H. E .Engineer Khurram Dastgir Khan Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Commerce.Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Commerce Engineer Mr. Khurram Dastgir Khan’s visit to the Netherlands.
Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Commerce H. E .Engineer Khurram Dastgir Khan visited the Netherlands on the invitation of the Dutch Government from 6th to 9th December 2015. During his visit, he attended a high-level conference on the EU and sustainability in global value chains which took place in Amsterdam on 7 December 2015 in the run-up to the Netherlands’ Presidency of the Council of the EU. For a Kim Vermaat photo album on the Pakistani Federal Minister of Commerce visit to the Netherlands, please open the following link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/
On the sidelines of the Conference the Federal Minister for Commerce also held bilateral talks with Ms. Lilianne Ploumen, Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade & Development Cooperation, for further promoting bilateral trade and economic relations between Pakistan and the Netherlands. Dutch Multinationals like Unilever, Shell, Philips and VimpleCom (holdling company of Mobilink) have very visible presence in Pakistan. Bilateral trade between the two countries is around US 1 billion and it is continuing to grow every year.
On 8th December 2015, Mr. Khurram Dastgir Khan visited the Headquarters of the Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries (CBI) in The Hague. The Managing Director of CBI Mr. Max Timmerman gave him a briefing about the Center and its potential for enhancing trade between Pakistan and the Netherlands.
On the picture Commercial Counsellor Mr. Zahid Abbasi and the Managing Director of CBI Mr. Max Timmerman.
Later, the Federal Minister witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation between Pakistan Embassy and the CBI.
In the afternoon he visited the Rotterdam Port; the busiest port in Europe.
In the evening he attended the launching of the Netherlands Pakistan Business Facilitation Forum.
The Forum has the aim of facilitating Dutch Companies and to create awareness with regards to the Trade and Investment opportunities in Pakistan.
On the morning of 9th December, the honourable Federal Minister visited the Chancery of the Embassy of Pakistan in The Hague and appreciated the facilitation being provided by the Consular Section to Dutch Visa applicants and overseas Pakistanis in the Netherlands. Afterwards, he visited the Peace Palace.
The honourable Federal Minister departed the Netherlands in the afternoon.
Information:http://www.embassyofpakistan.com/
Her Excellency Rose Makena Murici.By Roy Lie A Tjam.
The diplomatic community in The Hague turned out in force to participate in the celebration of Kenya’s 52nd Independence Day. The ballroom of the Hilton Hotel, The Hague, served as the backdrop for the celebration on 11 December.
H.E. Ms. Rose Makena Muchiri, Ambassador of the Republic of Kenya in the Netherlands, bid her guests Karibu – a warm welcome. Smartly attired in red and black, Ambassador Muchiri enriched her outfit with a piece of Maasai beaded jewelry, a hallmark of Maasai culture.
For a Kim Vermaat photo almbum on Kenya Independence Day, please click here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/albums/72157660193087364H. E. Ahmet Uzumcu, OPCW Director General and H. E. Rose Makena Murichi.
Ambassador Muchiri delivered a powerful speech, the transcript of which follows below.
“Since gaining our Independence, we have been striving hard to be a Country where all its citizens can be proud to live and work in, having contributed towards Nation building. Our Government is committed towards investing in National Institutions and also following up and encouraging careful economic planning by both National and County Governments. Bearing in mind the great diversity of the peoples of Kenya, the Government ensures the implementation of the Constitution at all times by ensuring gender, regional and ethnic balance in all its undertakings.”
“I can confirm to you that Kenya is indeed open for business, and the opportunities for investment are manifold. Kenya is a regional financial, communication and transportation hub in Eastern Africa as well as in the sub-Saharan Africa in general. Therefore, by investing in Kenya, investors have access to not only a national population of over 40 million, but also to the larger regional market boasting of approximately 93 million and 385 million consumers in the East African Community (EAC), and Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) regions respectively.
OPCW Director General H. E. Ahmet-Uzumcu, H. E. Haim Divon Ambassador of Israel and H.E. Mr. Joe Tony Aidoo, Ambassador of Ghana.
