Prosecutor Serge Brammertz Addresses the United Nations Security Council

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Prosecutor Serge Brammertz Addresses the United Nations Security Council

Arusha, The Hague, 12 June 2023 – Serge Brammertz, Prosecutor of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism), today addressed the United Nations Security Council about the work of the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP).

Prosecutor Brammertz focused his remarks on recent developments following the submission of his written report on 15 May 2023.

He began by briefing the Security Council on the successful arrest of Rwandan fugitive Fulgence Kayishema on 23 May in Paarl, South Africa. The Prosecutor stated, “Kayishema’s arrest is a signal moment in the global effort to punish perpetrators of genocide.”

He noted that an arrest of a fugitive “renews faith in international justice,” as for the victims and survivors of Kayishema’s crimes, “[t]he wrongs they suffered thirty years ago can begin to now be put right.” In addition, this arrest demonstrated again the international community’s “determination to ensure that genocide is repressed and punished.”

Prosecutor Brammertz further highlighted the critical role played by United Nations Member States in the investigation and arrest. He informed the Security Council that the OTP “enjoyed the full and unreserved support of South African authorities, who established an operational task force to assist our investigations.” He also commended the support provided by Eswatini, whose authorities demonstrated exceptional dedication and cooperation, as well as Mozambique, whose Attorney General offered the full support of her office. He noted that as always, Rwandan authorities “made enormous contributions to our success.”

On behalf of the OTP, Prosecutor Brammertz extended “our deepest gratitude to these countries and others who cooperated with our investigation. The challenges were immense, and it was only by working so closely together that Kayishema was finally located and arrested.”

Prosecutor Brammertz then updated the Security Council on the recent appeal judgement in the final ICTY case, Stanišić and Simatović. He noted that the Appeals Chamber accepted the OTP’s arguments and found that both accused were criminally responsible as members of a joint criminal enterprise for a larger number of crimes in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Stanišić and Simatović shared the intention with other Serbian, Croatian Serb and Bosnian Serb leaders to ethnically cleanse non-Serbs from large areas of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. They further contributed to the implementation of the joint criminal enterprise in important ways, particularly by supporting notorious paramilitary groups.

Reflecting on this result, Prosecutor Brammertz stated, “This judgement is a fitting final chapter in the work of the ICTY. Over thirty years of work, we were able to successfully prosecute senior political, military and police officials from all sides of the conflicts. We demonstrated that accountability for the most serious international crimes is possible, while also leaving as our legacy a record of what occurred.”

Prosecutor Brammertz also noted the recent decision in the Kabuga case. While explaining that the decision is not yet final and will likely be appealed, he stated, “What I can say at this point is that my Office believes the trial against Kabuga can and should be completed in a manner that is consistent with the rights of the accused.”

Looking forward, Prosecutor Brammertz informed the Security Council that “the Mechanism is actively planning its future as a true residual institution.” In this regard, he explained that for the OTP, in the coming years “our focus will in particular be on our mandate under Article 28(3) to assist national jurisdictions to continue the accountability process for international crimes committed in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia.” He noted that “there can be no question that much more justice still needs to be achieved at the national level”, highlighting that in Rwanda, “there are more than 1,000 fugitives to be prosecuted”, while in the former Yugoslavia, “national prosecutors still must deal with several thousand cases.” The OTP, he said, “plays a critical role in supporting this continued accountability process”, by which “Member States themselves take the lead in securing further justice and promoting peace.”

In conclusion, Prosecutor Brammertz reminded the Security Council that genocide denial and the glorification of war criminals remain significant concerns. He said, “The international community is determined to bring war criminals to trial. It should be equally committed to promoting the truth after those trials are completed.”

Berlin reception for 19 chefs de mission 

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Berlin reception for 19 chefs de mission 

Friday, 29 May 2023, Berlin, Germany: In the iconic Red City Hall of the City-State of Berlin, Governing Mayor Kai Wegner hosted nineteen recently accredited ambassadors in Germany for a reception meant to become acquainted with the foreign envoys.  

Kai Wegner (b. 1972) took office as governing mayor on 27 April 2023, and hence this reception was of particular importance for him; being the first Christian Democrat to helm the city-state of Berlin since Eberhard Diepgen left the same office in 2001. Previously Governing Mayor Wegner had served as a member of the German federal parliament from 2005 to 2021. In 2019, he became the chairman of the CDU in Berlin, and leader of the opposition in the Chamber of Deputies. 

Dariusz Pawłoś (Republic of Poland); Ilham Ahmed (Republic of Sudan); Jean-Paul Senninger (Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg); Lanka Muthukumarana (Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka); Dr. Nurlan Onzhanov (Republic of Kazakhstan).

In total 158 foreign powers are currently represented through diplomatic missions in Berlin, Germany. 

For further information:
The Governing Mayor of Berlin: https://www.berlin.de/rbmskzl/

Picture by Landesarchiv / Wunstorf

India’s G20 presidency against marine litter: the Indian Embassy’s beach clean-up initiative in The Hague

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India’s G20 presidency against marine litter: the Indian Embassy’s beach clean-up initiative in The Hague

By Swami Jonard

“Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”, or “One Earth, One Family, One Future” is the phrase that India chose to define its presidency to the G20 in 2023. Embracing this spirit, the Embassy of India in the Netherlands gathered over 150 people to clean up the Scheveningen beach on May 12, 2023, as an effort to raise awareness on plastic pollution through a citizen-driven initiative.

