FINE ARTS. Sergio Lopez Orozco and Papel Amate
By John DunkelgrĂŒn.
Modern Art on an ancient medium
Paper was developed in many places all over the globe. Itâs basic material can vary but it is always some form of cellulose. Reeds, rice, linen, wood chips are all good source materials. It is easy to see why it is so obiquitous. Once the process is developed, paper is a much easier carrier of messages or images than leather, clay or stone. Mexico has its very own indiginous paper, papel amate. It is a centuries old method of making paper from tree bark (usualy of fig, ficus or mulberry trees). It is made by boiling strips of the bark and – on a smooth flat stone – pounding the wet strips into a pulp. When the pulp dries it has a parchment-like appearance. The side that was in contact with the stone is smooth enough to write or paint on. The indiginous people used it for messages but also for ceremonial religious uses, which is why the Spanish invaders outlawed it. Luckily the technique survived and today there is a lot of artisanal production of mainly decorative papel amate objects.
Sergio Lopez Orozco (Mexico City 1946) was fascinated by paper all his life. He travelled to the cities in Mexico that are most famous for their amate production and studied artisanal paper making with experts in Japan, Egypt, Hawai and Germany. He was the first to recognise that while the pulped bark mass was still wet, it could be molded, scratched, and shaped. He could also insert other materials such as twigs, yarn or textiles. He started to make abstact constructions with his amate and used authentic dyes to colour them. In this way he created works which, while modern in appearance, are quintessentially Mexican. It isnât immediately clear whether that is because of the base material, the colours used or the images he created. My personal guess is, that it is the coming together of all of those. Today there are many artists using papel amate for modern art work, most of them taught by Lopez Orozco.
Lopez Orozco has had a very successful career, not only as an artist, but also as a writer on papel amate and its history, on Mexican artists and much more. He has taught extensively in Mexico and abroad.
ICC Requests Cooperation
ASSEMBLY OF STATES PARTIES TO THE ROME STATUTE OF THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT
(Read below a previous message from H.E. Ms. Tiina Intelmann)
Message sent on behalf of the President of the Assembly of States Parties, H.E. Ms. Tiina Intelmann Further to my earlier message about the possible presence of the President of Sudan, Mr. Omar Al-Bashir, at the 68th regular session of the General Assembly of United Nations at the UN Headquarters in New York, I would like to remind States Parties and other stakeholders of resolution ICC-ASP/11/Res.5 on cooperation: In this resolution, â[n]oting that contacts with persons in respect of whom an arrest warrant issued by the Court is outstanding should be avoided when such contacts undermine the objectives of the Rome Statute,â States reaffirmed the importance of timely and effective cooperation with the Court. I urge States Parties and other stakeholders to abide by this principle during the high-level week of the UN General Assembly. Best regards, Tiina Intelmann President of the Assembly of States Parties Secretariat of the Assembly of States Parties International Criminal Court The Hague the Netherlands ______________________ PREVIOUS MESSAGE:ASSEMBLY OF STATES PARTIES TO THE ROME STATUTE OF THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COUR
Message sent on behalf of the President of the Assembly of States Parties, H.E. Ms. Tiina Intelmann It has come to the knowledge of my office that the President of the Sudan, Mr.Omar Al-Bashir, has requested a U.S. visa for participation in the General Debate of the 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Two warrants of arrest by the International Criminal Court are outstanding against Mr. Omar Al-Bashir. In this context, I would like to remind States Parties on whose territory the indictee might appear while in transit of their obligation to arrest and surrender Mr.Omar Al-Bashir to the ICC. I would further like to draw attention to the fact that the United Nations Security Council, in its Resolution 1593 (2005), while referring the situation in Darfur to the Court, urges all States and concerned regional and other international organizations to cooperate fully with the Court. Best regards, Tiina Intelmann President of the Assembly of States Parties ÂVisit from Switzerland to the ICC
Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland visits the ICC.
Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland and ICC President Judge Sang-Hyun Song at the seat of the Court in The Hague © ICC-CPI
Today, 26 August 2013, Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland, visited the International Criminal Court (ICC), to meet with the ICC President, Judge Sang-Hyun Song, and other high-level officials of the Court.
President Song thanked Federal Councillor Burkhalter for Switzerlandâs longstanding support and assistance to the ICC. âSwitzerland is a consistent donor to important ICC trust funds â such as the Trust Fund for Victims â and they have been very active within the ICCâs Assembly of States Parties, where Ambassador Börlin serves as an excellent Vice-President. Switzerland is also the most recent country to ratify the ICC Agreement on Privileges and Immunities. One could hardly wish for a more supportive and engaged State Partyâ, said President Song.
