By Dr. Christophe Paulussen, Senior Researcher at T.M.C. Asser Instituut.
Countering maritime piracy by repressive means evokes important international legal questions: what is the responsibility and still evolving role of states and other actors like Private Military and Security Companies (PMSCs)? Is the use of repressive means by states already exhausted or eroding in the face of the emergence of PMSCs? Which legal frameworks apply when countering piracy and how do they correlate? What is the role of soft law? And which human rights challenges can be identified when arresting, detaining, transferring and prosecuting piracy suspects? These are only a few pertinent questions that will be addressed during an international conference, organised by (the public international law cluster of the) Asser Institute (The Hague) and the Antonio Cassese Initiative (Geneva).
This international conference is the fourth conference organised this year on the occasion of the 50 year anniversary of the T.M.C. Asser Instituut. In addition, it celebrates this year’s establishment of the Antonio Cassese Initiative Foundation in the Netherlands, underscoring the increasing collaboration between these two organisations and between The Hague and Geneva, two of the most important legal cities in the world.
Confirmed speakers are Commodore Neil Brown (Royal Navy, United Kingdom), Peter Post (Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Gert-Jan van Hegelsom (Legal Affairs Division EEAS), Bibi van Ginkel (Netherlands Institute of International Relations ‘Clingendael’), Efthymios Papastavridis (Academy of Athens), Nelleke van Amstel (Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces), Stuart Casey-Maslen (Co-author of the Geneva Academy’s Academy Briefing ‘Counterpiracy under International Law’), Annet Kramer (Netherlands Prosecution Service), Floris Holthuis (Nolet Advocaten) and Anna Petrig (University of Basel).
Are you interested in this topic and other current issues related to countering piracy? Please subscribe for this free conference, taking place at the T.M.C. Asser Instituut in The Hague on 15 October 2015.
More background information, the provisional programme and registration possibilities can be found on our website.
By Barend ter Haar.Never before, and possibly never after, has life been so close to heaven on earth as in the Netherlands and surrounding countries. People are free and safe. Housing, education and health care are provided to everybody and the food is so plentiful that the greatest threat to their life is eating too much.At the same time for most people in Syria life is hell. Probably more than 1% of the population has been killed. About half the population has fled. Four million of them stay in overcrowded and underfunded camps in neighbouring countries. A few percent of those Syrians are willing and able to pay thousands of Euros in order to reach the relative paradise of Western Europe. They know that, according to the Refugee Convention, these countries will have to grant them asylum status, if only they manage to reach their territory. However these countries are not facilitating their journey. That opened interesting business opportunities for organized crime. For astronomical prices they offer an uncomfortable journey with a risk of drowning in the Mediterranean or suffocating in a lorry. So far this year 300.000 people accepted this offer, because the alternatives were worse. (This includes people from other countries such as Eritrea and Iraq.)Three hundred thousand is only 0,5% of the total number of people worldwide that were forced to leave their house (about 60 million, of which 40 million remained in their own country), but the number is large enough to make clear that the current European policies have failed.The crisis presents European governments with two key questions. The first is: will countries continue to shift the burden of the problem to their European neighbours, or will they go for a common European approach? The second key question is: will they limit themselves to fighting symptoms or will they address the underlying challenges? The fundamental question underlying both is this: Will countries continue to pretend that they can maintain their small paradise by surrounding it with walls and barbed wire and sending some money and a few bombers to the outside world? Or will they confront the reality that their destiny is linked with that of the people on the other side of the border?This is a question of self interest, because the future freedom, health, safety and prosperity of the people of Western Europe depends for a very large part on what happens outside their borders. To maintain their paradise for their children, they will have to accept their co-responsibility for what happens outside the borders of their countries.Denying that the fate of the people of Western Europe is inextricably linked with the fate of the people outside, might bring some votes in the short run, but will eventually hurt the interests of everybody, both inside and outside the earthly paradises.
By HE Konstantine Surguladze, Ambassador of Georgia to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
82 years old David Vanishvili, went to sleep in his house in Georgia, just to find himself the next morning in the so called “South Ossetia”, occupied part of Georgia, with his house being separated from his farmland by the barbwire fence, marking the so-called “border” between Georgia and the occupied region.
