at DiploFoundation and the University of Malta, with an option to specialise in Internet Governance.Accelerate your career with these online diplomacy programmes, offered by DiploFoundation and the University of Malta.Master in Contemporary Diplomacy: Join experienced practitioners, working diplomats, and other international relations professionals to learn about the theoretical and practical building blocks of diplomacy, with a focus on contemporary issues and challenges.
Master in Contemporary Diplomacy with an Internet Governance specialisation: This unique programme gives current and future Internet policymakers a solid foundation in diplomatic skills and techniques, necessary to engage effectively in international global policy processes.
How the programme works
First, you attend a 10-day residential workshop in Malta. Here you will get a clear overview of the programme, meet your classmates and some of the faculty members, and develop skills in critical areas of diplomacy including negotiation, protocol, and language.
Next, you participate in five online courses, each lasting ten weeks. Online study involves reading and discussing lecture texts with course lecturers and fellow participants, completing learning activities and assignments, and joining online meetings. Once you have completed these courses, you are eligible to receive a Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy awarded by the University of Malta.
If you continue to the Master’s degree, you now write your dissertation under the personal guidance of a faculty member. On successful completion, you will receive a Master’s degree in Contemporary Diplomacy awarded by the University of Malta.
Master in Contemporary Diplomacy: Select your courses from our extensive catalogue: Bilateral Diplomacy, Multilateral Diplomacy, Public Diplomacy, E-Diplomacy, Development Diplomacy, Language and Diplomacy, Diplomacy of Small States, Consular and Diaspora Diplomacy, and more. Courses are kept up-to-date and relevant through discussion of current events and trends.
Master in Contemporary Diplomacy with an Internet Governance (IG) specialisation: Attend three or four required courses in IG-related topics and choose the remaining courses from our wide range of diplomacy topics. Your Master’s dissertation will focus on an IG-related topic.
Faculty members include practising and retired diplomats, academics, and specialists in IG with both theoretical expertise and practical experience in the field.
Online learning takes place in small groups and is highly interactive, drawing on the experience and knowledge of participants as well as lecturers. Course work is flexible: within a weekly schedule, you decide when and where to study. The programme requires 5–7 hours of study per week.
The Master in Contemporary Diplomacy allowed me to increase my knowledge and skills at a tremendous speed and depth, while remaining in and performing stronger in my job.
Angelic Alihusain-del Castilho, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Suriname
For more information and to apply
The next programme begins on 29 January 2014. Apply by 1 October 2013. Read more at http://www.diplomacy.edu/courses/MAPGD
Or contact:
E-mail: admissions@diplomacy.edu
Telephone: +356 21 333 323
By Dr. Bob van den Bos, former Member of Parliament (First and Second Chambers) and former staff member of the Institute for International Relations Clingendael.
It is a great pleasure and honour indeed to write my first contribution to this new Diplomat Magazine. I would like to bring an important initiative to your attention: the establishment of The Hague Political Academy.
This initiative has been taken in order to meet the needs of diplomats in The Hague for a better understanding of Dutch society and politics.
The Academy starts this autumn with a high level course on Dutch politics and foreign policy for foreign diplomats, scheduled for October 21st until November 18st.
Five sessions will provide participants with a better understanding of Dutch society and the way in which politics works in public and behind the scenes. After an introduction to the historical background, attention will be paid to the governmental and opposition parties and their policies. Also the impact of the media on policymaking will be explained. Special focal points will be the Dutch foreign policy and the role played by the Netherlands in the European Union. At the end of the course the participants will visit the Dutch Parliament.
The lectures will enable participants to report with more authority on Dutch politics and to participate at a high level in discussions on Dutch domestic issues. As course supervisor I will draw on my extensive personal political experience as a Member of the national and European Parliament. Moreover, several distinguished guest speakers are invited to share their views with the participants: politicians, academics and journalists.
During and after the sessions there will be ample opportunity to maintain informal contacts with other participants. It is also possible to arrange specific sessions at your Embassy.
Dear readers,
The Netherlands may be considered to have been the first globalized state in the world. This early openness came in the wake of its great commercial and maritime achievements and its well established tradition of welcome and fair treatment of political and religious exiles. Today The Netherlands is still one of the great commercial powers and is still a society generally open to the world. It contributes substantially to the international organizations, including the United Nations, and still dedicates important sums to development aid.
