Ukrainian Children in Search of a Way Home From Russia

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Ukrainian Children in Search of a Way Home From Russia

How does the child protection system work in Ukraine and in the world?

By Human Rights Without Frontiers

Ukraine is trying to identify children illegally taken away by Russia

Currently, there is no exact figure on how many Ukrainian children were deported to Russia or moved to the territories occupied and controlled by it, such as Crimea.

Moscow says Russia has taken in 5.3 million people from Ukraine since its full-scale invasion, including 738,000 children. Russian authorities do not provide more detailed statistics and it is impossible to verify this information. No lists or any personal data at all is available. Russia does not submit reports to any international organizations and does not report to Ukraine either.

Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets claims that the figure of 700,000 ‘moved away’ children is exaggerated. The Ombudsman suggests that Russia has illegally removed about 150,000 children from Ukraine.

Adviser-Commissioner of the President of Ukraine for Children’s Rights and Children’s Rehabilitation Daria Gerasymchuk calls the figure “several hundred thousand  children, that is, somewhere around 200-300,000.” She notes that the aggressor country, Russia, might have illegally ‘imported’ from Ukraine up to 300,000 children during the war. Currently, Ukrainian authorities have confirmed information about less than 20,000 deported Ukrainian children. “According to our estimates, we can talk about 200-300,000 children they could have kidnapped,” Gerasymchuk said.

Gerasymchuk explained that it is impossible to evaluate the exact figure today, since the Russian Federation also deports children from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

It is only after the liberation of certain settlements that Ukraine will be able to collect reliable data.

“Despite the fact that we are talking about 200-300,000 deported and forcibly removed children, today we have only accurate information about 19,499 such children,” Gerasymchuk said.

Data on the deportation of young Ukrainians is collected by the National Information Bureau of Ukraine. This body receives applications from parents, relatives, witnesses, as well as representatives of local authorities about forced removal of children. After a detailed verification of deportation data in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the National Police, the Security Service, the Prosecutor General’s Office, the information enters the register of the National Information Bureau.

“Thus, as far as 19,499 children are concerned, there is personal data for each of them. We understand who these children are and where they were abducted from. However, this does not mean that we know where this child is,” Gerasymchuk said.

The reaction of the world community

According to Maria Mezentseva, the head of the Verkhovna Rada delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Ukraine handed over a list with the names of 19,000 Ukrainian children abducted  by Russia to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).   They have the authority to visit them and learn about the conditions of children’s detention.

On 5 April 2023, 49 countries issued a joint statement on the illegal forced deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia in response to an  Arria meeting Security Council meeting chaired by Russia.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) stated that  the Russian Federation clearly violated the rights of Ukrainian children illegally taken to Russian territory, and the deportation itself may contain elements of a crime against humanity.

As you know, on 17 March 2023, the Pre-Trial Chamber of the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova.

At the same time, the Prosecutor General’s Office reported that there is currently no single transparent algorithm or mechanism that makes it possible to return Ukrainian children deported to Russia.

Adviser-Commissioner of the President of Ukraine for Children’s Rights and Children’s Rehabilitation Daria Gerasymchuk believes  that today there is no international structure in the world that could offer an effective mechanism for the return of deported children in Ukraine.

“Regarding the deported children, we handed over to certain international organizations all available lists and personal information. Unfortunately, there was no retroactive action. So, today there is no international structure that could offer an effective mechanism for the return of our deported children,” Gerasymchuk said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

She believes that “Ukraine has seen the total absence of a child protection system in the world.”

“There are well-written documents in the world within the framework of international law, such as the Geneva Convention and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and others that could be activated. And theoretically, they should work if all signatories complied with these rules,” she said.

“But the point is that there is one signatory country, in this case, the Russian Federation, which wanted to spit on all these rules it itself signed. It reads them in its own way, argues all its actions as she wants, namely with its fictional and absolutely painful imagination,” Gerasymchuk said.