On the 7th anniversary of the Russia-Georgian 2008 August 5 days war, despite the EU-brokered six-point Ceasefire agreement between Georgia and the Russian Federation, the latter remains in full disregard of its obligation under this agreement. Russia blatantly violated the ceasefire agreement and recognized two regions of Georgia, Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states; instead of withdrawing its forces to their pre-war positions, the RF has reinforced its military bases in these regions, built on places of annihilated Georgian villages, inhabitants of which, up to 140 000 ethnic Georgians where forcefully driven from their homes, whereby they joined already existing IDPs; 20% of the Georgian territory continues to be occupied by Russian occupying forces.
The political support Georgia received from international community, appeared, as time has shown, as non sufficient to stop Russia’s further aggressive steps, since Russia perceived it as a “soft persuasion” and a signal that revision on the “results of the cold war” was still possible, notwithstanding the drastic violation principles of inviolability of borders, hence the fundamental principles of International Law. So it seemed to be a good start for new endeavor-challenging Ukraine.
Current developments in Ukraine are simply reinstallation of the approaches firstly tested by Russia in Georgia, just on the smaller scale.
What we are witnessing today are merely steps undertaken by Russia towards “creeping occupation and annexation”. Let me shortly outline the facts: Barbwire fences are being installed along the occupation line in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region, which further intrude into the territory controlled by the Central Government of Georgia, leaving behind the houses and farmland of the local population; also, banners are being installed, marking the so-called “state border” along the occupation line, the most recent installation took place just over two months ago, whereby a considerable segment of the Strategic Baku-Supsa Oil Pipeline, has fallen under the control of the Russian occupation force. Moreover, Russia signed the so-called “treaty on alliance and strategic partnership” with its occupation regime in Sokhumi and similar “treaty on alliance and integration” with the Tskhinvali occupation regime, whereby both documents are directed against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia and constitute the factual annexation of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions, as provide for their full integration into social, economic, administrative institutions and – most importantly – military and security space of Russia.
The process is significantly affecting everyday life of the local population, both in the occupied regions, as well as in the adjacent areas. The local population is forcefully deterred from the access to their agricultural lands, potable and irrigation water systems. Residents are prevented from acceding to the local cemeteries and reaching emergency medical services. Moreover, some of them were compelled to leave their places of residence left behind the occupation line, thus creating a new generation of IDPs. The situation inside Georgia’s occupied regions raises particular concern given that no international monitoring mechanisms operate therein since the mandates of the UN and OSCE Monitoring Missions were vetoed by the RF back in 2009. As for the EU Monitoring Mission, deployed in Georgia immediately after the War, it is still denied access to the occupied territories.
These developments are a part of Russia’s purposeful policy provoking Georgia and further threatening already fragile peace and security on the ground, region and beyond and are well inscribed in the broader neighboring political agenda of Russia – undermining the sovereignty of its neighbors with clear European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations.
There is only one coherent response from Georgia, – strengthening its grip on democracy, rule of law and promotion of other benefits of the democratic state along with its other undertakings, including the unilateral legally-binding non-use of force pledge vis-à-vis Russia.
At the same time, on the part of the international community, vital is on the one hand, the genuine assessment – adequate to the wider challenges Russia represents today – of these developments and on the other, its active inclusion in Georgia’s European and Euro-Atlantic integration process,- our irreversible choice, which will certainly serve as a protective shield against Russia’s policy of sphere of influence domination.