As highlighted by H.E. Ambassador Reenat Sandhu, India’s 2023 presidency in the G20, where the Netherlands is a guest member along with 8 other countries, sets a strong focus on fighting marine litter, as reflected by many of the country’s recent initiatives throughout the world. Through numerous beach clean-up events across many countries, India aspires to be a leading actor in the efforts against climate change and pollution and set the example to lead the world to a more sustainable future.

Indian Embassy’s beach clean-up initiative in The Hague.

While being initiated by the Indian Embassy, this event is the result of a collaboration with civil society actors and public administrations of the Netherlands. The trash collection itself was organised by TrashUre Hunt, a Dutch NGO that organises beach clean-ups all over the Netherlands in the playful form of a treasure hunt. Another contributor was Stichting de Noordzee, an organisation dedicated to the protection of the North Sea from pollution and waste by producing knowledge and solutions to influence environmental policy. The city of the Hague supported the event as well, represented by Deputy Mayor Hilbert Bredemeijer who emphasised in his speech how India’s initiative follows the same path as the city’s efforts in fighting marine pollution.

Finally, the presence of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management of the Netherlands showed the country’s efforts of cooperation with India on sustainability and environmental challenges. Overall, this inspiring array of actors fully embodied the different sides of the struggle against marine pollution, from scientific to institutional to civil action.

Indian Embassy’s beach clean-up initiative in The Hague.

The event in question took place in a warm afternoon of mid-spring near the pier of the Scheveningen beach, an iconic location where many Dutch people spend their summer days, along with kite-surfers enjoying the strong winds of the North Sea. This highly touristic site is also a victim of its success, as the litter inevitably accumulates in the high season. This makes a perfect location to organise a collective clean-up action. Around three o’clock, the registered participants started accumulating near the meeting point, where they were welcomed by the organisers. The group included local citizens as well as diplomats from other countries and was brought together by the different organisations collaborating in the event.

Their first sight was a museum of marine waste built by TrashUre Hunt, where all different kinds of objects found on the beach and in the sea were categorised and put on display. Its purpose was both to inform the public about what happens to plastic let loose in the environment, and to inspire them to repurpose waste, by showcasing various sculptures created from it.

The attendees were first welcomed to get acquainted with each other and to meet the organisers, around South Indian coffee and millet biscuits offered to celebrate the international year of the grain. They were shortly after invited to assist speeches given by the representatives of the different organisations: Ambassador of India Ms. Reenat Sandu, Director General of the Ministry of Infrastructure Ms. Afke van Rijn, Deputy Mayor of The Hague Mr. Hilbert Bredemeijer, Director of Stichting de Noordzee Ms. Wytske Postma and Founder of TrashUre Hunt Mr. Ralph Groenheijde who explained the rules of the treasure hunt.

After being divided in teams, the participants were sent to several locations on the beach to collect as much trash as possible. The collection was organised as a playful competition where the teams would earn points by the weight of trash collected as well as the number of cigarette butts, which are known to be the most widespread type of marine litter. After some time of walking around, the collected waste was counted and weighed. The participants found out that they had gathered 240 kg of waste, including an impressive 5420 cigarette butts. A sizable result for a mere hour and a half of scavenging. Finally, the contributors were reminded that more than a competition, their achievement was a telling example of what can be accomplished through collective effort, and that joint citizen action is an indispensable force to fight for a sustainable world.

The beach clean-up was overall a great opportunity for everyone to learn that the strive for sustainability is a multifaceted challenge that requires initiatives from many different actors. The dignitaries that introduced the event made sure to show that these initiatives need to extend beyond civil awareness and reach all levels of society, economy and governance.

In her speech, the Ministry’s representative Ms. Afke van Rijn insisted on the importance of international cooperation in addressing Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and congratulated the Indian Embassy for showing it through their initiative. With marine litter as a main focus of the G20 this year, she expressed that plastic pollution should be tackled not only by raising awareness, but mainly through regulations and institutional action all over the world. Such action should be aimed at targeting the problem at its source, and at transitioning to a circular economy that prevents the production of excessive waste. She finally mentioned the United Nations Treaty on Plastic Pollution, which is currently still a project, as an example of international regulations that would help tackle ocean waste coherently on a global scale.

On the other side of this cooperation, Ambassador Sandhu’s speech situated the event in the larger context of the G20’s objectives under the Indian presidency. As shown by the slogan ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’, this presidency focuses on the very contemporary SDGs, and the Ambassador highlighted the importance of promoting a sustainable lifestyle to achieve them. She emphasised the contribution that India can give on this aspect through Mission LiFE, or Lifestyle for Environment, a citizen movement meant to encourage a model of resilience in individuals and communities inherited from Indian tradition. According to her, an environmental initiative in the Netherlands has a lot of meaning since the country has a strong focus on sustainability as well as an active civil society to tackle it.