According to her, “the whole world had put its hopes in an organization that has the broadest mandate in this regard, about deportees and forcibly displaced people – this is the International Committee of the Red Cross. It is not only about the deportees, because now we are talking about, in particular, the victims of the tragedy due to the terrorist attack at the Kakhovka says Gerasimchuk . It is the same here: those who hoped that the International Committee of the Red Cross would be the organization that should be the first on the spot and save people. Unfortunately, in practice this did not work in Ukraine.”

In the territory controlled by Ukraine, according to Gerasymchuk, children were not physically injured during the flooding. “So far, no cases have been identified. As for the temporarily occupied territory, where we do not have access, I cannot unfoundedly state whether there are such cases. There are various stories that overgrow with new details. Therefore, until I personally encounter confirmed cases myself, I will not comment on this information. And there is no such data on the dead children.

It is known that in Oleshky and Kherson there were institutions from which the occupiers took children away before the de-occupation or flood. According to the information we have, there are no orphanages or other children’s institutions in the areas affected by the flooding. These are statistics published on the Telegram channel of the Coordination Headquarters working on the consequences of the flooding.”

Forced displacement of children not only to the Russian Federation but also to Belarus

At the state level, Ukraine properly responded to the declaration of the head of the Red Cross Society of Belarus Dmitry Shevtsov saying that the organization headed by him “participated, takes and will take an active part” in the evacuation of Ukrainian children – allegedly, “these children come to Belarus for rehabilitation.” Shevtsov said this on the air of one of the  Belarusian TV channels. Earlier, during a trip to the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, Shevtsov was seen in camouflage and with a chevron of the occupiers with the letter Z.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on the  International Criminal Court to issue an arrest warrant for Shevtsov, who “publicly confessed to the crime of illegal deportation of children from the occupied territories of Ukraine.”

Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations Sergiy Kyslytsya, at a meeting of the Security Council on 21 July asked relevant United Nations officials, in particular the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict,  to respond to  the involvement of the head of the Belarusian Red Cross in organizing the forcible removal of Ukrainian children from the temporarily occupied territories.

As for the position of Belarus, it was voiced by Lyudmila Makarina-Kibak, a deputy of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus. “The kidnapping charges have no legal basis. Children come to us in accordance with international requirements and with the assistance of international organizations and funds of the UN system, the Red Cross, etc.,”  she said.

The International Federation of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) issued a statement on this matter. The organization claims that “they were not informed about Shevtsov’s visit to the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine” and that they have already referred the case of the Belarusian representatives to the Committee on Compliance and Mediation, which, according to Article 32  of the IFRC Statute, “resolves any violations of integrity or disagreements related to national member societies or any body in the Federation.”

The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent  was also approached  by the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets with a demand to ensure that the Belarusian Red Cross requests full information about children from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine who were on “rehabilitation” and “rest” in the Republic of Belarus during 2021, 2022 and 2023. “I also appeal to the Central Tracing Agency of the International Committee of the Red Cross to verify information and establish contact between children and their parents or other legal representatives,” he said.

 “I draw the attention of people from all over the world who provide financial assistance to the International Red Cross Movement to the fact that the organization should adhere to the goals and principles for which it was created,” the Ombudsman said.

386 children returned to Ukraine

To date, 386 children have been returned to Ukraine. According to  Gerasymchuk, there is no frequency in the return of children. And one of the biggest problems with returning children is that we do not know who we are looking for because we are talking about 200-300,000 children, and we have only information about the deportation and forced removal of slightly more than 19,000.

As for the return of children: in order to collect information faster, the portal “Children of War” was created at the President’s Office last summer. Every morning at 8 am you can see updated statistics.

The platform “Children of War”  was created on behalf of the Office of the President of Ukraine by the Ministry for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine together with the National Information Bureau, the Office of the Prosecutor General, the National Police, the Office of the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, the Office of the President for the accumulation, processing and partial publication of information about children under martial law, namely: the number of wounded and dead children, deported children, those who have been found and those who are wanted.