Federal Councillor Burkhalter stated: âThe ICC has become a cornerstone of the peace, security and justice architecture as well as an important institution for the victims of horrific crimes. The fact that the Swiss Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands serves as Vice President of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute is an expression of our commitment to a strong and effective ICCâ.
The Federal Councillorâs visit to the ICC highlights Switzerlandâs continuous support to the ICC and the joint efforts deployed in the fight against impunity of the perpetrators of the most serious crimes that affect the international community as a whole.
Photographs of the visit are available here.
Ruto and Sang case
Pre-Trial Chamber II grants leave to appeal the decision rejecting the amendment of the charges.
Situation:Â Situation in the Republic of Kenya
Case:Â The Prosecutor v. William Samoei Ruto and Joshua Arap Sang
September 2013, Pre-Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court (ICC) granted the Prosecutor leave to appeal the decision rejecting the amendment of the temporal scope of the charges against William Samoei Ruto and Joshua Arap Sang.
The charges were confirmed on 23 January 2012 by Pre-Trial Chamber II and the two accused were committed to trial. The Prosecutor thereafter requested, on 22 July 2013, permission from Pre-Trial Chamber II to amend the charges against the accused by broadening the temporal scope of those charges in relation to crimes allegedly committed in the greater Eldoret area on 30 and 31 December 2007.
On 16 August 2013, Pre-Trial Chamber II rejected the request for amendment due to, inter alia, the Prosecutorâs failure to submit the amendment request in time, the prejudice caused to the Defence at this advanced stage of the proceedings, and the impact of the requested amendment on the fairness and expeditiousness of the overall proceedings. The Prosecutor sought the Pre-Trial Chamberâs leave to appeal this decision.
Todayâs ruling permits the Prosecutor to put before the Appeals Chamber the issue whether Pre-Trial Chamber II abused its discretion in rejecting the Prosecutorâs amendment request. Pre-Trial Chamber II acceded to the Prosecutorâs request by considering that the decision of 16 August 2013 may have an impact on the outcome of the trial.
Trial Chamber V(a) set the commencement of the trial for 10 September 2013. Todayâs decision does not address the further course and schedule of the proceedings which remains under the authority of the Trial Chamber
A Questions and Answers document on the opening of the trial is available here.
For further information on the trial, click here.
Adios Ambassador Medeiros
By Bonnie Klap.Â
Ambassador José Artur Denot Medeiros of Brazil bids farewell.
His Excellency Mr. José Artur Denot Medeiros, Ambassador of Brazil, and Mrs. Thera Regouin Denot Medeiros hosted a reception at their magnificent residence in Wassenaar to celebrate the 191st Anniversary of the independence of the Federative Republic of Brazil and to bid farewell. Ambassador Denot Medeiros has served his country as Ambassador to The Netherlands for 5 years and given the immense number of guests who attended his reception, it is evident that he established a vast network accross the business, political, social and cultural community. 
ICC. President Intelmann visits Vilnius
Direct from the International Criminal Court.
The President of the Assembly of States Parties (âthe Presidentâ), Ambassador Tiina Intelmann, visited Vilnius, Lithuania on 29 August 2013. During her brief trip, President Intelmann met with the Minister of Foreign Affaires, H.E. Mr. Linas LinkeviÄius; the Minister of Justice, Mr. Juozas Bernatonis; Member of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania and Chair of Committee on Legal Affairs, Mr. Julius Sabatauskas; and other high officials.
The President discussed the European Union support to the Assembly of States Parties and the International Criminal Court in light of Lithuaniaâs EU Presidency and in advance of the twelfth session of the Assembly taking place in The Hague in the latter part of November. During the meetings, Lithuania affirmed its support and commitment to the ICC.
The President highlighted the importance of high level political support to the Rome Statute system and endoresement of the ICC through the United Nations was discussed at length. Lithuania promised to continue to promote universality of the Rome Statute and informed the President that its national procedures for the ratifcation of the amendments to the Rome Statute concerning the crime of aggression were ongoing. The President raised the possibility of contributing to the Trust Fund for Victims since assistance, compensation, and reparations to victims was a major achievement of the Statute.
Dutch Good Growth Fund
A New Agenda for Aid Trade and Investment.
The Netherlands wants to move forward in the world, and move forward with the world. We are involved in global problems. Ours is one of the most open countries in the world. We depend on other nationsâ development for our own wellbeing and prosperity. Sustainable, inclusive growth is in our own interests and in the interests of others. Asia, Africa and Latin America are the engines driving the world economy. They are expected to account for nearly 60% of the global economy by 2030. Asia and South Americaâs economic power is also reflected in global political relations. China and India have claimed their seats at international negotiation tables. And countries like Indonesia and South Africa are represented in the G20, while the Netherlands is no longer invited. Conversely,  many European countries have seen their economies contract and rates of unemployment rise sharply in the wake of the financial crisis.
