President Atifete Jahjaga of Kosovo with US President Barack Obama and wife Michelle – Picture by White House. The European Parliament in Strasbourg ratified on January 21th the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with Kosovo. According to the counted ballots 486 MEPs were in favour, 102 against, with 81 abstained from the ratification.  EP rapporteur for Kosovo, Austrian MEP Ulrike Lunacek uttered that the SAA “should come into effect immediately, which would be a very positive signal for the citizens and for commerce in Kosovo”.  Kosovo and the EU signed the SAA on 27 October 2015, which the Kosovo Assembly ratified it on 2 November 2015.  Kosovar President Atifete Jahjaga and Assembly President Kadri Veseli hailed the ratification as  “an important signal for Kosovo’s admission into the EU and a great political victory for Kosovo.” For more information: Embassy of Kosovo to The Netherlands, Mission to the OPCW (HE Ambassador Dr. Vjosa Dobruna): http://www.ambasada-ks.net/nl/?page=2,1 Mission of Kosovo to the EU, Belgium and Luxembourg (HE Ambassador Dr. Mimoza Ahmetaj): http://www.ambasada-ks.net/be/?page=4,1      

On the picture Commissioner Johannes Hahn in charge of Enlargement, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, and Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders – Picture by EU. Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian was in Brussels on the 18 of January  for the EU-Armenia Cooperation Council.  He was received for political discussions by Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy, the Austrian Dr. Johannes Hahn and Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders as the Netherlands is holding for the twelfth time the presidency of the Council of the EU. 

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.