By HE Francesco Azzarello, Ambassador of Italy to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
“Feeding the Planet. Energy for Life”
Since its opening the 1st of May, EXPO 2015 has been the showroom of efficient and sustainable food management, as well as a unique platform for economic opportunities and political discussions. Leaders, businessmen, visitors from all over the world have gathered in Milan in order to visit the premises of the Exposition and raise awareness on the issue of food production. The message carried through the slogan “Feeding the Planet. Energy for Life” could not have been more timely and effective.EXPO 2015 has 145 participating countries, among which 54 built up their pavilions and the remaining joined in nine clusters organized around a specific theme: bio-Mediterranean (10), rice (5), cacao and chocolate (6), coffee (10), cereals (7), fruits and legumes (9), islands and sea (14), desert (8), spices (4). Through the clusters, EXPO 2015 has ensured the highest level of representation of African countries ever attained by a Universal Exposition. Among the International Organisations, the United Nations and the European Union set up their own pavilions, with the UN prestigiously established at the Pavilion Zero at the main entrance of EXPO and the UE in front of the Tree of Life. A large number of private companies have also taken an active role, such as Alitalia, Case New Holland, Coca Cola, ENEL, Ferrero, Intesa Sanpaolo, Perugina.So far EXPO 2015 has attained an impressive record of 11,5 million visitors, with an increasing rate of 120.000-150.000 visitors per day. A larger amount of visitors is expected for the final months of September and October. This remarkable achievements point out that EXPO 2015 has been delivering one of the best performances ever in the history of Universal Expositions.World leaders have gathered in Milan to visit EXPO 2015, mainly during the national days of their countries: the most intense months have been June and July, and more national days are scheduled for September and October. In the first weeks, EXPO 2015 was visited, among others, by the European Union High Representative Federica Mogherini, President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz, Egyptian Minister for Foreign Trade Mounir Abel Nour, Ethiopian Minister of Industry Mebrathu Meles, Indonesian Minister of Trade Rachmat Gobel, Qatari Minister of Economy Sheikh Ahmed Bin Jassim Al-Thani, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis.To recall some of the visits in June, the Chinese Deputy Prime Minister Wang Yang on 8 June, Argentinian President Christina de Kirchner on 9, the Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin on 10. And the British Prime Minister David Cameron on 17, US First Lady Michelle Obama on 18, French President François Hollande on 21, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev on 27. The Japanese Minister of agriculture Yoshimasa Hayashi and the Minister of Economy Daishiro Yamagiwa visited on 11 of July and Queen Letizia of Spain on the 23. The German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the 18 of August, the Iranian Minister for Industry Mohammen Reza Menatzadeh and Minister of Culture Ali Jannati on the 23, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the 27.EXPO is a unique opportunity for business. More than 1.750 private companies from 72 countries have registered in the platform EXPO Business Matching, which has been organized in order to facilitate B2B meetings. 350 of them took place in May and June. 400 more delegations of private companies are expected to visit during the months ahead. Also civil society has been actively involved with a dedicated pavilion at Cascina Triulza.A particular mention should be addressed to the “Women’s week” which took place from 29 June to 10 July, with the participation of the Italian former Foreign Minister Emma Bonino and former Deputy Foreign Minister Marta Dassu’, and the President of EXPO Diana Bracco.For these many reasons, I warmly invite all of you to visit EXPO Milano 2015 before its ending on 31 October!
UNESCO-IHE Fellowships available for SIDS’ Water ProfessionalsThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands has awarded a range of Fellowships for water professionals from Small Island Developing States (SIDS), to pursue relevant water related MSc programmes at UNESCO-IHE in Delft, the Netherlands.UNESCO-IHE will provide at least 20 key water professionals, in two batches starting in 2015 and 2016, with MSc level education on relevant topics for the SIDS. The 18 month MSc programmes includes 6 months’ field based research to be conducted on specific, problems in the home country of the participant. Furthermore, UNESCO-IHE will provide at least 50 water professionals and decision makers with specific expertise on key topics, by enabling them to enrol in UNESCO-IHE Short Courses that start in 2016 and 2017.FijiIn August 2015, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands and UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education jointly launched the project “Strengthening Small Island Developing States’ capacity in the water sector to cope with the effects of climate change”. The project aims to strengthen the capacity of professionals and decision makers, in order to improve water management in SIDS, to better address future challenges, such as coping with the effects of climate change.The beneficiaries of the project are professionals who are responsible for key decision making processes in the governments of SIDS.For information about application procedure visit http://bit.ly/1VcDiQR
Why the Dutch are different; into the hidden heart of the Netherlands.Author Ben Coates. Publication date: 24 September 2015.
The first book to present a modern look at the Netherlands, Why the Dutch are Different is a portrait of a tiny country that punches above its weight on the world stage and is home to some of the world’s most successful companies including Shell and Unilever.
To many it has a reputation as a beacon of liberalism, tolerance and prosperity and should be used as a template for the UK. But is its reputation still justified? Recent concerns around climate change, immigration, economic crisis and crime have called into question the country’s long tradition of tolerance. Some of its most famous liberal policies, such as legal drug use, have been tightened up. Is this a story of ‘innocence lost’? A no-longer perfect society? How different are the Dutch, now?
