The all-inclusive law of succession for a people’s monarchy
Photograph by JFPhotoon 201.
‘Every culture has either a matrilineal or pratilineal structure; there are a few cultures that have both systems. The matrilineal and patrilineal history is part of the humanity and identity of all human beings; these concepts empower women and men and transmit the ancestral cultures, since we learn standards of behavior from father and mother.’
By John Freeman.
The monarchy is a multi-dynastic institution with genealogies from male and female lines. Any changes to the succession law must never exclude the concept of royal lineages, since all cultures include patrilineal and/or matrilineal organizations. My ideas for the succession law do not discriminate for order of birth or gender.
The concepts have four components:
1) If succession rights come from a mother, daughters have preference over sons. If succession rights come from a father, sons have preference over daughters. The gender of the parent (with dynastic rights) is the first precedent in succession rights.
2) Succession rights alternate from youngest to oldest in one generation and from oldest to youngest in the next, to avoid unequal treatment of any kind.
3) Rights of succession come from Proximity of Blood and Lineages. Proximity of Blood means that daughters/sons of a monarch come first in succession, followed by granddaughters and grandsons, or more distance blood descendants. Succession rights only go as far as the great great-granddaughters/grandsons
4) Lineages: Descendants of queens in direct female line have succession rights in perpetuity. Descendants of kings in direct male line have succession rights in perpetuity.
Why the preference for females, when succession rights comes from a mother? Why the preference for males, when succession rights comes from a father?
At the present time the monarchy and society are patrilineal; the monarchy only recognizes paternal lines. This is justification for male-primogeniture, and gender-blind primogeniture fails to correct discrimination. A patrilineal/matrilineal system of succession is a good example of gender equality for society.
A dual system of succession would eventually produce a Netherlands type monarchy, where matrilineal Queens succeed one another, since in every monarchy there are kings that only have daughters. My suggestions promote the maternal/paternal lines of both sexes, and in the long run there is no gender discrimination.
Why alternate succession from youngest to oldest in one generation and from oldest to youngest in the next generation?
This is equality, since primogeniture is a hierarchical concept that favors the firs-born.
My concepts permit succession of oldest, youngest, and middle daughters/sons. Please, see hypothetical genealogical tree on next page.
What can the monarchy do to be more inclusive of women?
The name of a dynasty only comes from a man, and women do not have this right/tradition. If the Queen names the dynasty, the house of Bowes-Lyon Windsor after her mother and father, this is recognition of the dual maternal and paternal lineages of the monarchy; it would grant women and their maternal lines equal social status.
Why is gender-blind primogeniture not equality?
Equality is a concept of universal application. Gender-blind primogeniture is a selective application of laws, and it discriminates against people who are not the first-born.
The following are examples of selective application of laws, and these examples are not equality: Women and men have the right to vote, but women do not have equal pay. We are all citizens, but people of African ancestry are 3/5 of a person and do not have the right to vote.
Gender-blind primogeniture goes against the civil rights and laws of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth, since these nations do not apply laws and civil rights selectively. This is a law for the 1% of 1% of the population, and it is not a good example for men, women, and children who are not the first-born.
Conclusion
Monarchies and cultures have lineage traditions (maternal and paternal lines). Gender-blind primogeniture is comparable to re-inventing the wheel, because gender-blind primogeniture destroys the cultural concept of maternal and paternal lines.
Primogeniture of any kind is all about who comes first, and it implies that the justification for the monarchy is primogeniture. The monarchy is an institution of service and a cultural system of paternal and maternal lines.
Any changes to the succession law must include changes to the patrilineal cultural system. English-speaking countries have a patriarchal cultural organization, where the identity of the family comes from paternal line.
My suggestions satisfy the ideals of equality better than gender-blind primogeniture, because it recognizes the contributions of both genders and their paternal/maternal lines. This is of practical application for the non-royal 99% of population, since it provides working class families and women the identity of the maternal line; this would required a dual system of maternal/paternal surnames, since everyone has matrilineal and patrilineal histories.
