The Sustainable Development Goals Advocacy Group was officially be launched on 21 January 2016 at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. In a panel discussion, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Co-Chairs of the Group, Prime Minister of Norway Erna Solberg, and President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, discussed how the new SDGs can be translated into practice. They were joined by four of the advocates: Liberian peace activist Leymah Gbowee, Canadian physician and women’s right activist Alaa Murabit, American economist Jeffrey Sachs, and American actor, director and producer Forest Whitaker. The event was moderated by journalist Janine Di Giovanni from Newsweek. Advocacy is central to generating momentum and commitment to achieve the SDGs. The SDG Advocacy Group is composed of eminent personalities actively leveraging their unique resources, networks and specialized skills to help implement the 2030 Agenda. The members of the Sustainable Development Goals Advocacy Group are:  Chair of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser bin Abdullah Al Misned, First Lady of the State of Qatar, Doha, Qatar. H.E. Mr. John Dramani Mahama (Co-Chair), President of Ghana The Honourable Erna Solberg (Co-Chair), Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Norway Her Majesty Queen Mathilde of the Belgians Mr. Richard Curtis, Screenwriter, Producer and Film Director Ambassador Dho Young-Shim, Chairperson, United Nations World Tourism Organization’s Sustainable Tourism for Eliminating Poverty (ST-EP) Foundation Ms. Leymah Gbowee, Director, Gbowee Peace Foundation Mr. Jack Ma, Founder and Executive Chairman of Alibaba Group Mrs. Graça Machel, President of the Foundation of Community Development and the UNESCO National Commission in Mozambique Ms. Shakira Mebarak, Artist, Advocate and Founder of Pies Descalzos Foundation, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Mr. Leo Messi, Renowned football player, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Ms. Alaa Murabit, The Voice of Libyan Women Mr. Paul Polman, Chief Executive Officer, Unilever Professor Jeffrey Sachs, Director, Earth Institute at Columbia University Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, Duchess of Västergötland Mr. Forest Whitaker, Founder and CEO, Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative Professor Muhammad Yunus, Founder, Grameen Bank For more information:  http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sdgadvocates/ http://www.emg-csr.com/en/    

Al Mahdi case: Confirmation of charges hearing to open on 1 March 2016   Judge Cuno Tarfusser, exercising the functions of Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the case against Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi, granted the Defence’s request to postpone the confirmation of charges hearing in this case and decided that it will start on Tuesday, 1 March and, if necessary, will continue on Wednesday, 2 March 2016. The confirmation of charges hearing was initially scheduled for 18 January 2016. The purpose of the confirmation of charges hearing is to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to establish substantial grounds to believe that the person committed each of the crimes charged. If the charges are confirmed, the case will be transferred to a Trial Chamber, which will conduct the subsequent phase of the proceedings: the trial. Background:  It is alleged that Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi, born in Agoune, 100 kilometers west of Timbuktu, Mali, from the Ansar Tuareg tribe, was an active personality in the context of the occupation of Timbuktu. He allegedly was a member of Ansar Eddine, working closely with the leaders of the two armed groups and in the context of the structures and institutions established by them. It is alleged that, until September 2012, he was at the head of the “Hesbah” (“Manners’ Brigade”), operational from May 2012. He was also associated with the work of the Islamic Court of Timbuktu and has participated in executing its decisions. Specifically, it is alleged that he was involved in the destruction of the buildings mentioned in the charges. The Chamber found that the evidence presented by the Prosecutor establish reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Al Mahdi is criminally responsible for having committed, individually and jointly with others, facilitated or otherwise contributed to the commission of war crimes alleged by the Prosecutor regarding intentionally directing attacks against the following buildings: 1) the mausoleum Sidi Mahmoud Ben Omar Mohamed Aquit, 2) the mausoleum Sheikh Mohamed Mahmoud Al Arawani, 3) the mausoleum Sheikh Sidi Mokhtar Ben Sidi Muhammad Ben Sheikh Alkabir, 4) the mausoleum Alpha Moya, 5) the mausoleum Sheikh Sidi Ahmed Ben Amar Arragadi, 6) the mausoleum Sheikh Muhammad El Micky, 7) the mausoleum Cheick Abdoul Kassim Attouaty, 8) the mausoleum Ahamed Fulane, 9) the mausoleum Bahaber Babadié, and 10) Sidi Yahia mosque. On 26 September 2015, Mr Al Mahdi was surrendered to the ICC by the authorities of Niger and transferred to the Court’s Detention Centre in the Netherlands. On 30 September 2015, he appeared before the single Judge of Pre-Trial Chamber I, Judge Cuno Tarfusser, in the presence of the Prosecutor and the Defence. Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi was represented by his Duty Counsel, Mohamed Aouini. The situation in Mali was referred to the Court by the Government of Mali on 13 July 2012. After conducting a preliminary examination of the situation, the Office of the Prosecutor opened an investigation on 16 January 2013, into alleged crimes committed on the territory of Mali since January 2012. For further information on the case, click here.