Ben Coates moved to the Netherlands following a chance encounter with a Dutch girl that led to a long-term relationship and a new adopted home. In Why the Dutch are Different he moves beyond the clichés of clogs, bicycles and the red light district to understand what really lies at the heart of the country. He finds a good deal to admire about his adopted home. Not only do the Dutch earn more money for working less hours, the Netherlands is ‘happier than Britain, more efficient than France, more tolerant than America, more worldly than Norway, more modern than Belgium and more fun than Germany.’ ‘We Brits might think we know all about our near-neighbour’, Coates says, ‘but we’d be wrong’.
The Netherlands is literally a self-made country; decades of struggle and ingenuity wrested the land from the water using windmills, dykes and canals, and made it safe to live on. This has shaped the people’s attitude towards the environment. Constant danger of flooding and a terrible disaster in 1953 means that to the Dutch, nature is an disruptive force to be conquered and contained. Which leads us to another surprise: as Coates shows, the Dutch are surprisingly fond of rules.
Dutch history sheds light on the issues facing the country today. Bloody religious wars over centuries led to a novel way of dealing with the country’s religious divide. Catholics and Protestants would attend different schools, work in different companies, and even had separate football leagues. Recently the Dutch, with one of the largest immigrant populations in Europe, applied a similar policy to its growing Muslim population – funding separate Islamic schools and providing government subsidies to mosques.
Many now feel that approach has backfired, exacerbating economic and cultural tensions. Activists such as Pim Fortuyn, who described Islam as ‘achterlijk; (backward) and won 35% of the vote in 2002; and Theo Van Gogh, (murdered by a fundamentalist Muslim in 2004) Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Geer Wilders all questioned whether Muslim principles were at odds with Dutch values, especially, and ironically, Dutch tolerance. Yet despite the rise of the far right Rotterdam elected its first Muslim Mayor in 2009, the anti-extremist Ahmed Aboutaleb. There is also the ongoing controversy over Zwarte Piet, or “Black Peter” – a character the Dutch dress as by wearing blackface makeup. A racist tradition? Or simply a Dutch tradition?
What does this mean for the UK?
What of those other liberal policies that we see as particularly Dutch – drug use and prostitution? Coates shows how Amsterdam’s drug-vending coffee shops meant that harder drugs became easier to find; fierce competition meant that profit margins on cannabis were squeezed; hard drugs were more profitable and criminal gangs began to assume control of the trade.
But the government’s response of tightening the rules continues to be controversial. Even legalized prostitution, with employment rights and health checks for sex workers, admired by many as a pragmatic approach to the oldest profession, came under scrutiny when it became clear that many sex workers had been brought from abroad, against their will, by people traffickers. Finally, the policy of assisted suicide, adopted in 2001 as a legal means by which doctors could act to end ‘unbearable suffering’ for patients who could be offered ‘no other reasonable solution’, has recently been called into question as perhaps too easy to implement. Many who fought for it at the outset are now trying to curb it.
So with the Dutch abandoning many of the policies that made their country famous, it is yet to be seen what will happen to the famous tolerance of the Netherlands and whether it is a society the UK should hope to emulate. Ben Coates senses that in some respects the unforeseen consequences of liberalism have been greater than anticipated and the tensions that have arisen from this mean the struggle for the heart of the country continues.
Ben Coates was born in Britain in 1982, and during his career has been a political advisor, corporate speechwriter, lobbyist and aid worker. He now lives in Rotterdam with his Dutch wife and works for an international charity. He has written articles for numerous publications including the Guardian, Financial Times, and Huffington Post.
Information on: BEN-COATES.COM
By H. E. Joseph Cole, Ambassador of the Republic of Malta to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Strategically located at the centre of the Mediterranean, the Maltese Islands have been traditionally known for their booming tourism industry. However, their important location, the clear political commitment to ensure sustainable economic activity and the islands’ highly qualified workforce, has ensured that Malta has become increasingly respected in the areas of trade and investment. In recent years, Malta has demonstrated both economic resilience as well as an ability to thrive.
This year Malta has the special privilege to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Malta and the Kingdom of The Netherlands. Diplomatic relations were established in 1965. Throughout the annals of our diplomatic history, the relationship between both countries has been guided by trust, goodwill and respect for each other.
The bilateral relations between Malta and The Netherlands will be further strengthened in the coming months when Malta and The Netherlands together with Slovakia form the EU Presidency Trio for the period January 2016 to June 2017. In 2018 Malta’s capital city Valletta and the Dutch city Leeuwarden will have the honour of holding the title of European Capital of Culture.