Business world honors Dutch ambassador
Business world honors ambassador for Bangladesh trade promotion
His Excellency Gerben de Jong Ambassador of the Netherlands in Dhaka, Bangladesh, received today the 2014 Embassy Prize. The prize is awarded by the Dutch business world every two years, to the embassy offering the best support in promoting trade. One of the Dhaka embassy’s initiatives is the Netherlands Bangladesh Business Platform in collaboration with Nyenrode Business Universiteit.
Among other things the Business Platform organizes trade missions for Dutch SMEs, and it has developed the website www.nbbp.org containing information and research reports about doing business in Bangladesh.
Ambassador De Jong said: “Together with Nyenrode Universiteit., the embassy works at promoting activities between the Netherlands and Bangladesh. With a growing middle-class and a young population in the dynamic Bangladesh, there are opportunities for Dutch entrepreneurs thanks to a strong entrepreneurial spirit and the ambitious vision of the Bangladeshi government. The active involvement of the business world has become an important link in combating poverty.”
The relationship between Bangladesh and the Netherlands is shifting from traditional development assistance to sustainable trade and investment. Professor of International Business Strategy Prof. Dr. Désiree van Gorp of Nyenrode: “It’s fantastic that the Dutch business community is honoring the embassy with this prize.
Research has shown that there are enormous opportunities for Dutch companies in food production and processing, water, logistics and IT outsourcing. Its strong economic growth means the country has become less dependent on development cooperation. Bangladesh offers growing opportunities for a sustainable economic relationship.
Three trade missions to Bangladesh have so far been organized, with participation by 38 Dutch SMEs from a variety of sectors.
Timor-Leste, facing the great challenges
On the picture H. E. Xanana Gusmão, former Primer Minister of Timor – Leste.
By Joaquim da Fonseca, Ambassador of Timor-Leste to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Since the independence of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste was first declared in 1975, the founding fathers of the Nation viewed its future within the context of an interlinked global community. The then constitution of the Republic made it an objective of the State to promote the establishment and development of relationships of friendship and cooperation among Peoples and States. The interruption of the life of the new country merely nine days after the unilateral declaration of its independence meant that these ideals could not yet be put into practice.
The period of independence struggle, and indeed centuries of colonial rule that preceded it, left horrendous legacies. But it also taught us important lessons. From our own experience, we became deeply aware of both positive and negative consequences of the different courses of action the international community chooses to take, acting in concert or as individual States, in the face of injustice, oppression and, in Timor-Leste’s case, the denial of the peoples’ right to self-determination. Our history has also allowed us to develop a more profound appreciation for resilience and solidarity.
The restoration of independence in 2002 paved the way for Timor-Leste to embark on the path of development. But this road is not an easy one to travel. The country is blessed with modest natural resources, but technical expertise was scarce and state institutions have to be built from scratch. It will be impossible to conceive the development of Timor-Leste without considering the interconnectedness of today’s world. With the assistance of international partners, Timor-Leste was able to respond to the most immediate challenges of state building with considerable success. As the country moves to consolidate peace and boost economic development, it is committed to strengthen the cooperation with its regional and international partners. Timor-Leste is an active participant of various regional and international forums and organizations, covering a broad range of development sectors.
On the picture Prime Minister of Timor-Leste, H. E. Rui Araujo. Picture by the Prime Minister Office of Timor-Leste.
Timor-Leste is a member of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP), and currently assuming the rotating presidency of the organization. In 2011, Timor-Leste applied for membership with ASEAN. This application is being considered by ASEAN, and Timor-Leste is working on the conditions for its membership. Despite not being a member of ASEAN, Timor-Leste’s cooperation with individual member state of the organization is strong and expanding.
Timor-Leste has benefitted immensely from the assistance of the international community, and was also able to experience, first hand, the challenges inherent in the system of international development assistance. Through the g7+, the group that gathers States with similar conditions, Timor-Leste wishes to learn from others and share its experience in addressing root cause of conflict and fragility, and in managing the challenges inherent in the system of international development assistance. In the context of g7+, Timor-Leste supported the peaceful general elections in Guinea-Bissau, and is committed to support this fellow member of CPLP in a transition from fragility to stability and development.
On the picture, H. E. Mr. Joaquim da Fonseca, Ambassador of Timor-Leste to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Picture by the Embassy of Timor-Leste in London.
Politically, Timor-Leste’s efforts to strengthen its systems and institutions of democratic governance are on going. Successive general elections have been free and fair. Upon independence, those who lead the struggle, including the outgoing Prime Minister, Mr Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, primarily occupied leadership positions in the Timorese state institutions. January this year, in a move to encourage generational change of national leadership, Mr Gusmão stepped down halfway into his term of office. The governing block in the Parliament appointed a younger technocrat, Dr Rui Araújo, who in fact belongs to the opposition party, to lead the Government for the remaining period.
As my five year-old son often presents to his friends, we are a “tiny little [half] island” in such a big world. We hope that our size is not indicative of our worth. With greater political stability and stronger economic capabilities, Timor-Leste hopes to continue to contribute to the common efforts for global peace and prosperity.
Introducing ACCESS
By Deborah Valentine.
For more than 28 years ACCESS has been serving the international community, of The Hague and the Netherlands.
Starting in 1986 from the then small international community of The Hague, ACCESS has grown into a unique formula of community building & support. The volunteers it recruits, 90% of which are themselves ‘expats’, or as we prefer to call them internationals, have been using their skills, talents, time and empathy to create a supportive structure for new arrivals. Working as much for themselves as for the public at large, volunteers at ACCESS have over the years formed friendships, created a community for one another, and shared their experiences: all, to help people settle and live in the Netherlands as successfully as possible and make the most of their time in this country.
Through its Helpdesk ACCESS volunteers are available five days a week, by phone or email, with the questions people may have: questions which range from understanding the healthcare system to finding a special service. On the website: volunteers and Partners share their knowledge, several FAQ Guides can be found, a topical quarterly lifestyle e-zine and a broad variety of articles on multiple aspects of living in the Netherlands. And, the on-call Counselling Network is there to guide those in need of more specific support to the answers they need.
Volunteering opportunities are currently most accessible to those who live in and around The Hague, but the value of our information is accessible, and relevant to anyone living anywhere in the Netherlands.
Want to know more, perhaps be a part of this vibrant community building network, meet people in a similar situation as yours – even perhaps from your own country of origin? Do take part in one of the monthly information sessions, or speak to Mr Roy Lie A Tjam former ACCESS Volunteer and currently Editor of the Diplomat Magazine for his impressions.
Upcoming events:
March 18th Volunteer Information Morning (http://access-nl.org/about-access/how-we-do-it/volunteers/volunteer-information-mornings.aspx)
March 30th Welcome to The Hague (http://access-nl.org/about-access/what-we-do/welcome-to-the-hague.aspx)
Water pilgrimage in the Netherlands
Photography by Antim.
By Sheikh Mohammed Belal, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh to the Netherlands.
Sensing my absorbed meditating mood, my wife, on her arrival at the Schiphol Airport recently, threw out a religious challenge: “When did you become so religious?”
What sounds like a light-hearted query lead us to a formidable discussion on how I tend to see my tenure in the Netherlands as nothing short of a water pilgrimage. To make my point on how the Netherlands remained so dry amidst all these water, I offered her a romantic plot. Informing her that Schiphol Airport’s lowest point being 3.5 m below sea level, I would have been waiting on the shore of a river to grab her outreached hand from a colourful boat in Bangladesh. So we were on a joy ride, in a boat, if she were to arrive in Bangladesh, instead of the Netherlands.
When my first ever Ambassadorial assignment landed me in the Netherlands in March 2014, I think it also gave me an opportunity to do something immediate and practical about my old obsessions-how could we remain afloat in Bangladesh even if we go under water? What is the way out?
As I make my slow pilgrimage through the watery landscape of the Netherlands, a sense of awe and mystery seems to gather and grow. The process of my transformation came to a head with my discovery of water being at the front and centre of whatever they do here in the Netherlands. It is next to impossible leaving a gathering of even three to four professionals in the Netherlands without meeting a water expert
I came to believe that there is a sacredness in Dutch water. It was never a mark of weakness, but of power. Dutch showed the world how to keep one’s head above water even if forces of nature prove seemingly insurmountable. What was their weakness, the Dutch turned it into an overwhelming reservoir of expertise and resilience
When we talk about resilience, the world came to witness, the people of Bangladesh are no less endowed with their ability to bounce back.
Among its immediate neighbours, Bangladesh has the highest life expectancy (68.3 years), the lowest infant mortality rate (42 per 1000 live births) and one of the lowest maternal mortality ratios (194 per 100 000 live births). But it remained trapped to its geography.
Geography made Bangladesh a virtual playground of world’s three of the largest river systems – Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM). It is located on an active sedimentary basin and the intricate network of alluvial rivers that carries an average quantity of 0.5–2.8 billion tons annual discharge and sediment load from the Himalayas.
More or less like the Netherlands, Bangladesh is also a floodplain. The altitude normally does not exceed 11 m above the sea level except in the hilly areas of Chittagong and Sylhet. About 80% of the total land area constitute floodplains while terraces and hills account for about 8% and 12% respectively.
To make it even more challenging than the Netherlands, Bangladesh houses 57 cross-boundary rivers, of which 54 are shared with India and the remaining three with Myanmar. Bangladesh is the common lower riparian of all these trans-boundary rivers. The combined discharge of water from the GBM rivers is second only to that of the river Amazon.
Defending against floods from such massive network of cross boundary rivers require a regional framework in the Himalayan basin area which is not there yet. Hopefully, countries in the Himalayan basin will, someday, take a page from the European networks of cooperation in the water sector to develop a basin wide framework for water cooperation.
As amazing as it may sound, some sources suggest that there were primitive flood defences in what is now the Netherlands as far back as 500BC. Windmills, for which the country is famous, have been helping to pump water off the land for more than half a millennium. Therefore, it is no wonder that the Netherlands, with almost half of her population living below the sea level, remained floodproof. They learned how to protect against flooding and developed a sophisticated system of almost 3,800 kilometres of flood defences, including earthen levees along the main rivers as well as sand dunes, coastal dikes and five major coastal protection works and storm surge barriers along the coast.
The first component is a primary sea defence system constructed as a system of closure works and Storm Surge Barriers in the tidal inlets. It is connected by a system of natural dunes and man-made sea dikes that are capable of withstanding 1 in 10,000 year flood events. Now they embarked on a plan to make more room for waters as a part of their Delta plan.
After years of workings, finally in 2014, we, in Bangladesh, have been able to conclude framework with the Netherlands for a holistic, long-term, vision- aptly called “Delta Plan 2100”. This long-term vision, combined with the use of scenarios as well as incorporating our own initiative for “Blue Economy” with that of the Netherlands “Blue Gold”, will hopefully put in place a plan to make Bangladesh as floodproof as possible.
More than flood proofing, what I would personally like to see in Bangladesh is the inculcation of the Dutch way of thinking where disaster avoidance generally takes precedence over disaster relief. To the credit of our thousands of innovative people, Bangladesh is globally known for its excellent post disaster management skill. But working to avoid disaster is completely different from working after a disaster.
This is what I long to learn as I continue this pilgrimage for the rest of my tenure! Hartelijk bedankt, nederlandse vrienden!
Fighting mosquitoes with small drones
By Ruud van der Lem, Drone-Solutions.nl.
In many parts of the world, mosquitoes are responsible for a variety of illnesses for both humans and domestic animals, like Malaria, Chikungunya, Dog Heartworm, Dengue, Yellow Fever, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, Rift Valley fever, Zika virus, St. Louis Encephalitis, LaCrosse, Encephalitis, Western Equine Encephalitis and the West Nile Virus. Many of them can be lethal as well.
Nearly 700 million people get a mosquito borne illness each year resulting in greater than one million deaths…
The first US project
Now the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District has initiated a project, to search for the mosquito breeding grounds, using drones, equipped with infra-red sensitive camera’s. These cameras can determine small shallow water pools from within varied rural areas.
Finding these pools quickly means the authorities can than treat the areas with larvicide in order to destroy both the eggs and the larves.
Domestic areas
Mosquitoes have a fly range from up to 3 miles, so this ring around domestic areas is sufficient enough to gain a large effect.
Project improvement
We would encourage more research on this subject, whereby special designed software, automatically fixes the date/time, coordinates and the size of the suspected pools. With the use of GPS/smartphone/mapping, the larve destroy team than can quickly treat the locations.
Conclusion
In the war against mosquitos, drones can really make the difference. A additional benefit is not only the additional employment in operating such a project, but also the people’s awareness towards the positive aspects of drones.
Drone-Solutions.nl is a specialist in providing solutions in remote sensing and cooperates with the security and drone industry.
Is America’s Dominance being threatened by East Asia?
By Mitesh D. Mistry – Diplomat Magazine’s Associate Editor in the United Kingdom
Since the 1920’s, America has evolved into the world’s largest economy. Their status as world economic leaders has enabled them to dictate the course of global economics. However with the rise and threat of other regional economies like that of East-Asia, home to the large economies of China and Japan; it is argued that American economic hegemony is declining and coming to an end.
The East Asian economy, consisting of China, South Korea, Japan and Hong-Kong, is one of the most thriving regional economies in the world. China’s economic rise, after their free-market reform in the late 70’s, had a huge impact on their long-term economic prosperity. It created more optimism over the last decade as China entered new markets such as mobile technology, with Huawei overtaking Sweden’s Ericsson to become the world’s largest telecoms equipment-maker. The quality of life improved significantly for median Chinese workers as they benefited from higher salaries, unlike American workers, due to China’s healthy economic growth. This meant more Chinese workers could afford to exchange their bicycles for vehicles, strengthening China’s car industry considerably; Chinese production increased greatly from 2 million cars to 18 million cars over the last decade overshadowing America’s automobile output of 11.6 million last year.
This decline in American automobile production can be attributed to the global recession, which the US had failed to fully recover from; something which President Obama acknowledges, “I do think that one of the challenges that we are going face in the US, at a time when we are still recovering from the financial crisis is, how do we respond to some of the challenges of globalisation? The fact of the matter is the US was such an enormously dominant economic power, we were such a large market, our industry, our technology, our manufacturing was so significant that we always met the rest of the world economically on our terms. And now because of the incredible rise of China and other countries, there is real competition.” The recession showed the first signs of economic power shifting favourably towards East-Asia, with particular focus on the Chinese and South Korean companies flourishing in the past five years, such as Huawei and Samsung respectively, due to particular development in science and technology.
However despite the outcome of the recent recession making China appear economically superior, America can still be considered a major force in the global economy; through the International Monetary Fund. With high voting powers within the IMF and global use of the dollar, America has spread its global economic dominance through the loans and conditions the IMF issue to crisis-hit economies. Furthermore, the East-Asian ‘bloc’ doesn’t have an alternative institution to rival and challenge this American influenced organisation. Although the Chiang Mai Initiative is the closest East-Asian rival to the IMF, it is based on the foreign reserves of the East-Asian economies. Surprisingly, China’s foreign reserves are in decline. Figures from the People’s Bank of China showed its reserves had slipped 0.6% to $3.18tn This means if an ‘Asian Monetary Fund’ was created to rival the IMF, China would have to consider whether or not to fund it if their foreign reserves were forecasted for continuous decline.
In spite of China’s economic success, rivaling that of America’s over the last decade, the continued global use of the dollar, which finances over half of the world’s trade, is a greater achievement for which global economic dominance can be measured; America’s global economic dominance is not at an end. Nevertheless if other East-Asian economies grow significantly and help push China to higher degrees of economic success and the use of its currency on a global scale, it could instigate a shift in global economic power to the East-Asian region and ignite a potential clash for future leadership of the global economy; between an American-led West and a China-led Asia.