Moreover, the two countries have a strong bilateral relation and show a lot of potential for future cooperation on sustainable development. Finally, she showed how the Scheveningen beach clean-up event is the continuity of a large-scale effort of India to combat marine litter through the Mega Beach Clean-up, a large-scale event where 75 beaches in India were cleaned by volunteers in 75 days, as to mark the 75th anniversary of India’s independence.

Beyond cleaning the seaside, India’s G20 presidency encompasses a much broader scope on the SDGs, including the preservation of oceans. A major event for environmental protection in the G20 was the Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group meeting, held twice so far, which defined three areas of focus that the participating countries committed to act upon: land preservation, circular economy and resilient ocean management.

The latter theme focuses on the drive to promote a ‘Blue Economy’, an economic model in which the oceans’ resources are used sustainably, in a way that respects and contributes to their natural cycle and ensures their preservation. This model includes resource management, elimination of waste, preservation of biodiversity while promoting economic growth from the ocean’s resources.

Regarding these goals, India strives for its presidency to be action-driven, as shown by the Mega Beach Clean-up and many other initiatives. Ocean and water management is also a theme that relates a lot to Indo-Dutch cooperation in the area of sustainability. With its long history of expertise in the field, the Netherlands has contributed a lot to so called ‘water diplomacy’ in India by sending Special Water Envoys leading technology transfer projects in areas such as freshwater supply and flood control.

This contribution takes place as well in the field of smart sustainable agriculture and has prospects of extending to renewable energy implementation. In this regard, the cooperation between the Netherlands and India for the SDGs has a bright future ahead of itself.

The overall message of the Scheveningen beach clean-up day is one of collaboration. The event has brought together citizens, government officials and civil society to not only raise awareness but also to mutually motivate and encourage each other’s contributions to environmental actions.

Returning to Ambassador Sandhu’s words on India’s G20 slogan, our shared future on our shared Earth depends on the collective action of different countries, individuals and institutions working together.

Photography courtesy of the Embassy of India in The Hague.

Sources:

The risk of global famine and the disruption in the supply of Belarusian potash

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The risk of global famine and the disruption in the supply of Belarusian potash

By H.E. Ambassador Andrei Yeudachenka, Ambassador of the Republic of Belarus in the Kingdom of The Netherlands

“Belarus also offers, unconditionally, its territory as a transit route for Ukrainian grain to reach Baltic Sea ports”

Belarus stands today as the world’s second largest producer of potash, a material integral to the nation’s thriving agricultural sector. The country is renowned for producing high-quality agricultural and dairy products such as butter, cheese, or milk. All in all, Belarus owes its prosperity in part to the use of potash in farming.

A growing concern today is the risk of global famine due to potential disruptions in the supply of Belarusian potash; as fertilizer shortages persist, the threat of food insecurity and severe hunger looms large for millions worldwide.

Statistics from the United Nations World Food Programme reveal that approximately 345 million people across 82 countries are currently grappling with acute food insecurity. This figure is up from 282 million at the end of 2021. Furthermore, up to 50 million people across 45 countries are on the brink of starvation.

Fertilizers are pivotal to achieving global food security. Amidst the ongoing fertilizer crisis, which goes back to a similar situation in the 1970s, the importance of potassium as one of the three primary crop nutrients (alongside nitrogen and phosphorus) cannot be overstated. The absence of these nutrients can potentially reduce crop yield by as much as 50% for certain crops.

JSC Belaruskali, the only producer of potash fertilizers in Belarus and the world’s second-largest potash producer, used to account for 20% of global potash trade. However, due to restrictions and sanctions imposed on Belarusian potash and its sole producer by the US, the EU, and certain EU members, the company’s contribution to global production and export plummeted to 10% by mid-2022. This has led to a global output reduction of 16.3% (or 5.9 million tonnes) and a 20.2% decrease in global exports (or 5.8 million tonnes) compared to the same period in 2021.

Interestingly, other countries, including Russia, have been exempted from these measures due to the humanitarian nature of the commodity. Meanwhile, the demand for potash continues to grow in line with the increasing global population. Due to the lifecycle of potash production, any significant increase in capacity is likely only in Canada, and not before 2025. Thus, neither Canada nor any other country can adequately compensate for the volume of Belarusian potash taken off the market due to these restrictions in 2023 or 2024.

The global food security situation worsens as potash shortages develop, allowing other global suppliers to exploit the situation, inflate prices, and increase profits. This trend consequently places a financial burden on farmers, negatively impacts yields, and contributes to rising food prices.

In light of the significant risk to global food security, Belarus appeals to the international community for assistance in exempting Belarusian potash from these restrictions and restoring unhindered transit of its fertilizers to global markets, including those in Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Belarus also offers, unconditionally, its territory as a transit route for Ukrainian grain to reach Baltic Sea ports.

Belarus believes that ensuring global food security should be a priority for all international actors, including European countries.

Ambassador Yeudachenka, Embassy of Belarus in The Hague.