Dealing with these issues would normally be considered a full time job for any diplomat. But they constitute only part of the tasks involved in serving in The Hague. The other dimension, of great interest to any diplomat, is the fact that the Netherlands, basically The Hague, houses more than 130 international organizations, including one of the principal organs of the United Nations, the International Court of Justice. The international community involved in these activities is substantial. It employs nearly 20,000 persons.
Why does this relatively small city house so many important institutions?
Looking back on the diplomatic history of the Netherlands we encounter a most significant world event that took place in The Hague between 18 May and 29 July 1899. The First Hague Peace Conference was convened by Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and the venue he selected was that of the land of Queen Wilhelmina, Grand Daughter of Queen Ana Paulowna.
This Conference was the first world conference in the sense of the world as understood at that time by the leading powers. In any case, it was not solely a meeting of European States like the Congress of Vienna in 1815 or that which adopted the First Geneva Convention in 1864. There were 27 States present in The Hague representing not only the major European powers but also the independent Asian states of China, Iran, Japan, Thailand and Turkey as well as two states from the New World the United States of America and the United States of Mexico.
The Conference not only ended with Declarations attempting to “humanize” war, but also with the establishment of mechanisms for the peaceful settlement of international disputes.
This unique experience of The Hague at the close of the 19th Century has evolved during the 20th Century and has made it what is today referred to as the International City of Peace and Justice.
The initiative of publishing this Diplomatic Magazine is well considered and will undoubtedly be received with enthusiasm by the large international community in The Hague. This community needs and deserves a medium of communication not only for its own internal uses but more importantly as a means of communication with the larger local community of which they form an occasionally not well understood part.
I wholeheartedly welcome Diplomatic Magazine and congratulate all those who have made it possible.
Sincerely,
Carlos Argüello Gómez
Ambassador of Nicaragua
Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in The Hague
Click the link below to read the original document from H.E. Ambassador Argüello Gómez.
By H.E. Mr. Philippe Couvreur, Registrar of the Court.
Par S. Exc. M. Philippe Couvreur, Greffier de la Cour.
For the last 25 years, the workload of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has been steadily increasing. States are turning more and more frequently to the Court to resolve a whole array of disputes concerning, for example, treaty interpretation, land and maritime frontiers, the environment and the conservation of living resources, and even the use of force. As a result, the Court has delivered more judgments in the last 22 years than during the first 44 years of its existence. It currently has 11 contentious cases pending before it, involving a total of 19 States from all continents: seven Central and South American States (Peru v. Chile; Ecuador v. Colombia; Costa Rica and Nicaragua in two cases; Bolivia v. Chile); four African States (Democratic Republic of the Congo v. Uganda; Burkina Faso and Niger); four States from the Asia‑Pacific region (Cambodia v. Thailand; Australia v. Japan); and four European States (Hungary and Slovakia; Croatia v. Serbia).
The ICJ is the highest court in the world, the oldest, and the only one with both general and universal jurisdiction; it is also the only court whose Members are elected by both the Security Council and the General Assembly of the United Nations. Its mission is to decide contentious cases submitted to it by States. In doing so, it contributes to maintaining international peace and security by ensuring the peaceful settlement of disputes. Moreover, the decisions it renders serve as guidelines for avoiding and resolving disputes which may arise between other States. In addition, the Court responds to requests for advisory opinions from organs and specialized agencies of the United Nations; it thus also makes a contribution to preventive diplomacy and to the development of international law.
In view of its pre‑eminent role and its constantly increasing activity, the ICJ represents a particularly cost‑effective means of settling disputes peacefully.
The Registrar of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, wishes the team at “Diplomat Magazine” every success with the launch of its first edition and hopes that the publication will also welcome French‑language content.
_________________________________________________
La CIJ connaît une activité particulièrement soutenue
Par S. Exc. M. Philippe Couvreur, Greffier de la Cour
Ces 25 dernières années, l’activité de la Cour internationale de Justice (CIJ), organe judiciaire principal de l’ONU, n’a pas cessé de croître. Les Etats se tournent de plus en plus souvent vers elle pour régler leurs différends les plus divers concernant, par exemple, l’interprétation de traités, leurs frontières terrestres et maritimes, l’environnement et la conservation des ressources biologiques, voire même le recours à la force. Ainsi, la Cour a rendu davantage d’arrêts au cours de ces 22 dernières années que durant ses 44 premières années d’existence. La Cour est actuellement saisie de onze affaires contentieuses, qui impliquent au total 19 Etats de tous les continents, à savoir: sept Etats d’Amérique centrale et du sud (Pérou c. Chili; Equateur c. Colombie; Costa Rica et Nicaragua dans deux affaires; Bolivie c. Chili); quatre Etats africains (République démocratique du Congo c. Ouganda; Burkina Faso et Niger); quatre Etats de la région Asie-Pacifique (Cambodge c. Thaïlande; Australie c. Japon) ainsi que quatre Etats européens (Hongrie/Slovaquie; Croatie c. Serbie).