The return of each Ukrainian child is in fact a separate, individually designed special rescue operation

Unfortunately, Gerasymchuk notes in an exclusive interview  with Interfax-Ukraine, that today there is no single mechanism for the return of our children. “We do not have negotiations with Russia for such returns. They do not recognize these children as detained, deported, forcibly displaced. They call it “evacuation.” Moreover, negotiations mean that we could make exchanges but we do not have Russian children to exchange. We did not detain any of them, we did not kidnap anyone. The Russians should simply return all Ukrainian children immediately

All 386 children were not returned through negotiations. There have never been any approvals or organized groups on the Russian side. All this is now happening case by case. That’s why it’s happening so slowly. Unfortunately, every time we are talking about a separate, individually developed special operation to saveeach of our children. With the help of public organizations, we manage to unite parents, and we lead them to their children in small groups. So sometimes 50 children are concerned or 40, 30, 15 and that’s by luck really.

But it’s a lottery. Always! Because there are cases when Russians say: ‘No, we will not give the child back to parents! It is dangerous there – in Ukraine, and we decided that he or she will stay here. And if you want to stay with your child, please get Russian citizenship and stay in Russia.’ We do everything in our power when there are parents, if there are no parents or parents cannot leave, or it can be military parents, or it can be a pregnant mother, or it can be parents who have some diseases and cannot leave because they simply will not return or will not arrive at their destination. We are looking for other relatives who can arrange custody of the child, we help with the preparation of the necessary documents, the route or everything else so that they can leave. But every time it is a lottery. We are never sure who will be able to return. But so far there is such an option.”

Adoption by Russian families

Of course, there are no complete statistics,  Gerasymchuk notes. There are confirmed cases of adoption by Russians but in many cases, adoptions are not made public or are registered as “temporary custody.”

As far as we know, the Russian Ombudsman of Lviv-Belova “temporarily takes care” of a child from Ukraine in this way, although she even told the President of the Russian Federation that she “adopted” the boy.

Gerasymchuk said that there were several return cases of children already “adopted” in Russia.

There are also cases of children who were sent to camps. Parents signed documents by which they agreed to send their children to a camp for three weeks. The Russians pledged to return them but it was not the case. The children were told by the Russians: “You will not return”, “Your parents abandoned you”, “They do not need you” or “A Russian family is waiting for you,” despite the fact that a number of them continued to talk to their parents on the phone. Children were transported to camps for six months – from camp to camp. Six months later, they were considered as left without parental care and were sent to Russian families. Afterwards, they were granted Russian citizenship, and their names were changed. All possible schemes are used to deprive children of their biological families.

Russians have a clear genocidal policy,  Gerasymchuk notes. They aim to either destroy the identity of Ukrainian children or replenish their nation at the expense of the children they kidnap.

Who helps in the return of Ukrainian children illegally displaced by Russians?

International organizations do not offer any mechanisms for the return of children,  Gerasymchuk notes. “There is a total lack of an effective system for the protection of such children in this situation”.

Yes, we try to use every opportunity. We are working with the OSCE Moscow mechanism and the special UN mechanism of the CAAC – this is the mechanism of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General “Children and Armed Conflicts”. We also work with the International Criminal Court. We document everything and we do everything we can. However, I repeat, no one can offer a single mechanism or any effective algorithm.

That is why we created our own Action Plan – Bring Kids Back UA – and invited everyone who wants to help to join it. We also realized that now, by saving Ukrainian children, we are creating a new global system of child safety around the world.

CAAC mechanism

Ukraine responsibly cooperates  with the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) in order to stop and prevent violations against children during the conflict, and calls on the UN to fundamentally and persistently demand from the Russian Federation cooperation with the CAAC mechanism, access to all temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, as well as to its territory, since the CAAC mandate includes child abduction crimes. Currently, this special representative is Virginia Gamba, who explores all armed conflicts.