A brief overview of Belarus’ economy:

  • Belarus is a landlocked country bordered by Latvia (161 km), Lithuania (640 km), Poland (375 km), Russia (1,312 km), and Ukraine (1,111 km). Its terrain is generally flat, characterized by marshlands, a result of glacial scouring which also accounts for the country’s 11,000 lakes. Approximately 43.7% of Belarus’ land is agricultural, with 15.9% designated as permanent pasture (2018 estimates).
  • Belarus is characterized by a significant percentage of land dedicated to agriculture (43.7% as of 2018) and a substantial portion allocated as permanent pasture (15.9% in 2018). In fact, the country boasts a wide array of agricultural products, including milk, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat, triticale, barley, maize, rye, rapeseed, and poultry.
  • Belarus’ diverse industries range from manufacturing metal-cutting machine tools, tractors, trucks, and earthmovers to producing motorcycles, synthetic fibers, fertilizers, and textiles. The country is also known for its production of refrigerators, washing machines, and other household appliances.
  • On the trade front, Belarus has shown a consistent export performance with $49.425 billion in 2021, $37.183 billion in 2020, and $41.975 billion in 2019. The country’s primary export partners include Russia (42%), Ukraine (13%), and the United Kingdom (7%) as of 2019. The leading exported commodities in 2021 were fertilizers, refined petroleum, cheese, delivery trucks, and lumber.
  • Concerning imports, Belarus registered $45.459 billion in 2021, $35.236 billion in 2020, and $42.378 billion in 2019, with figures quoted in the respective year’s dollars. The main import partners are Russia (57%), China (7%), Poland (5%), Germany (5%), and Ukraine (5%), as reported in 2019.

European Judicial Network celebrates 25 years, seeing rise in requests for day-to-day judicial cooperation

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European Judicial Network celebrates 25 years, seeing rise in requests for day-to-day judicial cooperation

The Hague, 12 June 2023

The European Judicial Network (EJN) celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. The anniversary, together with key EU developments in the area of judicial cooperation,  will be featured during the EJN plenary meeting in Stockholm being held between the 12th and 14th of June. The EJN assists judges and prosecutors with day-to-day cooperation on criminal justice matters worldwide, via a network of National Contact Points.

The EJN has seen the requests for this kind of collaboration rise, with 8 000 new reported cases and approximately 4 million website page views per year. The scope of the EJN meeting will include how to build on this success and improve cooperation in the future.

Per Hedvall

Mr Per Hedvall, Chairman of the 60th EJN Plenary Meeting under the Swedish Presidency said: ’I have the honour of chairing the 60th Plenary Meeting of the EJN, an event which marks that, in 25 years, it has become a key player in the field of international judicial cooperation. Its operational approach has proven to be a success. The plenary meetings are essential to create a forum for the Contact Points of the EJN to meet and discuss issues relating to international judicial cooperation. The networking during these meetings lays the foundation for trust and understanding, which is crucial to efficient cooperation.’

Mr Hugh Dockry, recently appointed Secretary to the EJN, stated: ‘Since its creation, the European Judicial Network has proven to be a very important instrument to enable concrete cooperation between judges and prosecutors, in order to fight crime, combat impunity and reinforce the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice. From my experience as an expert in judicial cooperation in criminal matters and a practitioner in Ireland, I can tell how valuable establishing ties with fellow prosecutors and exchanging information via the EJN is. Since taking up my new role as Secretary, I am looking forward to building on this cooperation and enhancing it in the future, in close collaboration with colleagues at Eurojust.’

The EJN was set up in June 1998 by the Council of the European Union to assist judicial practitioners in combating cross-border crime. Its main purpose is to facilitate requests for practical and bilateral direct cooperation between judicial authorities, prosecutors and Ministries of Justice.

The EJN specialises in direct one-to-one contact to resolve legal issues as well as undertaking preparatory work for judicial cooperation. The role of the EJN can be seen as complementary to Eurojust’s and allows national authorities to receive adequate support from either body depending on the specifics of their case. For this reason, the EJN Secretariat is hosted at Eurojust in The Hague.

EJN assistance can, for instance, concern requests on the status of investigations and which authorities are involved or how to establish contacts in other countries. Furthermore, the EJN can assist judges and prosecutors in establishing who is competent to execute requests for European Investigation Orders (EIOs), European Arrest Warrants (EAWs), Freezing Certificates (FC) or Mutual Legal Assistance (MLAs).

This important support enables direct communication between judges and prosecution services, without having to open a case via National Desks or Liaison Prosecutors at Eurojust. This allows them to focus on longer-term and large-scale criminal justice and multilateral cooperation. EJN operates via a network of approximately 450 Contact Points in EU Member States and beyond.

The EJN Contact Points are coordinated via National Correspondents, and its work is supported by a Secretariat and a rotating Presidency Board, which follows the rotation scheme of the Council of the European Union. During the past 10 years, the Contact Points have reported more than 90 000 cases.

The EJN also delivers important contributions to the drafting and implementation of EU legal instruments such as the e-Evidene package. Its website, maintained by the EJN Secretariat, offers practical guidance via its Judicial Atlas of Contact Points and Competent Authorities. The Compendium offers access to forms for EAWs and MLAs in all 24 official languages of the EU, via e-tools designed by practitioners to assist authorities in filling, drafting and sending the requests.

The Judicial Atlas allows authorities to identify the authority that is competent to receive the request depending on the type of assistance, nature of crime and other criteria, determined by the national legislation of the Member States. The majority of the tools and information on the EJN website is publicly available, and is widely used throughout the EU and beyond with visits from more than 100 countries.