La CIJ est la plus haute juridiction du monde, la plus ancienne, la seule à être dotée d’une compétence à la fois universelle et générale, la seule aussi dont les membres sont élus à la fois par le Conseil de sécurité et l’Assemblée générale de l’ONU. La Cour a pour mission de traiter les affaires contentieuses qui lui sont soumises par des Etats. Elle contribue ainsi au maintien de la paix et de la sécurité internationales en garantissant le règlement pacifique des différends entre Etats. De surcroît, elle rend des décisions qui servent de lignes directrices pour éviter ou régler des différends qui risqueraient de naître entre d’autres Etats. La Cour répond en outre aux demandes d’avis consultatif émanant des organes ou institutions spécialisées de l’ONU. Ce faisant, elle participe également à la diplomatie préventive et au développement du droit international.
La CIJ constitue, au vu de son rôle prééminent et de son activité en croissance constante, un mode de solution pacifique des différends d’un rapport coût/efficacité particulièrement exceptionnel.
Le Greffier de la Cour internationale de Justice (CIJ), organe judiciaire principal de l’ONU, présente ses vœux de réussite à l’équipe de « Diplomat Magazine » à l’occasion du lancement du premier numéro de cette nouvelle publication, et espère qu’elle ouvrira ses pages à la langue française.
By Bonnie Klap.
Within the short time span of just a few months three important events have taken place or are about to take place in The Netherlands. First of all, on April 30 the Coronation of the new Dutch King Willem-Alexander took place. He succeeded his Mother, Queen Beatrix, to the throne, after her 33 years of reign. In August, on the 28th to be exact, the world famous icon of Peace and Justice, the Peace Palace in The Hague, will celebrate its centennial anniversary. And last but certainly not least, I would like to present to you the very first edition of the Diplomat Magazine of The Hague. The Hague is known as the International City of Peace and Justice. It is not only the home to the Diplomatic Corps, but it also has 131 International Institutions and Organizations.
Diplomat Magazine, inaugural issue, 2013, The Hague
Moreover, and perhaps unknown to many, The Hague is the United Nations’ second city only after New York. Hence it is obvious that, considering the high number of Diplomats and the thousands of people working toward world peace in The Hague, introducing the Diplomat Magazine will almost certainly fill a need. In several major cities such as London, Paris, Berlin and Ottawa, to name a few, a Diplomat Magazine has been available for some time and with good reason! It is a well known fact that Diplomats are very busy people, but at the same time, they want to stay informed in a convenient and efficient manner.
Publisher Robert Buurke and Dr. Eugenio Matos, Honorary Associate Publisher, currently Charge d’affaires a.i. at the Dominican Republic Embassy in The Hague, in front of the Peace Palace before Diplomat Magazine’s launching.
From now on that information, be it local news, entertainment, interviews, events, leisure or entertainment suggestions are just a mouse-click away. Speak to any Diplomat posted in The Hague and they will praise the international flavor of The Hague. What better way is there to improve their impression of this vibrant and cosmopolitan city than to keep them up-to-date on everything newsworthy for the Diplomatic Community by reading the Diplomat Magazine?
What’s more, in this era of speedy, accessable information, the Diplomat Magazine of The Hague is a welcome addition to the list of “Favorites” to click onto on your computer. I hope and expect that the Diplomat Magazine of The Hague will from now on provide you with all the news you require and will make living and working for the Diplomatic Community here an even more interesting and pleasant experience.
By Roy Lie A Tjam.
In ancient times, diplomatic correspondence between the Egyptian pharaohs and kings in Assyria, Anatolia and Mesopotamia took place via clay tablets. In 1887, 350 of these clay tablets, referred to as the Amarna Letters, were unearthed in the ancient city of El-Amarna in Egypt. Communication in general has come a long way since the times of the Amarna Letters.
As of June 2013, communication within the diplomatic community in the Netherlands will be bolstered by the introduction of an online Diplomat Magazine.
As we approach the second half of 2013, which so far has been an inspiring year. Major events have taken place worldwide, from the election of Pope Francis in March, to Paris Saint-Germain winning the football championship in France, and the inauguration of former ICC judge Anthony Carmona SC as president of Trinidad and Tobago.
