On the picture H. E. Moazzam Khan Ambassador of Pakistan, the ambassador of Georgia, H.E.  Konstantine Surguladze, H.E. Dr. Alireza Jahangiri Ambassador of Iran and H.E.  Roman Kim Ambassador of Slovenia.   By Carlotta Duken and Antonia Barthel.

Embassy Art Exhibition, 3th vernissage.

Wednesday 28 October commenced the third week of the Embassy Art Exhibition. This week the embassies of Iran, Georgia, Pakistan and Slovenia were presenting a great range of artists and art from their home countries. The variety of art, including tapestry, sculptors and paintings, was again attracting many visitors to the Gallery Patrice van Dorst. Among the highlights of the reception were the speeches given by the ambassadors and the owner of the gallery, Carel Reisch. For a photo album on the 3th vernissage of the series Embassy Art Exhibition 2015, please open here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/albums/72157658432912284   The ambassador of Iran, H.E. Mr. Alireza Jahangiri, referred to Iran’s rich cultural and artistic heritage: “It is a fact that art, in general, has a strong root in our history. Iran is well-known as the owner of one of the richest art heritage in world’s history which encompasses many disciplines including architecture, painting, weaving, pottery, calligraphy, metal work and many other forms of art.”

The Iranian artists exhibiting their works were Mr. Bozorg Khazraei, Mr. Bahram Sadri Monfared and Mr. Ali Alizadeh who is an ingenious flutist. Born with a handicap and drawing all his painting with his mouth, Bahram Sadri Monfared drew particular attention from the visitors due to his incredible skill and artwork.   The ambassador of Pakistan, H.E. Mr. Moazzam Ahmad Khan, addressed the long and rich history and tradition of Pakistani artworks and culture: “It goes back as long as 5000 years, even then Pakistan had the tradition of indulging in art”. The ambassador is proud of “not only rich traditions but the wide spectrum of art – abstract, landscape or calligraphy which can be found in Pakistani culture. On average the country exports 70-80 million dollar worth of art every year” The artists presented by Pakistan were Soraya Sikander, one of today’s leading contemporary South Asian artists. Many of her paintings capture landscapes of her home county as well as organic forms. Her specific style of painting was visible on the artworks exhibited at the exhibition. She is listed as an ‘Artist to watch’.

The ambassador of Georgia, H.E. Mr. Konstantine Surguladze, addressed in his speech the power of art: “Art is a feeling, emotion, it is a story, sometimes short, sometimes endless, sometimes interesting, sometimes not. It is an idea, change, development, transformation. Art is a frozen moment but at the same time it is an endless movement sometimes slow and sometimes very fast. Art is a behavior or a possibility to tell you something. Sometimes art is beautiful, sometimes ugly, but sometimes you can also find beauty in ugly. You are free in art and therefore, art is freedom”. Altogether, he described art as “a universal language that unites us”. The ambassador was also proud to announce six Georgian painters present: Mamuka, Maia, George Kukhalashvili, Nodar Khokhobashvili and Alexey Kvaratskhelia

The ambassador of Slovenia, H.E. Mr. Roman Kim, introduced Slovenia as “a small country which has to much to offer. From beautiful landscapes to amazing artworks of our Slovenian artists”. The ambassador was proud to introduce the presenting artists Ksenija Čerče, Mitja Ficko and Robert Černelč: “They graduated from the Ljubljana Academy of Art and Design in the late 90s and became actively involved in the Slovene art scene at the start of the new millennium. We could say that this is the first new generation of independent Slovenia. This generation of painters responded to the notion of “new” painting in very different ways – on the one hand, by continuing the tradition of the postmodern deconstruction f at image and, on the other hand, establishing intermedial dialogues and incorporating mass-culture image-making and pop aesthetics in their work.” All three artists, Ksenija Čerče, Mitja Ficko and Robert Černelč, have exhibited their work in Slovenia and abroad.

Further, the exhibition was enriched by the presence of the artists themselves. The atmosphere was underlined by flute music from Mr. Ali Alizadeh, an Iranian artist, and food and drinks contributed by the embassies, including wine from Georgia and Slovenia, sweets from Iran and savory snacks from Pakistan. For information: http://www.patriesvandorst.nl/over-ons/embassy-art-exhibtion/