Â
Dutch Good Growth Fund country list
As per the Ministry of Foreign affairs:
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
Angola
Armenia
Bangladesh
Benin
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cape Verde
Colombia
Djibouti
DRC
Egypt
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Gambia
Georgia
Ghana
Guatemala
India
Indonesia
Jordan
Kenya
Kosovo
Laos
Libya
Macedonia
Madagascar
Maldives
Malawi
Mali
Moldova
Mongolia
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Nepal
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Pakistan
Palestinian Territories
Peru
Philippines
Rwanda
Sao Tomé
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Africa
South Sudan
Sri Lanka
Suriname
Tanzania
Thailand
Tunisia
Uganda
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe
China Top 10
Two Chinese sites were placed among the worldâs top 10 archaeological discoveries at thefirst Shanghai
Archaeology Forum yesterday. Liangzhu in neighboring Zhejiang Province and Shimao Stone City in
northwest ShaanxiProvince joined the likes of the Egyptâs Giza Plateau and sites of the Maya
civilization in Guatemala.
âThe Liangzhu site, the cradle of the last Neolithic jade culture, is one of the biggest ancientcities
discovered in China,â said the selection committee of some 40 archaeologists from 17countries.
The committee said âthe magnificent water system along the walls of the ancient city, andwithin
and outside its palaces, offered important resources on the exploration of theChinese civilization.â
Turkish Victory Day in pictures
On the Occasion of the Victory DAy,  H.E. Mr. UÄUR DOÄAN, Ambassador of Turkey to the Netherlands, Mrs. Manolya Dogan and Military AttachĂ© Colonel Erkan Arslan and Mrs. Cigdem Arslan hoted a reception on Friday August 30.
Blue skies, a warmth-sunny afternoon, and a superb garden were combined with national wines and selected food.
Cycling Diplomacy
By Roy Lie A Tjam
On Tuesday 20 August a small group of Ambassadors accredited in The Hague went on a cycling tour in the vicinity of the Binnenhof, the seat of Parliament.
Cycling is a good way to integrate into Dutch society it is a great pleasure, says
Dr Alvaro Marcelo Moerzinger Pagani, Ambassador for the Oriental Republic of Uruguay to the Netherlands. âYou will find bikes and motorcycles sharing the same lane, very unique.â
Moezinger regularly uses his bike to get to the Embassy on Mauritskade Den Haag.
Eduardo Ibarrola -Nicolin, Ambassador for the Federal Republic of Mexico uses his bike almost daily. He too sees the many benefits of cycling. He recounts âone day he was manoeuvred in a daring situation, being chased by an ambulance with wailing sirensâ
How relieved he was when he managed to make it to the pavement and clear the way for the ambulance. to proceed.
The Ambassador for Israel, coordinator of the Cycling Diplomacy, relates âthe environment in the Netherlands in general and The Hague is particular is conducive for cycling. The Netherlands invests in maintaining cycling paths and the promotion of the use of bikes Cycling unites, you interact with people you actually donât know, and it also gives you peace of mindâ.
âI was elated when I learned of my posting to The Hague, My family and I were once here on a five day biking excursion. It was such a wonderful adventure, I had wanted to come back for a longer period to do some more biking. Here I am, Ambassador for Israel to the Netherlands. I am making strives to appreciate my rides to the fullâ.
The Hague is an ideal place for biking, âlushly green cycling paths. The Hague is maybe Europeâs greenest city. I was once cycling and suddenly my phone rang, I picked it up and ask the caller to bear with me until I safely get off my bike. It was a Dutch MP, he was amazed to hear\know that an Ambassador was cycling in The Hague. Israel could learn from Holland, we are not that far as yet when it comes to the using of bikesâ
âI have come to learn the dos and donâts of cycling in the city. The tram rails are phenomena to reckon with. My wife was once launched and ended up with a fractured rib. I truly enjoyed todayâ ride, it was good to be with my confreres Ambassadors and others. I highly recommend biking to my fellow ambassadors and diplomats to take up biking during their tenure in The  Hagueâ.
On the pictures: Ambassadors of Uruguay, Mexico, Israel, Mr. Daniel Poot from ABN-AMRO, Notary Robert Buurke, a distinguished judge from the Municipality of  The Hague, Jhr Mr. Alexander W. Beelaerts van Blokland and diplomats.