On the 19th of June 2013, another significant event will take place at the Carlton Ambassador Hotel in The Hague. The first ever electronic magazine for diplomats in the Netherlands will be launched by the Mayor of The Hague, the city of peace and justice, Mr. Jozias van Aartsen. The magazine will be known as the Diplomat Magazine.
The Diplomat Magazine is the brainchild of Dr. Eugenio Matos G, Minister Counselor at the Embassy of the Dominican Republic and a team of lawyers and diplomats in The Hague.
The magazine will be issued monthly with the objective of maximising effective communication and provoking intelligent discussion within the diplomatic and international community in the Netherlands. The Diplomat Magazine, as well as providing a plethora of useful information, will also be an excellent platform for diplomatic missions, international institutions and others to share information about their activities.
Bienvenue to the Diplomat Magazine, let’s all make our personal contribution to its success.
FOR FULL PHOTO-ALBUM OF THIS EVENT PLEASE CLICK HERE: https://www.flickr.com/photos/98057281@N02/sets/72157634347253758/First co-founders of Diplomat Magazine in front of the Peace Palace.Publisher Robert Buurke and Dr. Eugenio Matos G, Honorary Associate Publisher in front of the Peace Palace in The Hague.The author is Associate Editor of Diplomat Magazine and a dedicated expat-international and diplomatic community chronicler in The Hague.
By Petra van der Ham,Managing Director UPEACE The Hague, Peace Palace.
The University for Peace (UPEACE) has been founded in 1980 by the General Assembly of the United Nations in order to give substance to its peace and security objectives. UPEACE fosters strong ties with various components of the UN-system, among which the UN Secretariat. The mission of UPEACE is to become an international institute for higher education for the entire humanity.
The headquarters of UPEACE are situated in Costa Rica, with its own campus and various facilities for students, employees and visitors. At this international academic institution for peace and peace related issues, research and education go hand in hand. At UPEACE, experts are brought together with students from all over the world, in order to educate a new generation of peace negotiators. They are being trained to bring peace to a global level, to manage conflicts and to uphold human rights. Mobilizing worldwide support, awareness and education of the (world) population plays an important role.
Throughout its over thirty years of existence, UPEACE has developed a range of master- and capacity building programmes in the field of peacebuilding and conflict resolution. Its core staff, together with visiting professors: mainly UN personnel, (former) diplomats, academics and experts from all over the world, provide courses and trainings for students as well as for professionals from different backgrounds.
Currently UPEACE offers 11 master programmes for approx. 200 master students from 100 different countries. Besides, approx. 150 students study at the affiliated centres. About half of these students are from developing countries; they can often apply for scholarships with the UPEACE Scholarship programme. In recent years UPEACE has also substantially invested in the development of online programmes and “distance learning”.
After their stay in Costa Rica, UPEACE alumni frequently return to their home countries to work at (inter)national government institutions, NGOs, universities or in the private sector. In many countries they are actively involved in the process of peacebuilding and -keeping.
Meanwhile there are centres in Addis Ababa, Belgrade, Manila, Montevideo, Seoul and, from 2012 on, The Hague, resulting in UPEACE increasingly becoming a global network organization. In addition, numerous cooperation agreements have been established with universities and peace organizations worldwide. The new Centre in The Hague, as the representative of UPEACE in the European Union, will constitute an important part of this international network. As of January 2012, this centre, in short UPEACE The Hague, is located in the AcademyBuilding of the PeacePalace.
UPEACE The Hague focuses on education and research in the field of peace issues, in close cooperation with renowned academic and policy-oriented institutes in The Hague region. This focus on cooperation is an important principle of the new Centre: UPEACE The Hague aims to be complementary to existing organizations by specifically focusing on peace education, an area that is still relatively underdeveloped.
UPEACE The Hague is an autonomous institute with sufficient academic freedom to develop its own programmes. Its mission and objectives fall within the framework of the Charter of the University for Peace, the Charter of the United Nations, and the Earth Charter. In this way, UPEACE The Hague supports and strengthens the international academic expertise of UPEACE, in cooperation with its affiliated centres and offices worldwide.
For the time being UPEACE The Hague focuses on three areas where it can be innovative and complementary: Peace and Conflict Studies, Water and Peace, and Urban Peace and Security. An important characteristic is the emphasis on interaction between theory and practice, with a strong policy-oriented character. This combination makes its programmes attractive to students, academics and professionals alike.