It goes without saying that the Mediterranean features as a central pillar of Malta’s foreign policy. Malta is not only an EU Member State, but a Mediterranean EU Member State. In view of its geopolitical location, Malta’s cultural, trade, economic and political contacts with the Arab world go back decades, and in some cases centuries and it is therefore only natural for Malta to undertake its role as the natural contact point between the two shores of the Mediterranean.
Malta was also the prime advocate on the need to strengthen peace and security in the Mediterranean which is directly linked to peace and security in Europe. In this regard, Malta’s actively participates in all international and regional fora aimed at transforming the Mediterranean into an area of dialogue, peace, cooperation and prosperity. The current challenges being faced in the Mediterranean make Malta’s role ever more important and relevant to ensure stability in the region.
Malta is pleased to host the European Commission-League of Arab States Liaison Office (ECLASLO) as a unique structure between the two regional organizations. The Office was set up following the first meeting between the European Union Ministers of Foreign Affairs and the League of Arab States Foreign Ministers in Malta upon an initiative undertaken by Malta in February 2008. The aim of this Office is to generate mutual contact between the European Union’s institutions and those of the Arab League.
The coming months will be very challenging for Malta as it hosts the EU/Africa Summit in November bringing together EU and African leaders to discuss how Europe and Africa can cooperate together to face current challenges and seek further opportunities how to consolidate the relationship between both continents.
For the second time since 2005, Malta will also be hosting the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 53 independent countries almost all of which were formerly under British rule. 53 Head of States together with their foreign ministers will be going to Malta to discuss the future of the Commonwealth.
This year also marks the 450th anniversary of the Great Siege of Malta. This historic event marked the Maltese islands and significantly shaped Malta’s and European history.
Fifty-one years ago Malta joined the United Nations. That’s the year when Nelson Mandela was sentenced to life imprisonment in South Africa and the year when Martin Luther King received his Nobel Peace Prize. For a small, nascent state such as Malta, it was a year of promise and new beginnings as it took its place among the august members of the United Nations. The United Nations found a trusted and reliable partner in Malta, willing to contribute, in ways large and small, to the causes of international peace and security.
I will cite just two examples:
The first is Malta’s association with the Law of the Sea; a widely acknowledged role since Malta was instrumental in the launching of the international process that would eventually lead to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The second example comes shortly after, in 1988, when we were one of the first Member States to highlight the risks of climate change to the global community within the UN fora.
In 2014, Malta together with Algeria, France, Italy, Jordan, Morocco, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Tunisia, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States, launched an International Institute for Justice and Rule of Law. This Institute, hosted in Malta, provides training for the police, educators, religious and community leaders, and policy makers. It brings together communication experts and law and enforcement agents who can help governments and communities learn to protect themselves from challenges like terrorism. It will also work with educators to give teachers the tools to protect at-risk children from recruitment from extremists.
Culture is one of the vehicles through which Malta and Gozo can interact with other communities, societies and countries. The role of the Cultural Diplomacy Unit within the MFA is to engage local and foreign cultural agencies to avail their intellectual and material resources to the coaching of a proper programme of events in the context of a particular occasion together with the Missions overseas.
All this revolves on the issue of a good management strategy which could either fine-tune the method of collaboration or if necessary take direct measures to see to it that an umbrella entity is identified and assigned with the responsibility to coordinate the required assistance to a particular event.
The Cultural Diplomacy fund which is managed through the unit gives incentive and initiative to the Missions overseas to organize and participate in cultural events that reflect both the local Maltese character as well as the intercultural dimension.
It is simply amazing what a small country like Malta with a population of less than half a million can do.
On the picture Ms. Neelie Kros, International Circle of Influencers.
ByDuke Michael of Mecklenburg & Baron Henri Estramant
Former European Commissioner and Dutch politician Neelie Kroes began at the beginning of 2015 the “International Circle of Influencers” in conjunction withHRH Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands and others.The latter association encompasses investors, top business people, engineers and government officials from the USA, Europe and Asia.
Together they strive at buttressing up the Dutch startup ecosystem to make it one of the most dynamics, accessible and innovative. The circle was already welcomed by Prime Minister Mark Rutte on 8 June 2015 at the Catshuis in The Hague, to draw up the methods for a detailed study on how exactly best to achieve their goals.