Mr Hugh Dockry became Secretary to the EJN in January this year, succeeding Mr Ola Löfgren. He has extensive experience gained from 14 years spent in the Chief State Sollicitor’s Office of Ireland, with  ten of those years working on cooperation in judicial matters. He was, in particular, responsible for the execution of incoming EAWs and extradition requests. He later worked in the Criminal Justice Legislation Division of the Department of Justice, drafting and implementing judicial cooperation instruments.

In 2020, he was seconded as a national expert to the Directorate General for Justice of the European Commission, with responsibility for judicial cooperation instruments, with particular responsibility for EAWs, and detention conditions. Prior to his post at the EJN, Mr Dockry was seconded national expert for Ireland at the Justice and Home Affairs directorate of the Legal Service of the European Commission.

President Gatti Santana briefs the UN Security Council on progress of Mechanism work

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President Gatti Santana briefs the UN Security Council on progress of Mechanism work

Arusha, The Hague, 12 June 2023 – Today the President of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, Judge Graciela Gatti Santana, presented the Mechanism’s twenty-second progress report to the United Nations Security Council in New York.

President Gatti Santana commenced her address by recalling the Council’s exceptional decision in May 1993 to establish the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, which “asserted the rule of law and served as a warning to others elsewhere that violations of international humanitarian law would not be tolerated and, more importantly, that they should not go unpunished”. The President remarked that with the recent issuance of the Appeal Judgement in the case against Jovica Stanišić and Franko Simatović, the ambitious journey of the ICTY has come to an end, in so far as the cases against all 161 persons indicted by that Tribunal have now been concluded.

In relation to the ongoing case against Félicien Kabuga, President Gatti Santana referred to the Trial Chamber’s decision of 6 June, in which the Majority found that the Accused is not fit to stand trial and is very unlikely to regain fitness, and decided that it will nonetheless continue the proceedings through an “alternative findings procedure”. She observed that this decision is expected to be appealed.

Turning to other matters, the President praised the work of the Office of the Prosecutor and its fugitive tracking team, noting that the recent arrest of Fulgence Kayishema in South Africa “serves as a stark reminder that even after all these years, justice remains achievable […].” Separately, the President noted that the Mechanism will be responsible for monitoring the proceedings against Kayishema in Rwanda and expressed confidence in Rwanda’s continuing ability to discharge cases relating to international crimes efficiently and effectively.

President Gatti Santana then addressed three areas that require the urgent attention and assistance of the Council, the first relating to the enforcement of sentences. In this context, she conveyed profound gratitude to those 13 States that are contributing to the fulfilment of the Mechanism’s mandate by enforcing sentences, but noted that the burden is not shared equally by Member States. Moreover, due to the limited ability of some States to enforce lengthy sentences, some convicted persons have recently been returned to the United Nations Detention Unit in The Hague, which has repercussions for the Mechanism as well as the Host State.

With respect to the second challenge, concerning the acquitted or released persons relocated to Niger in December 2021, President Gatti Santana underlined that the Mechanism is not in a position to resolve this predicament alone and urged the Council “to appreciate how the status quo is untenable in every respect”.

Finally, the President stressed that arguably the biggest threat faced by the Mechanism is the relentless attempts to undermine its work and that of its predecessor Tribunals, including through genocide denial, glorification of war criminals and the purported re-writing of history, noting also Serbia’s persistent failure to arrest Petar Jojić and Vjerica Radeta. She indicated that in the face of these challenges, one of her key priorities is to consolidate, safeguard and make more accessible the invaluable legacy of the ad hoc Tribunals and the Mechanism.

In closing, President Gatti Santana reflected on the next phase of the Mechanism’s operations, underscoring the significant progress the Mechanism has made with regard to the planning of its future and expressing her determination “to continue pursuing innovative, more efficient ways of operating and to take all necessary steps to keep achieving positive results”. 

Croatian wine has a new ambassador

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Croatian wine has a new ambassador

By Alexandra Paucescu

On the last day of May, the Croatian embassy in The Hague together with the wine importer Croatiangrapes.com  organized a professional wine tasting. On this occasion, wine centipede Barbara Verbeek has been appointed Croatian Wine Ambassador 2023 in the Netherlands by the Croatian ambassador, HE Ms. Dubravka Plejić Marković. 

Most of the distinguished attendees where professionals from the wine and media industries. The Ambassador of Rwanda, H.E. Mr. Olivier Jean Patrick Nduhungirehe, the Ambassador of Mexico, H.E. Mr. Jose Antonio Zabalgoitia, the Ambassador of Tanzania, H.E. Ms. Caroline Kitana Chipeta, the Ambassador of Portugal, H.E. Ms. Clara Nunes dos Santos and the Ambassador of Greece, H.E. Ms. Caterina Ghini also took part in the event.

The Ambassador of Mexico, H.E. Mr. Jose Antonio Zabalgoitia, the Ambassador of Tanzania, H.E. Ms. Caroline Kitana Chipeta, Ambassador Marković, the Ambassador of Rwanda, H.E. Mr. Olivier Jean Patrick Nduhungirehe and the Ambassador of Greece, H.E. Ms. Caterina Ghini.

This year it’s the fourth time that the title has been awarded in the Netherlands. The honor previously fell to Sabas Joosten (then head sommelier of De Librije), cheese expert Betty Koster and wine writer Hubrecht Duijker.