Tunisian Wine and Olive Oil Tasting Evening at the Hilton The Hague By Roy Lie A Tjam. The foyer of the Hilton Hotel in The Hague was chosen as the venue by H.E. Karim Ben Bécher, Ambassador of Tunisia to host a promotional evening featuring Tunisian wine and olive oil. The Ambassador had invited businesspeople, fellow ambassadors and friends to the wine and olive oil tasting evening. For a picture album on the successful Tunisian wine and olive oil tasting, please click here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/albums/72157660770459835 In his welcome remarks the ambassador related how well these two sectors are prospering. The ambassador further remarked, the cultivating of olive oil dates back to the eight century B.C.E. Tunisia is the first country ever to export olive oil, and this was centuries ago. Ambassador Karim B.Becher invited his guest to taste the wine, olive oil and the accompanying Tunisian antipasti. Tunisia in 2014-2015, was the world’s largest exporter of olive oil and the second largest producer, processing more than 250 000 tones of olive oil. Olive oil is Tunisia’s main agricultural export item to the EU. It is also an important agricultural resource which provides direct and indirect employment to more than a million Tunisians. Competitors on the international olive oil market are closely monitoring developments. European farmer and cooperative organization Copa Cogeca has criticized Competitors on the international olive oil market are closely monitoring developments. European farmer and cooperative organization Copa Cogeca has criticized the European Commission’s plans to significantly increase duty-free import quotas for Tunisian olive oil. Apart from olive oil, Tunisia also exports wine. Wine, (olive) oil and honey have been with us for eons, in biblical times these three products were top commodities. It was then said that “wine makes man’s heart rejoice, makes the face shine”. The quality of the Tunisian wines is rich in alcohol content, with low acidity, and soft [and pleasant as is the character of new wines?] with the character of new wines and an alcohol percentage of 11 to 12° for both red and rosé, and a slightly lower percentage for white. The Office National de la Vigne de Tunisie, ensures the high standard of wine produced in the country. In 2012, 225,000 bottles of wine were exported to France, Germany and Morocco. Furthermore, Japan, Ivory Coast and Canada also purchase Tunisian wine. The Tunisian wine and olive tasting evening on 26 October could be classified as a success and in the words of one olive oil exporter, it gave us a good opportunity to market our product. A Tunisian newspaper referred to the promotional evening as a laudable initiative by Tunisia’s dynamic Ambassador Karim Ben Becher. We are anticipating seeing Tunisian wine and olive oil on Dutch shelves in the near future said the Ambassador. Tunisia is concluding 2015 on a positive note with the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to a group of civil society organizations and the launching of negotiations on a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) between the EU and Tunisia.  

On the picture: Participants of the third ICC Seminar on Cooperation with Focal Points of States where investigations are being conducted, on 2 November 2015 in The Hague (The Netherlands) ©ICC-CPI. ICC holds third seminar on cooperation with focal points of States where investigations have been opened or are taking place The third Seminar on Cooperation with Focal Points of States where investigations are being conducted, opened today, 2 November 2015, at the seat of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, The Netherlands. On 2-6 November 2015, a number of officials and focal points from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, the Central African Republic, Kenya, Libya, Côte D’Ivoire, and Mali will meet with Court officials to discuss cooperation with the ICC. Representatives from six other States with experience cooperating with the Court will also attend, as will ICC Staff tasked with liaising with national authorities Emphasising the important role of national focal points, ICC First Vice-President Judge Joyce Aluoch said “if we want to make cooperation work, we must develop mutual understanding and remain in constant dialogue. For this reason, events such as this seminar provide an excellent opportunity to do just that.” “Working together and learning from one another is the only way in which we can achieve our common objectives of justice and the end of impunity,” Judge Aluoch added. ICC Deputy Prosecutor James Stewart said: “Indeed, the ICC was but a dream only 20 years ago, and if it was not for the commitment and persistent efforts of your countries, we would not be here today. As embodied by the principle of complementarity that frames the system of international criminal justice established by the Rome Statute, the ICC is part of a network of national judicial systems, comprising more than 120 States. It is our joint actions, at the national and international levels, that bring life and purpose to this grand enterprise”. ICC Registrar Herman von Hebel underlined the importance of cooperation, stating that “effective and expeditious proceedings are intimately linked to ensuring timely and effective cooperation through the assistance of the designated focal points of the situation countries thus leading to better justice system for the victims”. “I hope that this yearly forum of exchange will continue to develop practical and proactive solutions for the complex challenges ahead of us”, he further added. States play an essential role in implementing the ICC’s Decisions, Orders and Requests, and States Parties often nominate a national focal point to coordinate and channel communications between national authorities and the ICC. This week, these focal points will share lessons learned and explore matters relevant to their experience working with the ICC through their national systems. Enhancing dialogue between the ICC and States Parties on cooperation is of key importance to the Rome Statute system. This Seminar aims to address a wide range of issues related to cooperation including Witness and victims’ protection, outreach in situation countries, the participation of States in proceedings and various international agreements between State Parties and the ICC. The Seminar was funded through the generous contributions of the European Union and the Governments of The Netherlands and Finland. The first and second Seminars on the same topics were held on 13-14 July 2011 and 17- 21 November 2014 respectively. They are part of a larger continuing effort to further advance the ICC’s processes, in particular in countries where ICC investigations are ongoing, with a view to realising the commitment of States Parties to end impunity and provide justice for the victims and affected communities of Rome Statute crimes. The International Criminal Court is an independent permanent court that tries persons accused of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole, namely the crime of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression.