13^th Consignment of Chemicals Delivered to Latakia, Raising Overall Total of Removals to 65% The Syrian government has completed the delivery of the 13th consignment of chemicals to Latakia, which was removed today from the port on cargo ships. This follows a shipment that took place on 10 April.  The deliveries have raised the overall portion of chemicals removed from Syria to 65.1% of the total, including 57.4 % of the Priority 1 chemicals. Director-General Ahmet Üzümcü described these movements as ‘necessary and encouraging’. Noting that Syria had reaffirmed its commitment to meeting its obligations, the Director-General observed, “Both the frequency and volumes of deliveries have to increase significantly to restore alignment of actual movements against the projected time frame.”

Amsterdam, April 4, 2014: King Willem-Alexander and Máxima received Queen at the Royal Palace on Dam Square King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden. The Swedish royal couple will celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Swedish-Dutch diplomatic relations with a two-day visit. © ANP; Photo: Martijn Beekman. 

Friday, April 4

After the reception at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam both Kings attend a seminar organized by the Swedish Embassy and Swedish Chamber of Commerce. The theme of the seminar is “Innovation and Growth – Sweden and the Netherlands in the Global Economy”. King Willem-Alexander speaks an opening statement. Then there are speeches by, among others, the Swedish Minister for Trade Ewa Björling and Minister Henk Kamp of Economic Affairs. Then reaches King Carl XVI Gustaf, the export price in 2014 of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce of the company SKF. Queen Máxima and Queen Silvia visit the Hogeweyk in Weesp. Here live 152 people with dementia in a specially built for them neighborhood with 23 homes. Then there is a round trip. During the tour, attention is paid to modern architecture around the IJ.From the point of arrival wanders the company back to the palace. Evenings offer King Willem-Alexander and Máxima Queen a banquet.

Saturday, April 5

The Swedish King and Queen visit the Rijksmuseum. King Willem-Alexander and Máxima Queen add them later. Together they visit the schilderijDe Conspiracy of the Batavians under Claudius Civilisvan Rembrandt that has been given. By the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts temporarily on loan to the Rijksmuseum The Royal Society is present at the presentation of the book The Swedes and the Dutch were made for each otherdat the occasion of the celebration of 400 years of relations appears, and seeing the original treaty that forms the basis for the 400 years of diplomatic relations. The visit of the Swedish royal couple will end with a lunch at the museum.

ICC informs the United Nations Security Council & the Assembly of States Parties about DRC’s non-cooperation in the arrest and surrender of Omar Al Bashir On 9 April 2014, Pre-Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court (ICC) found that the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has failed to cooperate with the Court by not arresting and surrendering Omar Al Bashir to the Court during his visit to the DRC on 26 and 27 February 2014. The Chamber referred the matter to both the United Nations Security Council and the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute, founding treaty of the ICC. It is now up to the States Parties and the UN Security Council to take the measures they deem necessary regarding this matter. Background: Two arrest warrants have been issued by Pre-Trial Chamber I against Omar Hassan Ahmad Al Bashir, on 4 March 2009 and 12 July 2010 respectively, for five counts of crimes against humanity (murder, extermination, forcible transfer, torture and rape), two counts of war crimes (intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population as such or against individual civilians not taking part in hostilities, and pillaging), and three counts of genocide committed against the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa ethnic groups. The suspect remains at large.

April 10  2014, marks the entry into force of an agreement between the Government of the Kingdom of Belgium and the International Criminal Court (ICC) on the interim release of detainees on the Belgian territory pursuant to decisions of the Chambers of the Court. Belgium becomes the first country accepting to provisionally receive detainees of the Court on its territory on a temporary basis and under conditions established by the competent Chamber. This agreement regulates the procedure for the interim release of an ICC detainee and in particular formalizes the necessary consultations with the Court’s Registry with the Belgian authorities, the latter examining the Court’s requests on a case-by-case basis. “This agreement represents a step forward in terms of cooperation with the ICC and we wish to express our gratitude to the Belgian authorities for their support”, said ICC Registrar Herman von Hebel. “We also hope that this advancement will encourage other States to sign such agreements with the Court”, he added. In all of its activities, the ICC relies on the cooperation of States and International Organisations, including receiving detainees after their interim release, enforcing sentences of imprisonment pronounced by the Court, or relocating witnesses. The Court may enter into arrangements or agreements to provide such cooperation. 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.  

By Roy Lie A Tjam Arthur Napoleon Raymond Robinson, a former International Criminal Court judge, and also a former president and prime minister of the twin island republic of Trinidad and Tobago, has passed away at the age of 87. Mr Robinson passed away peacefully at private hospital on April 9 2014.At his bedside were his daughter Ann Margaret and granddaughter Anushka. He had been ill for some time. The International Criminal Court is a well-known UN organisation. Less well known is the fact that this worldly institution actually has its roots in the tiny Caribbean island of Trinidad and Tobago. The establishment of the ICC has been declared as the most significant advancement in international law since the foundation of the UN and Arthur Robinson was the key person who put the ICC cogs into motion some 24 years ago, at a time when, in his words: “Few people believed that this objective was possible and hardly any at all believed that it could be achieved in their lifetime. Finally, in 1998, after an “arduous, lengthy and adventurous” journey, the countries of the world gathered in Rome and established a treaty to create a new court. The current President, Anthony Thomas Aquinas Carmona, also a former ICC judge, described Robinson as courageous, the President added that Robinson “defied the skeptics who scoffed at his dream of seeing the establishment of the ICC. Judge Sang-Hyun Song, President of the ICC, described Robinson as the ‘grandfather of the ICC’, a title which pays homage to his vision for an international solution to arrest universal impunity. “He was a trailblazer who showed that small states can, and have made a difference to global affairs, if leaders have visions beyond the narrow confines of winning elections,” he said.  Carmona continued, Robinson was a champion of the sovereign right of people to have their legislators make laws for the good of the entire citizenry and not merely for special interests groups, be they political or economic. “I am honored to have worked with His Excellency Mr. Robinson whose counsel and influence made me a better prosecutor and judge,” Carmona said. Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar has ordered all flags to be placed at half-mast as word spread and the nation’s leaders, as well as members of the international community, began a process of mourning. The funeral of late former head of state Arthur NR Robinson will take place from April 29 to May 3. Robinson’s body will lie in State at the rotunda of the Red House (old Parliament Building) on April 29 and 30. On May 2, Robinson’s body will be flown to Tobago where it will lie- in-state in the Legislative Chamber of the Tobago House of Assembly.Robinson was a  “ Tobagonian” Robinson’s final committal and burial takes place on May 3 at the Scarborough Methodist Cemetery.He will be laid next to his wife Patricia(Pat), who died in 2009 and was buried in that cemetery.