The CAAC mechanism includes aggressor countries, countries against which aggression is conducted, and countries where there are domestic wars and conflicts. The mechanism deals with the study of six gross crimes against children – the crime of recruitment, attacks on schools and hospitals, the crime of sexual violence, obstruction to humanitarian needs, kidnapping of children, murder and injury. It is only last summer that Ukraine came to the attention of the CAAC mechanism and Russia in the same way.

In Ukraine, a local office consisting of representatives of UN structures, the so-called “UN Working Group on Children and Armed Conflicts” in Ukraine, was immediately established. It is chaired by Denise Brown, UN Resident Coordinator in Ukraine, and Murat Sahin, UNICEF Representative in Ukraine. Each country also assigns a national focal-point for interaction with the CAAC mechanism. In Ukraine, this is Advisor – Commissioner of the President of Ukraine for Children’s Rights and Children’s Rehabilitation Daria Gerasymchuk. Ukraine has also already established an interdepartmental working group of representatives of relevant ministries.

Daria Gerasymchuk emphasizes that Ukraine is the first country in the  world to voluntarily create a preventive National Plan to prevent these six gross violations against children in armed conflicts.

In May 2023, Ms. Virginia Gamba was in Ukraine and afterwards she visited Moscow. According to Daria Gerasymchuk, Ukraine had the biggest concerns about this process, because she met there with Maria Lvova-Belova (Children’s Ombudsperson of the Russian Federation), for whom the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant. “I personally spoke with Virginia last week in Oslo at an international conference on the CAAC mechanism and asked if there was a need to meet with Lviv-Belova. And Ms. Gamba confirmed that they had warned the International Criminal Court that since Lviv-Belova had a wealth of information, a meeting with her was necessary. Therefore, there was nothing illegal. In my opinion, the only justification for such a meeting could be the need to learn more about Russia’s crimes against Ukrainian children, and nothing else.”

On 5 July 2023, at the Seventy-seventh session of the General Assembly of the UN Security Council, the Secretary-General noted in his report “Children and Armed Conflict” that he was concerned by reports, some of which have been confirmed by the United Nations, of children transferred to the Russian Federation from regions of Ukraine partially under or under temporary military control of the Russian Federation.

Human Rights Without Frontiers supports the recommendations of the UN Secretary-General, who urges

  • Russia to ensure that no changes are made to the personal status of Ukrainian children, including their citizenship;
  • all parties to continue to ensure that the best interests of all children are respected, including by facilitating family tracing and reunification of unaccompanied and/or separated children who find themselves outside borders or control lines without their families or guardians;
  • parties to the conflict to grant child protection authorities access to these children to facilitate family reunification;
  • his Special Representative on “Children and Armed Conflicts’, together with United Nations agencies and partners, to consider ways to facilitate such processes.

Author of the report for Human Rights Without Frontiers: Dr Ievgeniia Gidulianova

Dr Ievgeniia Gidulianova

China’s Bold Step: Contemplating Limits on Children’s Smartphone Usage Time

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China’s Bold Step: Contemplating Limits on Children’s Smartphone Usage Time

In a move that has captured international attention, the Cyberspace Administration of China has proposed a groundbreaking new law aimed at regulating children’s smartphone usage. With concerns growing over the potential negative impacts of prolonged digital exposure on the nation’s youth, this law aims to curtail the excessive use of smartphones by minors, thereby fostering healthier developmental outcomes. The proposal, if enacted, would set specific time limits for different age groups and introduce mechanisms for parental control and content regulation.

A Glimpse into China’s Proposed Regulations

Under the proposed law, minors between the ages of 16 and 17 would be permitted a maximum of two hours of smartphone usage per day. This limit decreases as the age bracket drops: those aged 8 to 15 would be restricted to one hour of smartphone usage, and children under the age of 8 would have a limit of 40 minutes. These time restrictions are accompanied by a curfew, as any child’s smartphone use between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. would be prohibited.

Moreover, the law seeks to empower parents by mandating that smartphones come equipped with controls that allow them to manage and restrict their children’s access to certain content. This would give parents a vital tool to oversee and moderate the kind of media their children are exposed to during their screen time.