In the academic year 2012-2013 it has contributed to the educational curricula of Leiden University College The Hague and The Hague University of Applied Sciences, by offering courses on Peace and Conflict Studies to their bachelor students. Further cooperation is foreseen for the coming years, resulting in, for instance, a joint master program in Peace and Conflict Studies.
Furthermore UPEACE The Hague has entered into partnerships with International Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University Rotterdam (2010) and with UNESCO-IHE Delft (2011). The purpose of these partnerships is to develop joint research and educational programmes and to promote exchange of lecturers and students.
In this way, UPEACE The Hague aims to grow into a European UPEACE expertise and knowledge Centre. The Hague, International City of Peace and Justice, with its growing constellation of international institutes in these areas, is considered a perfect city for such ambitious outreach.
More information: www.upeace.nl and www.upeace.org
By Dr. Tamara Takács.
CLEER Presidency lecture series at the T.M.C. Asser Instituut.
The Centre for the Law of EU External relations (CLEER) is hosted by the T.M.C Asser Instituut and since its inception in 2008 it has played an active role in focusing on one of the most dynamically changing areas of EU law, offering a platform for discussion and implementing various activities through which to connect those interested in the European Union’s actions on the global plane.
In line with the T.M.C Asser Instituut’s longstanding mission, which is to promote the study and understanding of International and European law, the Centre has established a unique network composed of academics as well as practitioners in Europe and increasingly, globally.
Since 2011, a special lecture series complements the events organised by Asser/CLEER, which provides focus on a specific segment of EU external actions: the role of the incumbent presidencies in coordination and leadership in regional and global issues.
With the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, the EU’s conduct of international affairs has been impacted by the introduction of the post of High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the European External Action Service, the EU’s ‘diplomatic arm’.Nevertheless, the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU still imposes coordinating and representation challenges for the incumbent countries, and offers the opportunity to create ‘ownership’ of EU-related issues at home, gain political influence by leadership and create a positive image to the outside world. The CLEER Presidency lecture series looks at the presidency terms in retrospect, so as to assess how the country fulfilled these aspirations and what its actions mean for the European Union’s international relations.
The Presidency lecture series has been organised with great success to review the experiences of the Hungarian (2011), Polish (2012), Danish (2012) and most recently, the Cyprus (2013) presidencies of the EU Council in the area of EU external relations. Representatives of ambassadorial rank provided clear insights to the major challenges and achievements in representation, negotiation and coordination at the helm of the EU Council.
The lecture series has been particularly successful in engaging the diplomatic contingent of incumbent Presidencies posted in The Hague, giving them the opportunity to share their experiences with the broad networks of the T.M.C. Asser Instituut and CLEER.
The T.M.C Asser Instituut and CLEER continue to count on the kind cooperation by the embassies of the EU Member States in The Hague, and hope to welcome members of the wider diplomatic community as well.
Information regarding forthcoming lecture series may be found on the CLEER website: www.cleer.eu.
The author is a Senior researcher in EU law
Academic programme coordinator of CLEER
T.M.C. Asser Instituut. She is founder contributing-writer of Diplomat Magazine.
By Richard T. Griffiths (Associate Editor Diplomat Magazine and Professor International Studies, LeidenUniversity).
Earlier this year, the influential Times Higher Educational Supplement (THES) published its rankings for universities based on their international reputations. As usual the list is dominated by Anglo-Saxon universities but Asian countries are beginning to make an impression. And as usual. not one Dutch university made it into the top fifty, though five managed to figure in the top one hundred – Delft, UvA, Utrecht, Leiden and Wageningen. But does it mean that there is no top university education to be found in the country? Of course not.
There is plenty of top education and research in the Netherlands, it is just not all to be found in one place. A university is an administrative unit, not a teaching or research unit. The aggregated figures represent the efforts of many different faculties and even more opleideingen. The THES provides world rankings for six subject clusters, and Dutch faculties appear in the top-50 in five of them. Wageningen (21) for Life Sciences, Leiden (26) for Arts and Humanities, Delft (32) for Engineering, Rotterdam (48) and Maastricht (49) for Health and medicine and Utrecht (50) for Social sciences. It is only in Physical Sciences that no Dutch university is represented.