It is a recognition that the person who receives the title has contributed in a special way to the promotion of Croatian wine in the Netherlands. According to the nomination committee, chaired this year by the Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia, HE Ms. Dubravka Plejić Marković and wine importers Mario Pranić and Diederik Swart, Barbara Verbeek is the perfect person to bear this honorable title.

Mrs. Verbeek has visited several Croatian wine regions and presented the diversity and the great grape varieties of this ancient wine country. Meanwhile, she has often offered a stage to Croatian wine in her Wine Theater, during national catering fairs.

Barbara Verbeek inherited the love for good wine from her father. In 2001, she graduated as a registered viticulturist and in 2002 as a wine and food specialist from the Academy of Gastronomy. She is the owner of the ‘Wijntheater’, being also a wine columnist for De Telegraaf.  She is the initiator of the Wine Woman of the Year Foundation, is the designer of the Expert’s Collection glass line and an ambassador of the Royal Leerdam glass factory.


In her acceptance speech, she said: ‘I am much honored to bear this title. Since 2015, whenever I had to fill the program of the Wine Theater, I have always paid a lot of attention to Croatia, a wine country that hardly anyone had heard of at the time, and neither had I. But with Croatian wines and the people from Croatiangrapes.com it was love at first sight. 

My father became a wineologist in the 1980s and when I came into the living room as an eight-year-old child, there was a book by Hubrecht Duijker on the table. I leafed through it and thought it was magical at the time. The fact that I can now take over this ambassadorship from Hubrecht is the circle of life for me and it honors me deeply.’

Mario Pranić and Diederik Swart started Croatiangrapes.com, an import company with a complete focus on Croatian wines, in 2014. The company has since grown into the leading specialist in this field. The wines they promote are from unique local grape varieties, from all the main wineries in the country.

During the event at the Croatian embassy, ​​after the awarding ceremony, a reception followed, where wines from all the important regions of Croatia could be tasted. In addition, suggestions were offered for various cheese combinations, specially chosen by the former Croatian wine ambassador, Betty Koster. The Croatian MasterChef winner, Sascha de Lint, catered the event, offering the distinguished guests special dishes from the Croatian cuisine.

Ivan Novak, director of the Benelux Croatian Tourism Office, was also present and he offered a study trip to one of Croatia’s unique wine regions to the new wine ambassador, Barbara Verbeek.

On behalf of Diplomat Magazine, we wish to congratulate Mrs. Verbeek on her recent appointment!

Openness policy of New Uzbekistan

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Openness policy of New Uzbekistan

By Umida Tukhtasheva

The referendum held in Uzbekistan on 30 April 2023 led to the adoption of the new Constitution. Strengthening the right to seek, receive and impart information is among the major new changes to the Constitution.

In turn, the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Openness of State Government and Administration Bodies’ Activity” strictly establishes that all public authorities and administrations must ensure the openness of their activities.

Today, the development of information and communication technologies is of particular importance for the realization of these rights of the population. This process allows countries to carry out consistent reforms aimed at reducing the human factor in all aspects of the civil service and ensuring the openness of the activities of government bodies and organizations.

In recent years, by the initiative of the head of the state a number of reforms have been implemented in Uzbekistan aimed at ensuring openness, transparency and accountability of the government bodies, as well as strengthening public control, which led to improving the legal environment in this area.

In particular, a strict List of socially significant information to be posted as open data by government bodies and organizations was approved, as well as a clearly defined resource on which the data should be posted, the update period, and responsible executors.

Along with this, the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan ‘On measures to introduce a system to increase and assess the level of openness in the activities of government bodies and organizations’ introduced the Openness Index, aimed at assessing the effectiveness of ongoing work to ensure openness in government bodies and organizations.

Also, the Administrative Responsibility Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan was amended and supplemented by the Law, which established the liability for violation of the legislation on the openness of the activities of public authorities and administration.

Another important aspect is that nowadays, the capabilities of online platforms are widely used in all areas to ensure the openness of government bodies. Those include:

  • Introduction of a system of public discussion of draft legal acts (regulation.gov.uz);
  • Launch of online platforms (openbudget.uz, xarid.uzex.uz, etender.uzex.uz), allowing to view and track information on the state budget and debt, as well as public procurement in real time;
  • the Open Data Portal (data.egov.uz) started operating in a qualitatively new level, by the publication an information on public procurement, patents, registration of medicines and medical devices, public transport, land use and other similar public statistics on the Open Data Portal online;
  • Launch of the Single Interactive State Services Portal (my.gov.uz) to provide public services to the population, and today more than 400 public services are provided to the population online;
  • Launch of the Public Services Portal (my.soliq.uz) of the state tax authorities;
  • Operation of a set of information systems ‘License’ (licence.gov.uz) to provide interactive services in the field of licensing and obtaining permits;
  • Launch of ‘Mening Fikrim’ Portal of collective appeals (meningfikrim.uz);
  • Sale of state property, sale of real estate, vehicles, obtaining the right to use land plots and a number of other issues are carried out through online auctions (e-ijro.auksion.uz);
  • Launch of the single electronic system for the development, coordination and registration of decisions taken by local government bodies (e-qaror.gov.uz);
  • Court documents on cases considered in courts can be found online (decisions.esud.uz);
  • Establishment of the practice of live broadcasting of sessions of the Oliy Majlis of the Senate and the Legislative Chamber, councils of people’s representatives of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, regions and Tashkent city, as well as district and city councils of people’s representatives;
  • Establishment of the practice of live streaming of entrance examination processes in higher educational institutions and presidential educational institutions.