Addressing the Addiction Curve

One of the primary motives behind the proposed law is to tackle the mounting addiction to smartphones among China’s young population. Research indicates that excessive smartphone usage can lead to a range of negative outcomes, from disrupted sleep patterns to diminished academic performance and social interaction skills. The proposed regulations align with the government’s commitment to prioritize the overall well-being and healthy development of its youth.

Balancing Freedom and Regulation

While the intentions behind the proposed law are undoubtedly noble, questions arise about how such regulations would affect the freedom of children to explore the digital world and engage in educational or creative pursuits. Critics also point to potential challenges in enforcing these restrictions, given the ubiquitous nature of smartphones and the ability of tech-savvy youth to potentially circumvent the limitations.

Additionally, concerns are raised about the potential impact on the technology industry, which has flourished in China. The proposed regulations could lead to shifts in consumer behavior, affecting the demand for smartphones and related products.

Towards a Comprehensive Approach

China’s proposal doesn’t solely focus on limiting screen time. The intention to regulate the content that children consume is a significant aspect of the law. By enforcing content standards, the government aims to ensure that minors are exposed to material that is age-appropriate and conducive to their growth. This approach acknowledges the influential role that media can play in shaping young minds and aims to strike a balance between freedom and responsible guidance.

Global Implications and Reflections

China’s bold step to regulate children’s smartphone usage time has ignited discussions about the global responsibility to address the digital impact on the younger generation. As technology continues to play an ever-increasing role in our lives, societies around the world must grapple with how to mitigate the potential harms while harnessing the benefits of the digital age.

The proposed law prompts people to consider the broader role of governments in safeguarding the well-being of their citizens, particularly the most vulnerable ones. It also urges every government to reflect on the broader implications of technology addiction and the measures needed to cultivate a balanced relationship with the digital realm.

China’s proposal to limit children’s smartphone usage time is a significant step toward addressing the potential negative consequences of excessive digital exposure on the nation’s youth. While the proposed law has sparked debates over freedom, regulation, and enforcement, it underscores the critical need to create a healthy digital environment for the next generation. As this proposal evolves, the world will keenly watch how China navigates the intricate balance between harnessing technological progress and nurturing the well-being of its youngest citizens.

New Wave of Multilateralism: The Developing – 8

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New Wave of Multilateralism: The Developing – 8

Talk with D-8 SG, H.E. Isiaka Abdulqadir Imam

Interview with the Secretary-General of the Developing Eight States’ Organization for Economic Cooperation (D-8), His Excellency Ambassador Isiaka Abdulqadir Imam.

Cooperation is a fundamental resource for populous countries on the way to rapid economic and industrial development: for this reason, the case of D-8 is worthy of attention. Globalization unravelled enormous economic opportunities but also opened new and old contradictions. Developing-8 was founded in 1997 – the acme of globalization – following Prof. Dr Necmettin Erbakan’s vision to encourage stable cooperation among major Muslim developing countries. So, D-8 members are Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Türkiye. D-8 encourages wide-ranging “intra-Muslim” cooperation in topical sectors: agriculture, food, energy, infrastructures, technology, and more. Or by words of a famous Swiss scholar, Djawed Sangdel: “The exercise of citizenship must allow everyone to become an actor of society. And by the same token; every society should be able to access globally.” 

Hence, each of the D8 Member States are carving out an increasingly important space in the global market. Türkiye has achieved record levels in exports over the past year (+12,9%). Nigeria’s GDP in 2022 grew by more than 3% while the country remains a reference point for the export of hydrocarbons – the country is among the first exporters of gas (LNG) and oil in the world and has the most abundant reserves on the African continent. Malaysia, which stands at a strategic crossroads, has been able to diversify an economy historically based on the export of hydrocarbons. About 12% of global trade passes through the Suez Canal. So, Egypt is a key country.