Neelie Kroes acts in the capacity of “Special Envoy” from the Prime Minister, the Minister of Economic Affairs, Henk Kamp, and the Mayor of Amsterdam, Eberhard van der Laan.
The “International Circle of Influencers” is but an arm of the larger project, StartupDelta, which profiles itself as “One single hub for startups”. Amsterdam, the kingdom’s capital, plays a pivotal role for the public-private partnership for the city already plays a conspicuous role as a rather positive and attractive face for the entire Netherlands in order to entice talent to the country. In terms of startup innovation, the canals city ranks high, ranking no. 4 within the EU, and 19 globally. Moreover StartupDelta is Europe’s 3rd fastest growing startup ecosystem, just behind Berlin and London and ranks the 5th highest Growth Index of the global top 20.
HRH Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands – Picture by Dutch Royal House,
In spite of the country’s small size, Dutch startups as for instance Booking.com, Adyen and Shapeways are changing the way people worldwide travel, pay and build their homes. One should also not forget that Wi-Fi, CD, Bluetooth and the DVD were all invented in the Low Countries.
Multinationals, banks, think tanks and institutions such as Royal Philips, TNO (Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research), ING or ASML are already part of the prestigious network of StartupDelta. Amongst the influential business people StartupDelta counts Ron Mobed (Elsevier), Feike Sijbesma (DSM), Peter Wennink (ASML), Pieter van der Does (Ayden), Werner Vogels (Amazon), Robert Verwaayen (RoBen) or Paddy Cosgrave (Web Summits).The Dutch presidency of the European Council in the first semester of 2016 is envisaged to provide a forum for StartupDelta to become very active in the European scene, and further promote The Netherlands as a top destination for businesses and above all startups and innovations. In fact, the organisation already works very closely with the permanent representation in Brussels led by HE Ambassador Pieter de Gooijer.
With societies recognizing the potential contributions of business in addressing various social and environmental challenges, such responsibilities are beginning to shift towards the private sector. Subsequently, the concept of CSR is increasingly featuring on the agenda of corporations worldwide.
Launched earlier this year, the Islamic Reporting Initiative (IRI), a not-for-profit organization headquartered in the UAE, is aiming to create an integrated reporting standard for CSR based on Islamic business principles. It will enable companies across sectors to inclusively assess and report on their CSR programs, facilitating progression towards responsible practice.
The IRI, in its aim of supporting organizations in realizing their CSR ambitions, is unique in its approach; the IRI seeks to tap into the expertise of those with an understanding of local organizational culture as a means of making CSR reporting as relevant and meaningful as possible.
Speaking with Drs Daan Elffers, founder of the IRI, the rationale behind this approach is clear; “we have developed the IRI in response to much research confirming that companies are finding the current, broad tools for CSR application to not always be as relevant or practical in a local context. We believe that a solution can be found in a reporting framework that engages with the nuances of the local culture, while working towards international standards of responsible practice”.Dr Sied Sadek, Managing Director of DQS CFS and DQS Middle East, international sustainability auditors and corporate partner of the IRI, on the need for a culturally-relevant reporting framework, says; “International standards are sometimes thought to be universal but they seldom are. While important, they are based upon international experience but that does not mean they can completely replace local values. I think that many companies in Islamic countries are caught between international standards and expectations on the one hand, and Islamic business principles and culture on the other hand. In this sense, the IRI can be a much needed initiative to enhance communication between cultures [and] contribute to an appreciation for diversity [of culture].”
Islamic principles serve to imbue individuals and organizations with a responsibility to care for society, and such principles infiltrate society through various practices and perspectives. CSR reports are created to enable CSR program development and to open dialogue with stakeholders, which may include consumers and employees, the government and the general public. As such, it is imperative that the motivations for CSR are framed within the local context, and that the language used is familiar, meaningful and therefore relatable.
The IRI has recently surpassed the milestone of gaining strategic partners from over 20 countries across the MENA region, Asia and Europe, with members representing governmental, corporate and non-profit organizations across sectors including health, finance and environment.
The IRI was founded as a CSR initiative of Drs Daan Elffers, CEO of EMG Group, a CSR Consultancy, where HH Pieter-Christiaan van Oranje-Nassau is Chairman of the Advisory Board.