We can repeat the exercise at a lower level, which we can conceive of as departments, if we use the slightly less renowned QS indicators for 2013 (which were published in May). It allows us to access 29 subject rankings. In 23 of them, Dutch universities appear in the top-50, and in all but one they are represented in the top 100. I have shown the top-50s by university:
Amsterdam (UvA): Computer and Media Studies (7) Linguistics (15), Sociology (16), Psychology (16),Geography (21), Computer Science (35), Politics and International studies (38), Philosophy(47) Medicine (47)
Amsterdam (VU): Sociology (33) Psychology (46)
Delft: Civil Engineering (4), Chemical Engineering (10), Environmental Science (17), Mechanical Engineering (18), Electrical Engineering (42)
Leiden: Pharmacy (11), Linguistics (23), Law (26), History (28), Politics and International studies (35)
Maastricht: Psychology (37)
Nijmegen: Linguistics (35)
Rotterdam: Medicine (26), Statistics and Organisation (40), Economics (40), Accountancy and Finance (40)
Tilburg: Economics (45)
Utrecht: Geography (21), Sociology (21), Law (35), Psychology (40), Education (43), Earth and Marine Science (46), History (48)
Wageningen: Agricultural Science (2) Environmental Science (10)
In brief, we clearly have university teaching and research that can hold its own with the best in the World. So why no top universities? Part of the answer lies in the fact these indices all favour large universities. In the Netherlands, however, the system has been fragmented by historically determined disciplinary and religious divisions and by a political ideal of regional accessibility. Thus, of the thirteen universities in the Netherlands, two were specifically Catholic (Nijmengen and Tilburg) and one Calvinist (VU, Amsterdam). Two originated as specialist Economics institutions (Rotterdam and Tilburg) and three as technical universities (Delft, Eindhoven and Twente) and when, in the1970s, it was decided to establish a new university, it was placed in Maastricht.
So, if you cannot fuse institutions and you cannot privilege ‘national champions’ then the only option left is to allow the proven, better faculties and departments more freedom to internationalise their teaching and research. The Ministry of Education continually weighs and assesses teaching and research and lays a heavy hand of bureaucracy on each and every new initiative. Give the best their head and allow them to develop new English-language courses alongside the present Dutch ones (and finance them immediately instead of after a delay of two years as at present). In this way they will attract thousands of new students who in three or four years’ time will travel the wrold as ambassadors for the quality of top Dutch teaching and research. And see then what happens to the Netherlands reputation in international rankings.
By Michel QULLÉ, Deputy Director Operations, Europol, The Hague.
First of all, I would like to say that I am honoured and proud to contribute to the first issue of Diplomatic Magazine in the Netherlands. In fact, it is a result of my first encounter with Charge d’affaires a.i. of the Dominican Republic Embassy in The Hague, Dr. Eugenio Matos G (Diplomat Magazine Associate Publisher) during a welcome reception offered by Her Majesty, Queen Beatrix on 16 January, 2013 at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam.
Europol, our organisation located in The Hague, maintains close links with the international community of the city, in the broader sense but also with its citizens. Despite this location, our organisation should be better known by the Dutch citizens. It is for us a good opportunity to increase our visibility in the Netherlands.
Europol (777 staff) is the law enforcement agency of the European Union. Our aim is to help achieve a safer Europe by supporting the law enforcement agencies of European Union Member States in their fight against international serious crime and terrorism.
More than 700 staff at Europol headquarters in The Hague, the Netherlands, work closely with law enforcement agencies in the 27 European Union Member States and in other non-EU partner states such as Australia, Canada, the USA, Norway and Colombia.
As Europol officers have no direct powers of arrest, we support law enforcement colleagues by gathering, analysing and disseminating information and coordinating operations. Our partners use the input to prevent, detect and investigate offences, and to track down and prosecute those who commit them. Europol experts and analysts take part in Joint Investigation Teams which help solve criminal cases on the spot in EU countries.
Europol personnel come from different kinds of law enforcement agencies, including regular police, border police, customs and security services. This multi-agency approach helps to close information gaps and minimise the space in which criminals can operate.
Some 130 Europol Liaison Officers are based at Europol headquarters. These ELOs are seconded to Europol by the EU Member States and our non-EU partners. They guarantee fast and effective cooperation based on personal contact and mutual trust.
Currently UPEACE offers 11 master programmes for approx. 200 master students from 100 different countries. Besides, approx. 150 students study at the affiliated centres. About half of these students are from developing countries; they can often apply for scholarships with the UPEACE Scholarship programme. In recent years UPEACE has also substantially invested in the development of online programmes and “distance learning”.