His Excellency Ambassador Isiaka Abdulqadir Imam from Nigeria is currently the Secretary General of the D-8 Organisation with its Secretariat Istanbul-based. It is the first time that a representative of Nigeria has led the organization. Previously, was guided by a Turkish representative (Ambassador Ayhan Kamel), two Indonesians (Dr. Dipo Alam and Prof. Widi Agoes Pratikto), an Iranian (Dr. Seyed Ali Mohammad Mousavi), and, finally, a Malaysian (Ambassador Dato’ Ku Jaafar Ku Shaari).

Ambassador Imam holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the American University in Cairo, Egypt. After graduation in 1985, he joined Nigeria’s oldest bank, First Bank Nigeria, then he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1993. In his diplomatic career in the Foreign Service of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he served as Charge d’Affaires ad-interim at the Nigerian Embassy in Brasilia, Brazil. He had also served in different capacities in Nigeria’s Diplomatic Missions in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Pretoria, South Africa and Tokyo, Japan.

Based on the common religious identity, which is – even during globalization – a universal social glue, the D-8 organization has, by its nature and vocation, a global scope and seeks to achieve common objectives such as the resolution of economic disparities, cooperation in the field of energy and of renewables, the development of trade. Below is our interview with the Secretary-General.

The D-8 organization brings together developing countries with large populations and growing industries. How can resources (energy, food, etc…) be guaranteed for so many people, even more so at a time like this dominated by uncertainty and scarcity?

The D-8 is indeed home to more than 1.16 billion people. Ensuring the sustainability of resources, such as energy, food, water, and other necessities, can be enduring challenges.

As one of the measures to ensure food security, the D-8 established the D-8 Research Centre for Agriculture and Food Security in Faisalabad, Pakistan, in March 2023. The Centre aims to create innovative solutions for agricultural resource management. This includes developing new technologies and improving agricultural practices, particularly by creating climate-smart agriculture. 

The D-8 Organization also forges collaboration and partnerships with external parties. The collaboration aims at sharing resources, knowledge, and best practices. It also aims at establishing joint initiatives and coordinated efforts to address common challenges. For instance, the D-8 is closely consulting with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and other development banks.

In the area of energy, the D-8’s priority is to strengthen the Member States’ resolve to ensure energy security while at the same time striking a balance with environmental protection. The Organization is also embarking on finding and creating alternative energy sources.

D-8 brings together distant and diverse countries with a Muslim majority. Can we say religion is a fundamental ‘social glue’ in a developing society – continuity in discontinuity – but also for international relations?

All D-8 Members happen to be from countries with Muslim-majority populations. All Members are also Members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. However, in its day-to-day operation, the D-8 operates beyond the realm of religion. As stated in both the Istanbul Declaration and the D-8 Charter, the D-8 was established with its main objective to be socio-economic development by peace instead of conflict, dialogue instead of confrontation, cooperation instead of exploitation, justice instead of double standards, equality instead of discrimination, and democracy instead of oppression. In simpler terms, the D-8 is an economic and development cooperation organization, not a religion-based one.

What goals do you set for your mandate as Secretary General? What are the critical issues that D-8 wants to solve?

One challenge that the D-8 face is that despite its size in term of population, i.e., 1.16 billion people, the intra-D8-trade volume does not reflect such a vast market. The intra-trade volume for 2022 was approximately US$ 164 billion.

Therefore, my goal as the Secretary-General is to increase the intra-trade volume to meet the mandated target of at least 10% of the bloc’s global trade by 2030. The Leaders also provided a quantitative number of US% 500 billion by 2030.

In so doing, I promote and enjoin the Member States to utilize and operationalize the D-8 Preferential Trade Agreement (D-8 PTA), which was signed in 2006 and entered into force in 2012. The PTA comprised offers of more than 1.200 tariff lines.

The major challenge to implement the D-8 PTA organization-wide, i.e., by all Members, is that to date, only five countries have finalized their required domestic procedures to implement the PTA.

My sub-objective, therefore, is to enjoin the remaining members to ratify and complete their internal procedures to implement the PTA.