For more information on the IRI, please visit www.islamicreporting.org
ICC President Judge Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi participating in the 10th Bled Strategic Forum on Tuesday, 1 September 2015.
The President of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Judge Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi, participated on Tuesday, 1 September 2015, in the 10th Bled Strategic Forum, an annual high-level platform for dialogue among leaders from public and private sectors, organised jointly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia and the Centre for European Perspective.
Speaking in a panel on the strengthening of the fight against impunity through partnerships, the ICC President stated that the strength of the ICC lies in its unique mandate which gives it the power to investigate and prosecute the most serious international crimes in situations when justice is otherwise impossible to achieve.
For the Court to be able to deliver effectively on this mandate, full cooperation and consistent political support of States is needed, as well as improvements to the Court’s efficiency, which is a top priority for her term as President, Judge Fernández said. She also underlined the importance of the participation and reparation of victims as well as communication with affected communities.
In the margins of the Forum, President Fernández held several bilateral meetings, including with senior government officials of Slovenia. In her discussions with Prime Minister Miro Cerar, Minister of Foreign Affairs Karl Erjavec and Minister of Justice Goran Klemencic, the ICC President expressed the Court’s gratitude for Slovenia’s strong and long-standing support. She briefed the ministers on reforms underway at the Court, including efforts to improve the efficiency of judicial proceedings through the harmonisation of working methods and implementation of best practices.
What does this mean for the UK?
What of those other liberal policies that we see as particularly Dutch – drug use and prostitution? Coates shows how Amsterdam’s drug-vending coffee shops meant that harder drugs became easier to find; fierce competition meant that profit margins on cannabis were squeezed; hard drugs were more profitable and criminal gangs began to assume control of the trade.
But the government’s response of tightening the rules continues to be controversial. Even legalized prostitution, with employment rights and health checks for sex workers, admired by many as a pragmatic approach to the oldest profession, came under scrutiny when it became clear that many sex workers had been brought from abroad, against their will, by people traffickers. Finally, the policy of assisted suicide, adopted in 2001 as a legal means by which doctors could act to end ‘unbearable suffering’ for patients who could be offered ‘no other reasonable solution’, has recently been called into question as perhaps too easy to implement. Many who fought for it at the outset are now trying to curb it.
So with the Dutch abandoning many of the policies that made their country famous, it is yet to be seen what will happen to the famous tolerance of the Netherlands and whether it is a society the UK should hope to emulate. Ben Coates senses that in some respects the unforeseen consequences of liberalism have been greater than anticipated and the tensions that have arisen from this mean the struggle for the heart of the country continues.
Ben Coates was born in Britain in 1982, and during his career has been a political advisor, corporate speechwriter, lobbyist and aid worker. He now lives in Rotterdam with his Dutch wife and works for an international charity. He has written articles for numerous publications including the Guardian, Financial Times, and Huffington Post.
Information on: BEN-COATES.COM 
What does this mean for the UK?
What of those other liberal policies that we see as particularly Dutch – drug use and prostitution? Coates shows how Amsterdam’s drug-vending coffee shops meant that harder drugs became easier to find; fierce competition meant that profit margins on cannabis were squeezed; hard drugs were more profitable and criminal gangs began to assume control of the trade.
But the government’s response of tightening the rules continues to be controversial. Even legalized prostitution, with employment rights and health checks for sex workers, admired by many as a pragmatic approach to the oldest profession, came under scrutiny when it became clear that many sex workers had been brought from abroad, against their will, by people traffickers. Finally, the policy of assisted suicide, adopted in 2001 as a legal means by which doctors could act to end ‘unbearable suffering’ for patients who could be offered ‘no other reasonable solution’, has recently been called into question as perhaps too easy to implement. Many who fought for it at the outset are now trying to curb it.
So with the Dutch abandoning many of the policies that made their country famous, it is yet to be seen what will happen to the famous tolerance of the Netherlands and whether it is a society the UK should hope to emulate. Ben Coates senses that in some respects the unforeseen consequences of liberalism have been greater than anticipated and the tensions that have arisen from this mean the struggle for the heart of the country continues.
Ben Coates was born in Britain in 1982, and during his career has been a political advisor, corporate speechwriter, lobbyist and aid worker. He now lives in Rotterdam with his Dutch wife and works for an international charity. He has written articles for numerous publications including the Guardian, Financial Times, and Huffington Post.
Information on: BEN-COATES.COM 