After their stay in Costa Rica, UPEACE alumni frequently return to their home countries to work at (inter)national government institutions, NGOs, universities or in the private sector. In many countries they are actively involved in the process of peacebuilding and -keeping.
Meanwhile there are centres in Addis Ababa, Belgrade, Manila, Montevideo, Seoul and, from 2012 on, The Hague, resulting in UPEACE increasingly becoming a global network organization. In addition, numerous cooperation agreements have been established with universities and peace organizations worldwide. The new Centre in The Hague, as the representative of UPEACE in the European Union, will constitute an important part of this international network. As of January 2012, this centre, in short UPEACE The Hague, is located in the AcademyBuilding of the PeacePalace.
UPEACE The Hague focuses on education and research in the field of peace issues, in close cooperation with renowned academic and policy-oriented institutes in The Hague region. This focus on cooperation is an important principle of the new Centre: UPEACE The Hague aims to be complementary to existing organizations by specifically focusing on peace education, an area that is still relatively underdeveloped.
UPEACE The Hague is an autonomous institute with sufficient academic freedom to develop its own programmes. Its mission and objectives fall within the framework of the Charter of the University for Peace, the Charter of the United Nations, and the Earth Charter. In this way, UPEACE The Hague supports and strengthens the international academic expertise of UPEACE, in cooperation with its affiliated centres and offices worldwide.
For the time being UPEACE The Hague focuses on three areas where it can be innovative and complementary: Peace and Conflict Studies, Water and Peace, and Urban Peace and Security. An important characteristic is the emphasis on interaction between theory and practice, with a strong policy-oriented character. This combination makes its programmes attractive to students, academics and professionals alike.
In the academic year 2012-2013 it has contributed to the educational curricula of Leiden University College The Hague and The Hague University of Applied Sciences, by offering courses on Peace and Conflict Studies to their bachelor students. Further cooperation is foreseen for the coming years, resulting in, for instance, a joint master program in Peace and Conflict Studies.
Furthermore UPEACE The Hague has entered into partnerships with International Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University Rotterdam (2010) and with UNESCO-IHE Delft (2011). The purpose of these partnerships is to develop joint research and educational programmes and to promote exchange of lecturers and students.
In this way, UPEACE The Hague aims to grow into a European UPEACE expertise and knowledge Centre. The Hague, International City of Peace and Justice, with its growing constellation of international institutes in these areas, is considered a perfect city for such ambitious outreach.
More information: www.upeace.nl and www.upeace.org 
Currently UPEACE offers 11 master programmes for approx. 200 master students from 100 different countries. Besides, approx. 150 students study at the affiliated centres. About half of these students are from developing countries; they can often apply for scholarships with the UPEACE Scholarship programme. In recent years UPEACE has also substantially invested in the development of online programmes and “distance learning”.
After their stay in Costa Rica, UPEACE alumni frequently return to their home countries to work at (inter)national government institutions, NGOs, universities or in the private sector. In many countries they are actively involved in the process of peacebuilding and -keeping.
Meanwhile there are centres in Addis Ababa, Belgrade, Manila, Montevideo, Seoul and, from 2012 on, The Hague, resulting in UPEACE increasingly becoming a global network organization. In addition, numerous cooperation agreements have been established with universities and peace organizations worldwide. The new Centre in The Hague, as the representative of UPEACE in the European Union, will constitute an important part of this international network. As of January 2012, this centre, in short UPEACE The Hague, is located in the AcademyBuilding of the PeacePalace.
UPEACE The Hague focuses on education and research in the field of peace issues, in close cooperation with renowned academic and policy-oriented institutes in The Hague region. This focus on cooperation is an important principle of the new Centre: UPEACE The Hague aims to be complementary to existing organizations by specifically focusing on peace education, an area that is still relatively underdeveloped.
UPEACE The Hague is an autonomous institute with sufficient academic freedom to develop its own programmes. Its mission and objectives fall within the framework of the Charter of the University for Peace, the Charter of the United Nations, and the Earth Charter. In this way, UPEACE The Hague supports and strengthens the international academic expertise of UPEACE, in cooperation with its affiliated centres and offices worldwide.
For the time being UPEACE The Hague focuses on three areas where it can be innovative and complementary: Peace and Conflict Studies, Water and Peace, and Urban Peace and Security. An important characteristic is the emphasis on interaction between theory and practice, with a strong policy-oriented character. This combination makes its programmes attractive to students, academics and professionals alike.