“A recent World Bank survey indicated that Kenya had risen in its global ranking for investment competitiveness in its ‘Ease of Doing Business Index’. This can be attributed to the vast business regulatory reforms. The recent weeks has also seen several business-friendly laws enacted. These include the Companies Act, Insolvency Act and Special Economic Zones Act.”
“The Government of Kenya is committed to ensure that the enabling investment environment continues to offer both fiscal and infrastructural benefits to the business community. The Government has also instituted various policy measures geared towards transforming Kenya into a vibrant middle income economy with a high quality of life, as enshrined in the National Vision 2030 development blueprint.”
“In my time as Ambassador to The Netherlands, I have seen relations between our two countries continue to grow. Our two countries are vital partners for each other’s success in various sectors. Sectors such as horticulture are able to remain successful as a result of complementary business practices and understandings. For instance, in the flower sub-sector, Kenya and The Netherlands have partnered in the last year on the National Mechanism for Compliance Project. This project brought together the flower industry players, business facilitation agents and other key stakeholders in Kenya and the Netherlands. The Mechanism reviewed and implemented new national standards, which will ensure that the players across the flower value chain operate within defined responsible practices for sustained market access. To-date Kenya holds 38% of the world flower business. ”
“As I conclude, I urge you to consider making Kenya your tourism destination of choice. On your visit to Kenya, you would be spoilt for choice from the variety of holidays available, including: beach, Wildlife Safari, Culture, Landscapes, Adventure, Sports, Heritage and many others. For your convenience, we have four International Airports in Nairobi, Kisumu, Mombasa and Eldoret with domestic air strips serving all game parks and reserves. Most of all however, you will experience the warm and friendly Kenyan people.”
“On the multilateral platform Kenya continues to proactively engage by taking part in important dialogues that shape our future whether at SDGs which as you all know was successfully co-chaired by my counterpart Ambassador Macharia Kamau of Kenya to the United Nations in New York, COP21, ICC and OPCW. On Conference Tourism, as you all know next week my country hosts the 10th WTO Ministerial Conference as well as several others next year including Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) a first for an Africa Country and UNCTAD XIV in July, 2016. This reaffirms Kenya’s robust engagement in the multilateral platform as well as the bilaterally with our friendly partners. We also continue to strengthen our regional partnerships as this particularly key towards attaining regional peace and security. We will continue to work with our partners in combating terrorism and in this regard condemn the attacks that recently took place in Belgium and France.”
“Last but not least, Starbuck coffee is here with us to share with you samples of Kenya’s high-quality coffee, again this reaffirms the importance and success of working with great partners for a win-win outcome.”
A lavish Kenyan buffet dinner was then served to guests, and the party continued.
For information: http://www.kenyanembassy-nl.com/
On the picture H.E. Moazzam khan, Commercial Counsellor Mr. Zahid Abbasi and the Pakistani Minister of Commerce, Mr. Khurram Dastgir Khan.By Roy Lie A Tjam.
The launch of the Netherlands Pakistan Business Facilitation Forum took place at the Hilton Hotel in The Hague on 9 December 2015. NPBFF was created in order to maximize the benefits of two major, ongoing economic developments in Asia: the GSP and CPEC.
The Forum seeks to facilitate trade with Dutch companies, and to increase awareness with regards to the trade and investment opportunities in the wake of the GSP Plus and the Pakistan-China Economic Corridor initiative.
The moderator for the evening was Mr. Faraz Zaidi, Counselor at the Embassy of Pakistan. In his welcome remarks, Mr. Zaidi introduced the Honorable Federal Minister for Commerce of Pakistan, Mr. Khurram Dastgir Khan.For an Hester Dijkstra photo album on the Pakistan Business Forum in The Hague, please cklic here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/albums/72157661827910189
Mr. Zaidi then provided guests with a brief overview of Mr Khan’s impressive career. He graduated from California Institute of Technology as an engineer and also holds a degree in Economics from Bowdoin College.
The Hon. Federal Minister is affiliated with the ruling party PMLN, and has served as national office-bearer in leadership positions within his party. He also served as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister from 1997 to 1999.