Another challenge that the D-8 faces is that the organization has yet to be widely known, despite having existed for more than 26 years. Therefore, expanding the organization’s visibility within the Member States and globally has become one of my visions as the Secretary-General.

In so doing, I expanded cooperation with other international organizations, particularly within the United Nations system. The D-8 has an observer status at the United Nations General Assembly, which can serve as a foundation to expand its visibility internationally. Another measure to increase the organization’s visibility is effective awareness-raising campaigns using the organization’s public relations tools and social media accounts.

About the author:

Lorenzo Somigli

Lorenzo Somigli

Columnist specialised in energy and geopolitics, publications in Italian and international media and magazines like leSfide and Transatlantic Policy Quarterly, as well as the international institutes such as the IFIMES. Reportage: Lebanon & Türkiye (2021). In Italy, parliamentary assistant (2021-ongoing) & media expert (culture, art).

What Nelson Mandela Can Teach Today’s Leaders About Leadership

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What Nelson Mandela Can Teach Today’s Leaders About Leadership

By Michael J. Provitera and Mostafa Sayyadi

The complexities of today’s leadership icons world more than ever prevent organizations from focusing solely on business goals and forgetting the vital role of employees, as the main piece of the puzzle of business success. Employees seek leaders who are authentic and focus on emotional intelligence. Nelson Mandela, in South Africa, provided the emotional intelligence they needed This form of leadership can also develop a work environment where employees can best discharge their innovative energies and provide more creative ideas for their organizations.

A higher degree of emotional intelligence initiated at the top echelon of organizations can manifest an award-winning culture. Culture needs to be flexible, and it should provide a continuous learning environment through training and development. There are also two more factors that help organizations survive today: an effective knowledge-powered strategy, and a risk-taking tolerance for mistakes.

Emotional intelligence – Nelson Mandela’s approach

Organizations that provide a higher degree of emotional intelligence, a flexible work environment, continuous learning, an effective knowledge-powered strategy, and a risk-taking tolerance for mistakes are more in line with the Nelson Mandela leadership style.

Employees who receive emotional intelligence training coupled with leadership intervention from their managers are more interested in presenting innovative ideas to solve complex organizational problems than other employees. Also, these employees are more interested than other employees in participating in those activities in organizations that are not in the scope of their duties, but their participation can help them to do better. In fact, there is a greater sense of belonging that these employees feel than others. Abraham Maslow coined belonging as a mid-level motivational category in which many people feel as if they are treated as owners of the organization.

Leaders that focus obsessively on achieving business goals and ignore the vital role of employees, sometimes consciously or unconsciously, fail to achieve a cohesive business culture. Profit maximization and treating people as expendable assets offer negative signals transmitted to employees which can lead to the oppression of innovative energies.

Nelson Mandela offered a vast degree of emotional intelligence to prisoners during the equality and freedom movement. This effort led to freedom from apartheid and provided an impetus to use emotional intelligence to manage and lead others. Through compassion, kindness, and emotional support, Mandela created equality and brotherhood from racial discrimination. He is the Father of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion today. He realized that the human feelings and emotions of the average citizen in a country are a great source of energy for achieving higher goals and accomplishing great things. Mandela developed a form of leadership that is a successful example of emotional intelligence, late picked up by the Dan Goleman movement in the States.

Diane Belcher in a Harvard Business Review article, on March 31, 2023, titled Leading the Way, found that “Today’s frontline leaders are highly motivated to grow and learn—about topics that reach far beyond what’s been traditionally served up to them. Companies that don’t respond to the interests of this vital segment of their workforce face an uphill battle in retention, employee engagement, and more.”

Business leaders can learn from Nelson Mandela’s emotional intelligence leadership style provides an impetus for how leaders can become icons in a world that has many facets and challenges.  Mandela desired to personally develop all people by building trust and engaging them more in actual dialogue. People engaged in dialogue in which managers, avoiding dramatic activities, actively seek employees’ participation in discussions and choose the employee’s best innovative ideas.