In the academic year 2012-2013 it has contributed to the educational curricula of Leiden University College The Hague and The Hague University of Applied Sciences, by offering courses on Peace and Conflict Studies to their bachelor students. Further cooperation is foreseen for the coming years, resulting in, for instance, a joint master program in Peace and Conflict Studies.
Furthermore UPEACE The Hague has entered into partnerships with International Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University Rotterdam (2010) and with UNESCO-IHE Delft (2011). The purpose of these partnerships is to develop joint research and educational programmes and to promote exchange of lecturers and students.
In this way, UPEACE The Hague aims to grow into a European UPEACE expertise and knowledge Centre. The Hague, International City of Peace and Justice, with its growing constellation of international institutes in these areas, is considered a perfect city for such ambitious outreach.
More information: www.upeace.nl and www.upeace.org 
In line with the T.M.C Asser Instituut’s longstanding mission, which is to promote the study and understanding of International and European law, the Centre has established a unique network composed of academics as well as practitioners in Europe and increasingly, globally.
Since 2011, a special lecture series complements the events organised by Asser/CLEER, which provides focus on a specific segment of EU external actions: the role of the incumbent presidencies in coordination and leadership in regional and global issues.
With the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, the EU’s conduct of international affairs has been impacted by the introduction of the post of High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the European External Action Service, the EU’s ‘diplomatic arm’. Nevertheless, the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU still imposes coordinating and representation challenges for the incumbent countries, and offers the opportunity to create ‘ownership’ of EU-related issues at home, gain political influence by leadership and create a positive image to the outside world. The CLEER Presidency lecture series looks at the presidency terms in retrospect, so as to assess how the country fulfilled these aspirations and what its actions mean for the European Union’s international relations.
The Presidency lecture series has been organised with great success to review the experiences of the Hungarian (2011), Polish (2012), Danish (2012) and most recently, the Cyprus (2013) presidencies of the EU Council in the area of EU external relations. Representatives of ambassadorial rank provided clear insights to the major challenges and achievements in representation, negotiation and coordination at the helm of the EU Council.
The lecture series has been particularly successful in engaging the diplomatic contingent of incumbent Presidencies posted in The Hague, giving them the opportunity to share their experiences with the broad networks of the T.M.C. Asser Instituut and CLEER.
The T.M.C Asser Instituut and CLEER continue to count on the kind cooperation by the embassies of the EU Member States in The Hague, and hope to welcome members of the wider diplomatic community as well.
Information regarding forthcoming lecture series may be found on the CLEER website: www.cleer.eu.
The author is a Senior researcher in EU law
Academic programme coordinator of CLEER
T.M.C. Asser Instituut. She is founder contributing-writer of Diplomat Magazine. 
In line with the T.M.C Asser Instituut’s longstanding mission, which is to promote the study and understanding of International and European law, the Centre has established a unique network composed of academics as well as practitioners in Europe and increasingly, globally.
Since 2011, a special lecture series complements the events organised by Asser/CLEER, which provides focus on a specific segment of EU external actions: the role of the incumbent presidencies in coordination and leadership in regional and global issues.
With the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, the EU’s conduct of international affairs has been impacted by the introduction of the post of High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the European External Action Service, the EU’s ‘diplomatic arm’. Nevertheless, the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU still imposes coordinating and representation challenges for the incumbent countries, and offers the opportunity to create ‘ownership’ of EU-related issues at home, gain political influence by leadership and create a positive image to the outside world. The CLEER Presidency lecture series looks at the presidency terms in retrospect, so as to assess how the country fulfilled these aspirations and what its actions mean for the European Union’s international relations.
The Presidency lecture series has been organised with great success to review the experiences of the Hungarian (2011), Polish (2012), Danish (2012) and most recently, the Cyprus (2013) presidencies of the EU Council in the area of EU external relations. Representatives of ambassadorial rank provided clear insights to the major challenges and achievements in representation, negotiation and coordination at the helm of the EU Council.
The lecture series has been particularly successful in engaging the diplomatic contingent of incumbent Presidencies posted in The Hague, giving them the opportunity to share their experiences with the broad networks of the T.M.C. Asser Instituut and CLEER.
The T.M.C Asser Instituut and CLEER continue to count on the kind cooperation by the embassies of the EU Member States in The Hague, and hope to welcome members of the wider diplomatic community as well.
Information regarding forthcoming lecture series may be found on the CLEER website: www.cleer.eu.
The author is a Senior researcher in EU law
Academic programme coordinator of CLEER
T.M.C. Asser Instituut. She is founder contributing-writer of Diplomat Magazine. 