He was elected from his native city of Gujranwala to the National Assembly of Pakistan in 2008 and was re-elected in 2013. During the 2008-13 Parliament, he served with distinction as Chair of the Standing Committee on Commerce and as a member of the Public Accounts Committee.
H. E .Engineer Khurram Dastgir Khan Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Commerce.
As a dynamic Parliamentarian, he also served on a number of Special Parliamentary and Standing Committees. In his current role as Federal Minister for Commerce, he has also been assigned by the Prime Minister the additional responsibility of the Parliamentary Business of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
At the Ministry of Commerce he has revitalized Pakistan’s trade diplomacy. He spearheaded the successful campaign to obtain GSP+ trade preferences for Pakistan from the European Union, and, in spring 2014, he led vital negotiations to obtain reciprocal market access for Pakistan and to enhance trade with neighboring countries. His vigorous diplomacy has led to the commencement of Pakistan’s negotiations for free trade agreements with Turkey and Thailand.
Under his stewardship, the Ministry of Commerce has revamped national trade defence laws, obtained approval for Pakistan’s accession to the TIR convention, and has successfully concluded institutional reforms within the Ministry itself as well as its attached departments. He has steered the drive for a qualitative shift towards value-addition and diversification in Pakistan’s exports.
H. E. Moazzan Khan, Ambassador of Pakistan to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Following Mr. Zaidi’s remarks, the launching ceremony of the Netherlands Pakistan Business Facilitation Forum commenced. Commercial Counsellor Mr. Zahid Abbasi began with a video presentation of the Forum. Noteworthy in his presentation was the introduction of the Pakistan-China Economic Corridor a fusion of multiple corridors including the Investment Corridor, Trade Corridor, Energy Corridor, Transport Corridor, Infrastructure Corridor, Industrial Corridor. In total, projects worth $46 billion will be executed, and the corridor will stretch for some 2,400km. The project completion date is 2030.
The next speaker was Ambassador of Pakistan to The Netherlands, H.E. Mr. Moazzam Ahmad khan. Relations with the Dutch go back many centuries, he said, and it all started in the coastal province of Sindh. The Ambassador also lauded the role played by Dutch institutions as CBI and PUM in two countries’ bilateral relationship.
To conclude the list of speakers, the honorable Federal Minister was invited to the rostrum for his remarks on this auspicious occasion.
According to the Minister, after only 19 months of GSP+, Pakistan’s economy showed an increase of more than 32%. The Hon. Minister considers GSP+ an incentive for the future rather than a reward for past achievement, and he reiterated the importance of transferring a bilateral friendship into an economic partnership.
As for terrorism, added the Minister, Pakistan is combating it effectively, and terrorist attacks are down. It is clear that Pakistan has reconnected to the world, as evidenced by the number of daily international flights into the country. Investors, tourist and others who had avoided Pakistan when the nation was plagued by terrorist attacks are now returning. Pakistan is a democratic and politically stable country. Peaceful local elections have recently been held, the stability that followed the smooth transition of power after the 2013 general election has endured.
A Dutch company is currently advising the port authorities of Karachi. Wimpel, a Dutch telephone provider is faring well in Pakistan. A very large size of the market is in their hands.
By all accounts, Pakistan is doing well economically, and there is a growing middle class estimated at about 70 million individuals.
For information:www.embassyofpakistan.com/
Asser Instituut celebrated 50th anniversary and launched Annual T.M.C. Asser LectureBy Wybe Douma, ASSER Institute.
On the occasion of its 50th anniversary, the T.M.C. Asser Instituut launched the T.M.C. Asser Lecture for the benefit of The Hague’s national and international legal community, scholars, practitioners, judges, policy-makers and journalists who will be able to enjoy, on an annual basis, a lecture by an internationally renowned jurist and outstanding public intellectual.
The celebrations took place on 2 December 2015 in The Academy Hall of the Peace Palace in The Hague and were attended by over 300 persons.