“Water for Life” 2005-2015
Dushanbe, Tajikistan June 9 to 11, 2015
High Level International Conference on the implementation of the International Decade for Action “Water for Life”, 2005-2015.
On 19 December 2014 the UNGA has adopted a resolution (A/RES/69/215) entitled “International Decade for Action, “Water for Life”, 2005-2015, and further efforts to achieve the sustainable development of water resources” calling upon member countries, UN system institutions, including the “UN-Water” and other organizations to comprehensively evaluate progress achieved in the implementation of the Decade and continue taking steps for achieving internationally agreed water-related goals, including those indicated in the outcome document of the Rio+20 Conference, entitled “The future we want”.
The resolution as the previous water related initiatives of Tajikistan has found wide support at the UN General Assembly and more than fifty UN Member States, including Afghanistan, Algeria, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bolivia, China, Croatia, Cuba, Eritrea, Finland, Georgia, Haiti, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Pakistan, Paraguay, Philippines, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, Senegal, Seychelles, Singapore, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Venezuela, Yemen have become the co-sponsors of the resolution. The adoption of the resolution by consensus reaffirms the fact that water initiatives by Tajikistan are of global importance and are widely supported by the UN Member States.
The resolution implies the convening of the two important events: High-level interactive dialogue of the sixty-ninth session of the General Assembly in New York within the week after the World Water Day on 22 March, 2015; and the High Level International Conference on the implementation of the International Decade for Action “Water for Life”, 2005-2015 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. The Government of Tajikistan as the host of the latter event which is scheduled on 9-11 June, 2015 in Dushanbe, alongside with the “UN-Water” and other UN institutions, international and regional organizations has already started its preliminary work in order to facilitate the whole process.
Thus, aimed at successfully holding the Conference, as well as developing a comprehensive Programme of the Conference with the participation of all categories of water users and decision-makers the International Steering Committee of the Conference from among the representatives of the partner countries, international and regional institutions, river basin organizations, NGOs, the private sector and other stakeholders has been established. Moreover, within the National Organizing Committee under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Tajikistan a Special working group (from all relevant ministries of Tajikistan) has been summoned to actively engage in organizational matters of the Conference.
The main goal of the Conference is a comprehensive discussion of the issues of implementation of the International Decade for Action “Water for Life”, 2005-2015, which will later play a fundamental role in conducting comprehensive review of the implementation of the International Decade with bringing its results to the notice of wider international community.
As the international community approached the year 2015 it’s important to recall that on 23 December 2003 the UNGA at its 58th session adopted the resolution A/RES/58/217. In accordance with the resolution the period 2005–2015 was declared as the “International Decade for Action, “Water for Life” (www.un.org/waterforlifedecade), the main goals of which alongside with promotion of efforts to fulfil international commitments made on water and water-related issues by the year 2015 were also the development of plans for integrated water resource management and water-use efficiency in rendering assistance to the developing countries.
Today the need for a comprehensive assessment and review of the activities carried out during this period, identification of the impediments preventing countries from implementation of the Decade goals, as well as planning of the further activities for the post 2015 period become very critical. Therefore, conducting the High Level International Conference on the implementation of the International Decade for Action “Water for Life”, 2005-2015 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan (June 9-11, 2015) in this particular year is considered as a timely and effective step towards raising the awareness of the international community about the water sector trends and mobilizing efforts of the governments, UN institutions, international and non-governmental organizations, as well as other parties at all levels involved in the water problems solution.
The Conference will gather together the representatives of the UN member countries’ governments, UN institutions, international and regional organizations, international financial institutions, business communities, non-governmental organizations, civil society, as well as scientists and experts. Invitations to the UN member countries, international and regional organizations and other partners will be sent on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan and the National Organizing Committee in due course.