In all these examples, we see a sharp decrease in the corruption risks in the relevant public relations.

In 2022, the President of Uzbekistan in his Address to the Oliy Majlis expressed the following thoughts: “Openness, legal order, efficiency and quality will be the priority in the activities of ministries.”

Another important aspect of the ongoing reforms to ensure the openness of government bodies and organizations is that the Anti-Corruption Agency has been entrusted with the coordination of the activities of government bodies, constant monitoring and tracking their obligations established by law.

 Based on the tasks assigned to the Agency, comprehensive measures are being implemented in the following areas:

First, scaled awareness-raising events were held to improve the skills of employees of government bodies and organizations responsible for ensuring openness. In 2022, about 40 meetings and training workshops were organized for district, city and regional government employees in almost all regions, during which more than 300 government employees improved their knowledge and skills.

The Anti-Corruption Agency in cooperation with OSCE has developed the Open Data training platform (data.anticorruption.uz) meant for online training of government employees responsible for ensuring openness. To date, work is underway to upload training modules to the platform.

Second, the Agency promotes the implementation of effective public control over the activities of government bodies and organizations through the media. The main task in this track is to instill in citizens a culture of using open data through the media.

In 2022, more than 70 reports and 12 telecasts in the round table format were shown on local television covering the ongoing reforms in the field of ensuring openness. About 250 news and journalistic investigations were published by online publications based on information disclosed by government agencies and organizations.

Third, the Anti-Corruption Agency has established a permanent monitoring system for the timely placement of socially significant information to be placed as open data in designated resources. As a result, more than 950 socially significant open data sets related to the activities of government bodies have been placed in the designated resources, and a practice of constant updating has been established.

The introduction of the Openness Index in Uzbekistan has become one of the important steps towards raising the openness of the activities of government bodies and organizations to a qualitatively new level, further enhancing their culture of accountability to society.

The introduction of the Openness Index, along with the rating assessment of efficiency and effectiveness in the field based on specific target indicators, makes it possible to widely introduce modern mechanisms based on the following advanced international standards into the activities of government bodies and organizations. For to ensure greater transparency of index maintenance processes, a Commission has been established to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of ongoing work in the field of ensuring openness, the composition of which also includes representatives of NGOs.

The Openness Index 2022 was assessed for the period covering the second half of the previous year, and was implemented on the basis of 8 indicators, consisting of 84 assessment criteria specified in the Methodology.

Thanks to the complete digitization of the Index assessment system, the general public was given the opportunity to monitor the efficiency and effectiveness of the work carried out through “index.anticorruption.uz” platform in real time. The effectiveness of reforms aimed at ensuring the openness of government bodies in Uzbekistan is also recognized by the international community.

In particular, Uzbekistan has significantly improved its positions in a number of international rankings and indices, for most of which openness and transparency are among the main indicators. Uzbekistan ranked 40th in the world and 1st in Central Asia with an overall score of 66 in the Open Data Inventory 2022 by Open Data Watch. In 2020, the country ranked 44th with an overall score of 63.

For reference, the Open Data Inventory (ODIN) assesses the coverage and openness of official statistics to identify gaps, promote open data policies, improve access, and encourage dialogue between national statistical offices and data users. Between 2020 and 2022, Uzbekistan’s overall score increased from 52 to 56 in data coverage and from 72 to 74 in data openness. Also, in 2022, in the Global Data Barometer (GDB) ranking, Uzbekistan scored 32 points and ranked 58th in the world.

According to the Open Government Data Index 2022 Report, Uzbekistan joins the countries with Very High OGDI indicator. In 2022, Open Data Inception placed Uzbekistan fourth in the world in terms of the number of open data sources.

Also, in the updated ranking of the Corruption Perceptions Index 2022 by Transparency International, Uzbekistan rose by 14 positions compared to 2021 and took 126th place among 180 countries. One of the main reasons for the rise of Uzbekistan in this ranking is the measures aimed at ensuring openness.1

On May 17, the Anti-Corruption Agency organized in Bukhara the Central Asia Forum on Transparency of Government Bodies Activities aimed at exchanging experience and expanding areas of cooperation in ensuring the openness of government bodies.

This international event, organized for the first time, brought together representatives of the responsible government bodies of the Central Asian countries and leading experts from international and nongovernmental organizations.

Along with representatives of the countries of Central Asia, international experts from France, Germany, Slovenia and Argentina attended the Forum to share their best practices.

Following the Forum, the Recommendations of the Central Asia Forum on Transparency of Government Bodies Activities were adopted emerged from the proposals and recomendations of the participants. They also agreed to exchange views on the development of an effective policy to ensure transparency in the fight against corruption and its prevention, assess the effectiveness of measures in this area and improve their quality.

