the development cooperation framework will have ample scope to support us overcome the supply side constraint and help transform the structure of our economy to be integrated in the global market place on a competitive basis. This should result in greater local value addition to goods for national, regional and international markets, in ways which generate increased employment and enhance livelihood opportunities for our country and all its people. On the future of the ACP-EU Relations Post-2020, we believe that the EU will continue to be an important partner of Namibia and ACP at large in many areas. In the same vein, we foresee a role by a well-resourced and focused ACP as a group of countries working together in solidarity, capable of defending and promoting the interest of its members in a dynamic global environment. The event crowned with the profiling of Namibian cuisines, drinks, music and dance. The success of the cultural program would not have been possible without the generous donations of beer, fish and meat, from the Namibian Breweries, Hangana Seafood and GPS Food Group respectively.” For more information: Mission of Namibia to the EU, the OPCW, the ACP Group, Embassy to the Benelux countries (HE Ambassador Dr. Kaire Mbuende): http://www.namibiaembassy.be