On the picture H.E. Ahmet Üzümcü. Recipients of the Second Annual “OPCW-The Hague Award” Announced The Director General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, H.E. Ahmet Üzümcü, takes pleasure in announcing the decision of the OPCW-The Hague Award Committee to honour Dr Alastair Hay of the United Kingdom and Dr Mahdi Balali-Mood of the Islamic Republic of Iran as the joint recipients of the second annual OPCW-The Hague Award. The Award, created by the OPCW as an outcome of its winning of the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize and supported by a generous financial contribution from the City of The Hague, is intended to honour and recognise individuals and non-profit, non-governmental organisations that have made an outstanding contribution to achieving a world free of chemical weapons. Dr Hay, a British national, is an eminent scientist whose extensive knowledge on the toxic properties of chemical warfare agents has made him a leading expert in the field. Throughout his career, he has tirelessly supported and promoted the objectives of the OPCW by promoting ethical uses of chemistry and biology, including the development of international codes of practice. Dr Balali-Mood, an Iranian national, is an expert toxicologist who has dedicated his career to the treatment of victims of chemical warfare agents. He has been a ceaseless educator on the medical aspects of chemical weapons, working closely with the WHO and OPCW to advocate for victims and to develop international guidelines for response to the use of chemical warfare agents. The nominations for the second annual Awards represented a strong cross section of nominees and as such it was the decision of the Committee that the Award be shared between the two worthy recipients. The 2015 Award winners will be honoured at a presentation ceremony to be held at the Headquarters of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague, The Netherlands on 30 November 2015. The 2015 winners will be presented a medal, a certificate of recognition and a cash prize of €45,000.00 each. The inaugural OPCW-The Hague Award, presented in December 2014, honoured Dr Robert Matthews of Australia and the Finnish Institute for the Verification of the Chemical Weapons Convention (VERIFIN) for their significant contributions to the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Ma Ying-jeou and Xi Jinping. Picture by Wong Maye AP. Singapore, Saturday, 7 November 2015: The leaders of China and Taiwan met for the first time since the country’s split amidst civil war 66 years ago, and although no concrete agreement resulted, both hailed the meeting as a sign of a new stability in relations. PRC President Xi Jinping and Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou came together on neutral ground in the Southeast Asian city-state of Singapore, walking toward each other in a hotel ballroom in front of a backdrop of yellow (traditional color of Chinese emperors).  https://youtu.be/qGZqJldB4PY The two men smiled broadly as they shook hands for more than one minute, turning slightly to the side to accommodate a host of photojournalists in the ballroom. No national flags were present (a necessary work-around to overcome China’s refusal to recognise Taiwan’s sovereignty or its government’s formal legitimacy), and the two men were referred to merely as “Mr Xi” and “Mr Ma” to further reduce the chances of bruised sensitivities. Ma said, “Both sides should respect each other’s values and way of life,” while adding that relations between the sides were “the most peaceful and stable they have ever been.” When they split in 1949, both sides aspired to absorb the other, with each claiming the mantle of the only legitimate government of all of China, Taiwan included. Communist Party-ruled China still demands that Taiwan eventually be unified with the mainland, by force if necessary, while many citizens of democratic Taiwan increasingly prefer to simply maintain the separate status the island has carved out over more than six decades. Following his news conference, Ma joined Xi at a banquet at the upscale Shangri-La Hotel, where the meeting was held. For more information:  President of the PRC: http://www.forbes.com/profile/xi-jinping/ President of China (Taiwan): http://english.president.gov.tw/Default.aspx?tabid=454 The historical meeting: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGZqJldB4PY    

FIDH recommendations to the 14th Assembly of States Parties to the Statute of the ICC Paris, The Hague, 10 November 2015 – On the occasion of the 14th session of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) to the ICC Statute , which takes place from 18 to 26 November 2015 in The Hague, FIDH presents its position paper with recommendations to the State Parties. The paper addresses key issues that will be discussed during the ASP session, including the serious threats posed to the core mandate of the ICC and other key factors concerning the functioning and impact of the Court. This year, the ASP is once again faced with proposals that severely undermine the Court’s independence and mandate. The latest requests to discuss matters relating to the Court’s handling of the Kenya cases as well as the Al-Bashir case in a political forum raise serious concerns about attempts of interfere in judicial proceedings. “It is of the utmost importance that States refrain from discussing purely judicial matters that are before the ICC, which would risk damaging the Court’s independence. States Parties should use every opportunity to defend the integrity of the Rome Statute throughout the ASP,” said Karim Lahidji, FIDH President. During the 14th session of the Assembly, States Parties will tackle issues of efficiency and effectiveness of Court proceedings, cooperation with States, and complementarity with national proceedings on sexual and gender based violence. States Parties will also adopt the Court’s budget for activities of the ICC in 2016. FIDH stresses the importance of adopting a budget that will enable the Court to respond effectively to the challenges of a growing number of preliminary examinations, investigations and prosecutions, and to ensure genuine participation of victims in ICC proceedings. FIDH emphasizes that it is inappropriate to frame a budget discussion about the Court mandated to try atrocity crimes with an appraisal of what is the barest minimum of resources it needs to survive. “It is imperative that States Parties provide the ICC the diplomatic and financial support it needs particularly now, as the Court is expanding its international reach. Victims of the crimes that fall under the ICC jurisdiction deserve no less,” declared Shawan Jabarin, FIDH Vice President and Director of Al Haq, who will lead the FIDH delegation. During the plenary session dedicated to discuss “Efficiency and Effectiveness of Court Proceedings”, FIDH calls upon States Parties to promote genuine participation of victims in ICC proceedings, including through a harmonized victim application process and adequate legal representation from earliest stages. FIDH also calls upon State Parties to voluntarily contribute to the Trust Fund for Victims, in particular at this crucial turning point of the Court’s existence with the first cases reaching the reparation stage. FIDH will attend the ASP session with a delegation led by its Vice President Mr. Jabarin and representatives from member and partner organisations from Côte d’Ivoire, Georgia, Guinea, Kenya, Libya, Palestine, Sudan, and Ukraine. FIDH will be co-organising the following side events: 1. “Palestine and the ICC: Accountability Opportunities and Obligations” FIDH- State of Palestine- Al Haq organization- OSJI; on 20 November 2015, from 13:00 to 15:00 2. “Complementarity and cooperation: The ICC and the national jurisdictions in Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea and Mali” on 24 November 2015, from 13:00 to 15:00 Read the FIDH recommendations to the 14th Assembly of States Parties to the Statute of the ICC