In his opening address, Prof. Ernst Hirsch Ballin, President of the T.M.C. Asser Instituut, welcomed the attendees to the celebratory event and reflected on Tobias Asser’s role in the development of international law and international legal institutions. His goal to reshape and develop international law to build trust across countries is still a source of inspiration for the T.M.C. Asser Instituut, evidenced by its mission as presented in its research agenda for the coming years: “International & European law as a Source of Trust in a Hyper-connected World”.
The Asser Strategic Research Agenda (2016-2020) aims to examine how law as one of the social institutions can contribute to the construction and cultivation of trust and trusting relations needed for cooperation in this large and hyper-connected world. As such, it fits well with one of the themes identified in the National Research Agenda: “between conflict and cooperation”.
Dr. Christophe Paulussen, Senior Researcher at the T.M.C. Asser Instituut, presented the first copy of the Asser Jubilee book ‘Fundamental Rights in International and European Law. Public and Private Law Perspectives’, to the Minister of Security and Justice of the Kingdom of The Netherlands, Mr. Ard van der Steur. The book is reflective of the breadth and scope of the research at the T.M.C. Asser Instituut, with fundamental rights providing a common foundation.
Minister Van de Steur praised the T.M.C. Asser Instituut for its ability to combine high quality academic research with projects aimed at legal practitioners, thereby ensuring a linkage between legal theory and the more ‘down to earth’ everyday practice.
He reflected on the functions of the rule of law and fundamental rights in our society, addressing the delicate balance between these ideals and counterterrorism policies and operations. He emphasised that the rule of law and fundamental rights are not only a moral heritage of European culture, but are still essential elements for stability, economic growth and international peace and security, and should therefore not be sacrificed for narrow, short-term victories (full speech available here).
Prof. Janne Nijman, Academic Director of the T.M.C. Asser Instituut, introduced Prof. Joseph Weiler, President of the European University Institute and University Professor at NYU School of Law and one of the most prominent scholars in the field of international and European law, and conveyed the idea behind the Annual T.M.C. Asser Lecture.
While inspired by Tobias Asser’s thoughts and actions in the past, these lectures will be future-oriented. In the coming years, the Institute will invite distinguished international lawyers to take inspiration from Asser’s idea of cultivating trust and respect through law and legal institutions, and to examine what it could mean in their area of expertise today.
The event culminated with Prof. Weiler’s lecture “Peace in the Middle East: has International Law failed?” Instead of directly addressing this question, he reversed it by asking instead if we have failed international law by not applying it correctly. He approached the controversial topic by meticulously outlining his take on the correct application of the law regarding the title to territory in different stages of the Arab – Israeli conflict, and asking whether what the law prescribed was just or unjust.
Prof. Weiler noted that in the instances where the law had been applied in a correct, principled and pragmatic way, a way he argued was reminiscent of Asser’s own view of legal practice, it had led to morally acceptable outcomes. However, coming back to the question of whether international law has failed, he identified an indeterminacy issue in the current legal framework of belligerent occupation that allows for manipulation by the parties to the conflict. This has turned the issue into a political dispute about the facts, for which international law can provide no more than a roadmap.
A video of the event and the written version of the lecture by Prof. Weiler will eventually be uploaded to the Asser website www.asser.nl .
On the picture Director Lucie Čadilová, sopranist Lucie Silkenová, Ambassador Jaroslav Kurfürst.
The annual Christmas concert co-arranged between the Embassy of the Czech Republic to Belgium (HE Ambassador Jaroslav Kurfürst) and the Delegation of Prague to the EU (Director Lucie Čadilová) took place at the historic Notre Dame du Sablon church.
This year Notre-Dame du Sablon resonated with orgue tunes played by Czech organist Aleš Bárta as well as the astounding voice of sopranist Lucie Silkenová.
Ambassadors Stanislav Vallo (Slovakia), Zoltán Nagy (Hungary), Artur Harazim (Poland) and Jaroslav Kurfürst (Czech Republic).
Amongst the attending personalities one can remark the ambassadors of Hungary, Mr Zoltán Nagy, of Poland, Artur Harazim, and of Slovakia, Stanislav Vallo.