By Baron Henri Estramant. His Majesty King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands issued a Royal Order on 16 December 2015 granting the “Honorary Cross of the House Order of Oranje” (Erekruis van de Huisorde van Oranje) to drs. Coen baron Schimmelpenninck van der Oije. The Honorary Cross (badge on a ribbon to be worn on the left chest) was bestowed upon Baron Coen for his services as “Chamberlain to H.M. The King” which he left behind on 31 December 2015. The order was presented to him officially on 12 January at Noordeinde Palace. Baron Coen Schimmelpenninck van der Oije (Amsterdam, 17 July 1943) is a son of the late Baron Cornelis Schimmelpenninck van der Oije and Countess Johanna van Limburg Stirum. From 1985 he was director of the Municipal Archives of the City of Rotterdam and since 1994 likewise for the Historic Museum Rotterdam. Also in 1994 he was appointed chamberlain to then Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. Schimmelpenninck van der Oije moreover served as director of the Maritime Museum Rotterdam from 2006. Between 1991 and 2015 Baron Coen was the chairman of the High Council of the Dutch Nobility (Hoge Raad van Adel) an institution still attached to the Netherlands State, and advising in matters concerning the nobility as well as heraldry. His successor since 11 May 2015 is former top diplomat, Jonkheer Johan Pieter de Savornin Lohman (b. ‘s-Gravenhage, 27 February 1948). For more information: Dutch orders of chivalry: www.onderscheidingen.nl/nl/medailles/orden/ho.html High Council of the Dutch Nobility (Hoge Raad van Adel): http://www.hogeraadvanadel.nl/home  

The nomination of a unity government for Libya is a step in the right direction, Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders said today. ‘It’s all to the good, especially after such a long period of rival blocs contending for power.’ The minister sees the unity government as important not only for Libyans themselves, but also for the EU. ‘Libyans can only suffer from having a divided country where parties are confronting each other head-on,’ he said. ‘And a united Libya is vital for the Netherlands and the rest of the EU, too, because it makes joint action possible in the struggle against terrorism,’ he remarked. Mr Koenders pointed out that Libya has increasingly become a haven for ISIS, commenting that ‘only a Libyan government with the entire country under its control can prevent ISIS from using it as a base’. A united Libya is also a key precondition for better management of migration flows towards Europe. At the same time, the minister still sees potential snags ahead for the new government: ‘we still need to see whether the parliament will give its assent’, for example. He called on the Libyan parliament to confirm the new government’s installation as rapidly as possible. The international community, under UN leadership, will endeavour in the coming months to support Libya as much as possible. The EU has, announced an assistance package of €100 million. Mr Koenders hopes that the unity government will pay more attention in future to the status of women. ‘UN envoy Martin Kobler had called for 30% of the portfolios to be given to women, but in fact only one woman has been appointed as a minister,’ he said. ‘That’s a disappointment and a missed opportunity, particularly because women are playing such a crucial role in the transition process.’ The Netherlands is supporting Libyan women in establishing an advisory body that will function as a ministry.