Work will further continue intensively to ensure transparency and accountability in the activities of government bodies and organizations, including instilling a culture of openness, transparency and accountability in employees of government bodies and organizations through the media, as well as improving the skills of members of the public in working with open data.

About the author:

Umida Tukhtasheva – Deputy Director of the Anti-Corruption Agency, Doctor of Sciences in Law, Professor.

El Salvador trains nurses for the German market

Diplomat Magazine
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El Salvador trains nurses for the German market

Wednesday, 15 March 2023, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany: Premier Dr. Reiner Haseloff met in the Catholic parish of Wittenberg with trainees from El Salvador, who are currently being trained as nurses in the health sector as part of a model project taking place in the City of Wittenberg, amongst other places.  

Accompanied by the Ambassador of El Salvador, Florencia Vilanova de von Oehsen, and the Mayor of Wittenberg, Torsten Zugehör, Premier Haseloff informed himself about the course of the training and integration on site in a moderated exchange of experiences after a joint visit to a trade fair. The feedback was predominantly very positive – at the present time, the vast majority of the prospective skilled workers from El Salvador plan to stay in Saxony-Anhalt after completing their training.

The training of young people from El Salvador, which has been successful so far, thus serves as a model for other projects of this kind in order to attract foreign workers to Saxony-Anhalt in the future.

The model project “Trainees for geriatric care from El Salvador” is a cooperation project between the Federal Employment Agency, the funding programme “Integration through Qualification” (IQ Network), the Embassy of El Salvador in Germany, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) as well as the respective regionally involved providers. Various regional institutions in Saxony-Anhalt, the city of Wittenberg and the state government, represented by the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Health and Equality, are participating in the model project. The pilot project began in October 2019 and will run until September 2024.

For further information 

https://europa.sachsen-anhalt.de/internationales/aktuelles-international/zusammentreffen-von-ministerpraesident-dr-reiner-haseloff-mit-auszubildenden-aus-el-salvador

Greatest Human Rights Challenges in 2023

Diplomat Magazine
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Greatest Human Rights Challenges in 2023

Recently, Mrs. Judith Abitan, Executive Director of the Raoul Wallenberg Center for Human Rights, talked to Diplomat Magazine about the greatest challenges that human rights are facing these days in the world and about the Center’s tireless actions.

Mrs. Judith Abitan: ‘The Raoul Wallenberg Center for Human Rights remains at the forefront of some of the greatest human rights challenges of our time. Immersed in a convergence of international struggles for human rights—from Raisi’s Iran to Putin’s Russia—our quest for justice, promotion and protection of human rights and improvement of the human condition remains unrelenting.

ICC Prosecutor Karim A. A. Khan KC during the 2023 ‘Elie Wiesel’ distinguished conference on Human Rights in Ottawa, Canada.

Just last month, ICC Chief Prosecutor, Karim Khan, gave an inspirational and mobilizing speech at the 2023 ‘Elie Wiesel’ distinguished conference on Human Rights. The conference reconfirmed our unwavering commitment to ensure justice for victims and accountability for human rights violators, strengthening the rule-based international order, upholding the rule of law, and defending and protecting democratic institutions to strengthen the integrity of the international system of governance.

In retaliation for issuing an arrest warrant on Vladimir Putin’s name, Prosecutor Khan was added to his “wanted” list – an act we unequivocally condemn’.

Former Ambassador of Canada to the Netherlands, Sabine Nölke one of the distinguished attendees to Prosecutor Khan’s conference.

Diplomat Magazine: Could you please tell us more about the current cases, work and results of RWCHR?

Mrs. Judith Abitan: ‘As summer comes, our vigorous international advocacy and legal work continues to shine a light on the cases and causes of political prisoners. Some of them were presented at the 15th Geneva Summit on Human Rights and Democracy.

We are currently calling on Canada and the Community of Democracies to grant Honorary Citizenship to Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian prisoner, opposition politician and RWCHR Senior Fellow. This spring, Vladimir was wrongfully sentenced to 25 years in prison on false charges. Also, while the world is mainly focusing on Russia’s war in Ukraine, we continue to bear witness to the gross and systematic human rights violations on the African continent.

In Sudan, we are advocating for targeted sanctions against those perpetrating violence and the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe. In Eritrea, Dawit Isaak and his colleagues are the longest detained journalists in the world and sadly, an emblematic case study of the global assault on media freedom. In partnership with an international coalition of leading NGOs, we continue to call on the Eritrean government to immediately and unconditionally release Dawit and his colleagues.

In Burundi, the pattern of increasing repression and arbitrary arrests and detention of journalists and human rights defenders are now of great concern. We are calling on the Burundian government to restore the rule of law and respect the independence of the judiciary system. We are also calling on the international community to ensure that democracy is upheld in the country. We were also deeply troubled by the recent arbitrary arrest and detention of the leader of the international anti-slavery movement and candidate for the 2024 presidential election, Biram Dah Abeid, in Mauritania. Fortunately, our longstanding and more recent advocacy may have contributed to his release, last month.’

Diplomat Magazine: What more can be done? What would be some further actions to be taken?

Mrs. Judith Abitan: ‘Often these struggles are difficult and delicate, and require continuous effort, support and international cooperation. But we will not give in until justice is served!’

Diplomat Magazine: Thank you for taking the time to talk to us.

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