On the picture Ambassador Maryem van den Heuvel and Foreign Minister Bert Koenders.
The Kingdom of the Netherlands is a candidate for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council for the period 2017-2018. In the latter framework Royal Dutch Ambassador to Belgium, H. E. Maryem van den Heuvel hosted a reception at the residence in Brussels for her colleagues from the ACP group, that is African, Caribbean and South Pacific states.
Deputy Head of Mission Wampie Libon conversing with top African diplomats.
Netherlands Foreign Minister Bert Koenders addressed the top diplomats on the Dutch involvement at the UN and the candidature’s priorities should the Kingdom attain the seat at the Security Council.
On the picture Lucien Weiler – Picture Lëtzebuerger Chamber.
By Baron Henri Estramant.
Luxembourg’s Grand Ducal Court has announced the appointment of Lucien Weiler to the position of Marshall of the Court. He is due to take his post on 4 January 2016, and thus become the successor of Pierre Bley who retires on 31 December. Mr Bley shall retain the honorary title of Court Marshall as well as the honorary function of “Emissary of the Court vis-à-vis civil society” as decided by Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa.
Mr Weiler (64) is a jurist and former Member of Parliament. Between 2004 and 2009 he was speaker of parliament. For 10 years he presided over the CSV (Christian Social People’s Party) until 2013, when he failed to be re-elected and then retired from politics.
The Court Marshall is the Grand Duke of Luxembourg’s representative in official ceremonies, particularly diplomatic events though his role is in evolution. Mr Weiler is due to take up less representative tasks and rather serve more as a liaison between the Grand Ducal Court and the Government. Moreover HRH The Grand Duke will now head a cabinet to deal more directly with the political agenda of His government. Mr Michel Heintz is the Chief of Cabinet, an utterly new position at court.
Two other key posts still remain vacant, namely the one of communications as well as the Secretary General at the Administration of the Grand Duke’s Estates.
On the picture Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü OPCW Director-General and Mr Laurent Fabius, French Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development.Director-General Visits France, Receives Légion d’Honneur
The OPCW Director-General Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü paid an official visit to France where he had meetings with Mr Louis Gauthier, Secretary General for Defense and National Security; Mr Philippe Errera, Director General of International Relations and Strategy, Ministry of Defence; Mr Nicolas de Rivière, Director General for Political and Security Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Ms Hélène Duchêne, Director of Strategic Affairs, Security and Disarmament, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Director-General also received a briefing on the SECOIA project, an initiative of the French Ministry of Defense. The objective of SECOIA is to establish a modern facility for the destruction and disposal of old chemical weapons from World War I. The SECOIA facility is expected to become operational in 2016. He also visited the Centre d’Etudes du Bouchet, which hosts the French OPCW designated laboratory.
Today, at a ceremony held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Director-General was conferred the Légion d’Honneur, the highest decoration awarded by the French government. Ambassador Üzümcü received the Légion d’Honneur in recognition of his services as OPCW Director-General and achievements over a long diplomatic career. The ceremony was attended by high-level French and Turkish officials, and members of the Üzümcü family. The award was given to the Director-General by Mr Laurent Fabius, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development.
“I am deeply honoured to receive this recognition by the French government, a long-standing partner in global chemical disarmament efforts,” said Director-General Üzümcü. “I share this recognition with the many colleagues who have worked with me to establish a more peaceful and secure world.”