For more information about the Conference, visit www.waterforlifeconf2015.org or contact the Secretariat of the Conference:
33 Sheroz str., Dushanbe 734001, Republic of Tajikistan
E-mail:info@waterforlifeconf2015.org;
Tel: (+992 37) 227 68 43
Fax: (+992 37) 227 68 4
Warm Farewell for Sri Lankan Ambassador Athauda, Certificate of Merit’s ceremony
By Catherine A. Dailey.
On Thursday, February 26, Ambassador Buddhi K. Athauda was awarded Diplomat Magazine’s Certificate of Merit, in recognition of his many contributions to the diplomatic community in The Hague. Among the large gathering of guests present for the ceremony and to bid him a warm farewell, were fourteen ambassadors, distinguished guests from near and afar and other private and government sector friends, who weathered a drizzly Dutch winter’s day in order to honor him.
Mr. Henry Ardvisson, of Diplomat Magazine, presented the award to Ambassador Athauda. A reception followed the afternoon program.
Open full photo-album of this magnificent event, click here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/sets/72157651079520475/
The United States Ambassador to the Netherlands, H.E. Mr. Timothy Broas, on behalf of diplomatic community gave a speech, introducing the Sri Lankan Ambassador to the invited guests. Ambassador Broas appreciatively recalled how Ambassador Athauda was the first to extend a welcoming hand to him at one of the first receptions that he attended after he arrived in The Hague as a newly appointed ambassador.
He also briefly commented on Ambassador’s Athauda’s extensive experience in the private sector, specifically mentioning his senior management experience with Iridium LLC, pioneers in mobile satellite telecommunication technologies.
Ambassador Athauda was appointed by His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka to the Court of then reigning monarch, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. He presented his credentials as Ambassador Extraordinary of the Plenipotentiary of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka on the 28th of June 2011.
He has held many prestigious positions in various multinational organizations while representing his country in the Netherlands.
Presently, the Ambassador is the Chairman of the Budget Committee of the Permanent Court of Arbitration for the years 2014 & 2015, having been unanimously elected by 115 fellow member states.
He also serves as Chairman, Common Fund for Commodities (CFC), elected unanimously as Chairperson of the year 2014, by member countries at the 25th Annual Meeting of Governing Council, proposed by the Secretary-General of The Hague Peace Conference on Private International Law (HccH) to Chair the newly formed Administrative Council to formulate a financial framework for The Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) for a one year period from October 2014.
Further, Ambassador Athauda was unanimously elected as Vice-chair of 18th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the Chemical Weapons (OPCW) at the sessions held in December 2013.
Ambassador Athauda took the podium following Ambassador Broas’ introduction and was especially pleased to share a few words about the Diplomatic Council, a Global Think Tank founded by him and where he serves as President. The Council is a platform for both CEOs of companies and ambassadors to promote investment and market opportunities to make the world a better place for the benefit of all. It currently enjoys over 5,000 supporters in 16 countries.
Ambassador Athauda continues to promote bilateral relations in the realm of finance and trade between Sri Lanka and the Netherlands, which has resulted in significant increases in trade in the fields of agriculture, dairy products, information technology, healthcare and infrastructure.
In his closing remarks, Ambassador Athauda, smiling broadly, confided, that he “secretly collects friends” whom he considers “friends for life” and invited all guests present to continue networking with him wherever he may be found across the globe be it Sri Lanka, North America, Europe or beyond.
Certificate of Merit – Ceremony of Merit- Farewell ceremony
Estonia Celebrates
By Roy Lie Tjam.
The Republic of Estonia, a proud member of the European Union. The Ambassador of Estonia to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, H.E. Mr. Peep Jahilo and Mrs. Marika Jahilo, hosted reception to mark Estonia’s Independence Day.
For a full photo album, please click here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/sets/72157650687832618/
The venue was the Hilton Hotel in The Hague on 25th February 2015.The inclement weather could not stop the many guests from making their way to the Hilton Hotel to congratulate Ambassador Peep Jahilo on this special day.
It’s worth mentioning, the 2001 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest was won by Estonia. Subsequently, the 47th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, took place in Tallinn Estonia in May 2002 Ambassador Jahilo could look back on a successful National Day