Mrs Fatou Bensouda, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.Statement to the United Nations Security Council on the situation in Darfur, Sudan, pursuant to UNSCR 1593 (2005). New York, 15 December 2015.-Each time I appear before the United Nations Security Council to brief its Members on judicial developments at the International Criminal Court (“Court” or the “ICC”) and to update you on the activities of my Office with respect to the Situation in Darfur, I wish I could declare that at last the victims of the protracted and incessant conflict in Darfur will soon see justice, and that persons alleged to be responsible for Rome Statute crimes in Darfur will soon be held accountable before the Court. Unfortunately, the reality is that the individuals against whom ICC arrest warrants have been issued continue to remain at large. Ten years have elapsed since this Council concluded that the Situation in Darfur, Sudan, constituted a threat to international peace and security. It was on this basis that the Council decided to refer the Darfur situation to the Office of the Prosecutor of the Court so that those alleged to be responsible for Rome Statute crimes may be investigated and prosecuted. As recently as 29 June 2015, in its Resolution 2228, this Council reiterated yet again, as it has done in many of its previous Resolutions, that “the situation in Sudan constitutes a threat to international peace and security.” Starting with UNSCR 1593, each of the resolutions adopted by this Council represented hope for the victims of grave crimes allegedly committed in Darfur that they will not be forgotten; that those responsible for their suffering will be held accountable, and that peace and tranquillity will return to their lives, families and communities. I observe with great regret that the adoption of each Resolution has, in practical terms, amounted to no more than an empty promise. Year after year, victims’ hopes and aspirations for justice and a durable peace have been dashed. Instead, the people of Darfur have continued to endure desolation, alleged gross violations of human rights; indiscriminate killings; mass rape and sexual abuse, while the individuals against whom ICC arrest warrants have been issued, and who may be implicated in these crimes, continue to evade justice. Countless victims have been demoralised. After all, who can blame them when attaining justice appears so remote; not the least because of the absence of adequate follow-up and support from the Council. Their frustration and resignation in the face of inaction must weigh heavily on our collective conscience. My Office’s numerous Reports to this Council over the years must offer little, if any, solace to victims of atrocity crimes in Darfur. Despite my repeated requests for the Council to take action with respect to Sudan’s blatant disregard of its obligations, and in violation of this Council’s Resolutions, my appeals continue to be unheeded. As my Office’s reports have indicated, Mr Al Bashir is not only a fugitive from justice who continues to travel across international borders, but he also harbours other fugitives and refuses to facilitate their surrender and transfer to the ICC to be tried. My Office, and indeed the Court as a whole, do not have powers of arrest. Those powers rest with States. In the case of Sudan, this Council which referred the situation in Darfur to the ICC has important responsibilities to ensure that States uphold their obligations. I can only reiterate my appeals to this Council to take appropriate measures within its powers to ensure that all Darfur situation fugitives are apprehended and brought to justice for the sake of the victims.Today, my message to the victims in Darfur is clear and unequivocal: we shall not stop our work and we shall not despair. My Office remains firmly committed to its legal mandate with respect to Darfur, Sudan. We will also continue our principled approach and will repeatedly call upon this Council to more robustly support our work. Victims of atrocity crimes in Darfur should rest assured that the cases against the Sudan suspects are far from over. Contrary to the misinformed belief that investigations in Darfur have been closed, a team of committed lawyers and investigators from my Office is continuing with its work of interviewing witnesses, collecting documentary evidence and seeking information from relevant sources. My team is also continuously reviewing the evidence and following leads. In short, notwithstanding the challenges present, we are doing everything we can within our mandate and means. Our resolve to fully meet our mandate vis-à-vis Darfur remains unshaken. Let me be clear, the arrest warrants against all Sudanese fugitives remain in full force and effect, and my Office will continue its efforts to do everything feasible within its powers to press for their arrest and surrender. The victims of Darfur will no longer find solace in our words. They deserve tangible justice, and they deserve to see justice is being done. What is required is concrete and joint action by this Council, the States and the Court to achieve real progress. Without arrest and surrender, this Council will not be able to deliver on the promise to hold accountable those alleged to be responsible for committing Rome Statute crimes in Darfur, neither will it be able to facilitate sustainable peace and security in Sudan.Whether it be in the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda or Sierra Leone, this Council has repeatedly demonstrated that where there has been widespread commission of atrocity crimes against thousands of victims, peace and reconciliation cannot be fully achieved unless and until those responsible for the crimes are held accountable. The same rationale applies to Darfur. The criminal justice process that commenced with the Court’s issuance of arrest warrants against Mr Al Bashir and other suspects in the situation must be adequately supported.I must also emphasise that my Office’s ability to effectively and fully discharge the mandate this Council entrusted to it is hampered by lack of resources. The level of investigative activities in Darfur is necessarily a function of capacity and resource constraints. I have stressed similar concerns in various other contexts, including in my last briefing before the Council last month. I take this opportunity to once again recall the provisions of article 115(b) of the Rome Statute in accordance with which funds of the Court may be provided by the United Nations, in particular in relation to the expenses incurred due to referrals by the Council. The situation in Darfur is one such referral, and it is incumbent upon this Council to help support and devise innovative ways of providing the much needed resources for my Office’s investigative activities. Victims of Darfur have been let down for far too long. If I may be so bold, this Council must do more to demonstrate its commitment to Darfur, Sudan. It must confidently play its part in facilitating the arrest of suspects against whom the Court has issued warrants of arrest. It must act concretely on the Court’s non-compliance communications. In this regard, I thank the Council Members who are tirelessly working to ensure that communications from the Court receive the attention they deserve by the Council. Ultimately, this august body must recognise its crucial role vis-à-vis those states, including Sudan, that have been found to be in non-compliance by the Court, and to fully assume its responsibilities to advance the objectives of the Rome Statute.I conclude my remarks this morning by making the following observation: the interplay between the Court and the Council is entrenched in the founding treaty of the ICC, and hence, is here to stay. It is reasonable to expect that with time and increased inter-institutional interaction, the burgeoning relations between these two important institutions will develop further and evolve. I encourage regular exchanges with the Council, independent of the situation related periodic briefings, so that we may jointly brainstorm and address inter-institutional matters regarding how to strengthen the support and working methods of the Council in relation to the ICC, building on a similar and most helpful initiative organised in October of last year under the Presidency of Argentina. More opportunities for dialogue and exchange of views between the Court and the Council will be conducive to generating ideas and practical solutions, enabling the Council to more effectively respond to ICC related matters. Ending impunity for the world’s most destabilising and gravest crimes is not the prerogative of one single institution. It is a collective responsibility with humanity as a whole as its beneficiary.This Council’s tangible, consistent and principled support for the Court will be an important factor for not only the maintenance of international peace and security but also the cause of international criminal justice in this new century. Indeed, the former is in many ways contingent on the latter.As detailed in my report, terrible crimes allegedly continue to be perpetrated in Darfur. Only strong and committed action by the Council and States will stop the commission of grave crimes in Darfur and ensure that the perpetrators of past crimes are held accountable.History will surely stand witness to the tenacity of our will and ability to deliver on our respective obligations.
The Republic of Cyprus Signs ICMP Treaty
The Hague, 14 December 2015: The Republic of Cyprus today became the eighth country to sign the Agreement on the Status and Functions of the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP).
In December 2014 the Agreement was signed by the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium and Luxembourg; last month it was signed by El Salvador, and this morning it was signed by Chile and then Cyprus.
The Agreement recognizes ICMP as an international organization tasked with assisting countries in their efforts to address missing persons cases from conflict, human rights abuses, disasters, organized crime, migration and other causes. It does not create new international obligations for signatory States, financial or otherwise. ICMP remains a voluntarily funded organization.
A total of 493 Turkish Cypriots and 1,508 Greek Cypriots have been reported as missing by both communities as a result of events in the 1960s and in 1974.
ICMP has worked with the Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus (CMP) since July 2012, when it began providing assistance in making DNA-based identifications. Following the signing of the Agreement, ICMP hopes to explore options to enhance it support.
During the ceremony, Ambassador Elpidoforos Economou of the Republic of Cyprus stressed that Cyprus’s “painful national experiences have helped us appreciate the importance of enhancing international cooperation and exchanging best practices for the cause of missing persons globally. The Government of the Republic of Cyprus has therefore decided to sign the Agreement. ICMP can count on Cyprus’s support in the global effort to promote justice and to alleviate the suffering of the missing persons and their families.” ICMP Director-General Kathryne Bomberger
ICMP Director-General Kathryne Bomberger said this morning’s accession to the Agreement would make it easier for ICMP to work with stakeholders in Cyprus, and she added that “I look forward to working with Cyprus to explore options to enhance its efforts to account for missing person and to secure the rights of families of the missing to truth and justice.” ICMP was created at the G-7 Summit in Lyon, France in 1996. It is the only international organization exclusively dedicated to helping governments and others account for those who go missing as a result of conflict, crime, migration, human rights violations and natural disasters. To date, ICMP has generated DNA profiles from 1,632 bone samples submitted for testing. A total of 1,533 DNA match and re-association reports, representing 341 missing persons, have been submitted to the CMP.
For more information about ICMP’s work with the CMP in Cyprus please visit http://bit.ly/1luoQqL
On the sidelines of the Conference the Federal Minister for Commerce also held bilateral talks with Ms. Lilianne Ploumen, Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade & Development Cooperation, for further promoting bilateral trade and economic relations between Pakistan and the Netherlands. Dutch Multinationals like Unilever, Shell, Philips and VimpleCom (holdling company of Mobilink) have very visible presence in Pakistan. Bilateral trade between the two countries is around US 1 billion and it is continuing to grow every year.
On 8th December 2015, Mr. Khurram Dastgir Khan visited the Headquarters of the Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries (CBI) in The Hague. The Managing Director of CBI Mr. Max Timmerman gave him a briefing about the Center and its potential for enhancing trade between Pakistan and the Netherlands.
“As I conclude, I urge you to consider making Kenya your tourism destination of choice. On your visit to Kenya, you would be spoilt for choice from the variety of holidays available, including: beach, Wildlife Safari, Culture, Landscapes, Adventure, Sports, Heritage and many others. For your convenience, we have four International Airports in Nairobi, Kisumu, Mombasa and Eldoret with domestic air strips serving all game parks and reserves. Most of all however, you will experience the warm and friendly Kenyan people.”
“On the multilateral platform Kenya continues to proactively engage by taking part in important dialogues that shape our future whether at SDGs which as you all know was successfully co-chaired by my counterpart Ambassador Macharia Kamau of Kenya to the United Nations in New York, COP21, ICC and OPCW. On Conference Tourism, as you all know next week my country hosts the 10th WTO Ministerial Conference as well as several others next year including Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) a first for an Africa Country and UNCTAD XIV in July, 2016. This reaffirms Kenya’s robust engagement in the multilateral platform as well as the bilaterally with our friendly partners. We also continue to strengthen our regional partnerships as this particularly key towards attaining regional peace and security. We will continue to work with our partners in combating terrorism and in this regard condemn the attacks that recently took place in Belgium and France.”
“Last but not least, Starbuck coffee is here with us to share with you samples of Kenya’s high-quality coffee, again this reaffirms the importance and success of working with great partners for a win-win outcome.”
A lavish Kenyan buffet dinner was then served to guests, and the party continued.
For information: 
Mr. Zaidi then provided guests with a brief overview of Mr Khan’s impressive career. He graduated from California Institute of Technology as an engineer and also holds a degree in Economics from Bowdoin College.
The Hon. Federal Minister is affiliated with the ruling party PMLN, and has served as national office-bearer in leadership positions within his party. He also served as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister from 1997 to 1999.
He was elected from his native city of Gujranwala to the National Assembly of Pakistan in 2008 and was re-elected in 2013. During the 2008-13 Parliament, he served with distinction as Chair of the Standing Committee on Commerce and as a member of the Public Accounts Committee.
As for terrorism, added the Minister, Pakistan is combating it effectively, and terrorist attacks are down. It is clear that Pakistan has reconnected to the world, as evidenced by the number of daily international flights into the country. Investors, tourist and others who had avoided Pakistan when the nation was plagued by terrorist attacks are now returning. Pakistan is a democratic and politically stable country. Peaceful local elections have recently been held, the stability that followed the smooth transition of power after the 2013 general election has endured.
A Dutch company is currently advising the port authorities of Karachi. Wimpel, a Dutch telephone provider is faring well in Pakistan. A very large size of the market is in their hands.
By all accounts, Pakistan is doing well economically, and there is a growing middle class estimated at about 70 million individuals.
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