While working as an executive at Morgan Stanley in the financial district of Manhattan, the CEO had breakfast with employees to gain insight into innovations and projects that became fruitful and expansive. Twenty-six Breakfast and Conversation With James Gorman Chairman CEO of Morgan Stanley led to innovation and customer awareness. This endeavor was much needed in 2012 when the competitive edge was sharp and complicated.

Many CEOs, one being Louis V. Gerstner, argue that sharing in not only the success but also the mistakes of people. At IBM, the Chairman and CEO told an employee that just lost ten million dollars on an innovative project and that he just invested ten million dollars in the employee, and letting the person go was out of the question. Gerstner also at IBM, established Reinventing Education, which is a $35 million grant program that enables IBM researchers and classroom teachers to address curriculum concerns that would lead to better careers for youngsters later on in life. His aim was to develop trust among not only employees but potential future employees.

Emotional intelligence leads to greater intellectual safety for employees with the aim of encouraging them to put their ideas into practice. Thus, be an emotionally intelligent leader. Leaders who bravely seek emotional support from their employees, as noted above, consciously use the innovative energies of their employees to achieve organizational goals and find the best ideas to solve their complex organizational problems.

The EU and transitional justice

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The EU and transitional justice

Speech delivered on 28 July 2023 at a conference about Transitional Justice at the National 2.28 Memorial Museum

By Willy Fautré, Human Rights Without Frontiers

HRWF (02.08.2023) – Ending impunity for serious crimes against human rights and humanitarian norms is an important EU and UN objective. It is essential in overcoming the legacy of past conflicts and in building the basis of stable, peaceful societies, as shown by the experience of societies that have taken the democratic path in recent decades.

Transitional Justice Historical background

The field of transitional justice emerged in the late 1980s and early 1990s, in response to the political transitions that took place during that time in Latin America and Eastern Europe.

The implementation of transitional justice measures depended on the national context, varying greatly, e.g. among former communist regimes. Today, the focus of transitional justice mechanisms has moved to countries afflicted by conflicts in Africa and Asia.

The International Criminal Court (ICC), established in 2002, aims to complement national systems where these are unable to bring to justice for serious crimes those in the highest positions of responsibility.

Transitional justice aims both at holding those responsible for serious crimes to account, at providing redress to victims, as well as at building fairer and resilient justice systems able to secure reconciliation and the transition to democracy. It includes several measures:

Prosecution of leaders and high officials of former regimes

Communist leaders in some eastern European countries and leaders of military juntas in Latin America faced justice in their countries: in Argentina (with a verdict in 1985) or in Guatemala where the verdict was finally invalidated in 2013 .

In other cases, former president of Serbia died before his conviction and former president of Côte d’Ivoire was acquitted after standing trial in international tribunals.

Prosecution took place independently of rank, of perpetrators of grave crimes, particularly genocide: Rwanda. (1994).

Lustration policies included vetting procedure before holding public office. These were central to the efforts of former communist countries in Europe (such as Germany, Czechia and Estonia), in overcoming their past and building stable democracies, but they were not free of judicial controversy regarding the concordance of lustration laws with human rights.

Truth initiatives ranged from the opening of secret services archives (as in former communist countries) to the Truth Commission in South Africa, (1995), while in Cambodia in 1995, a NGO assumed the task of preserving the memory of genocide.

Rehabilitation and redress for those convicted on political grounds or for persecuted groups.

Amnesty: This is the most controversial approach to transitional justice, as it precludes justice for victims, but it can be instrumental in ending bloody conflict. However, amnesty cannot apply in serious crimes against humanity and other similar crimes, as made clear in a number of landmark decisions of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. In Latin America, amnesty was granted broadly to allow transition, but amnesty laws were later struck down for grave crimes in Argentina (2003), Guatemala (1996) or Peru (2019), although not in Brazil.

European Union action

The EU is an important player in the field of transitional justice. It has developed a comprehensive approach to help non-EU countries implement transitional justice.

Closing the accountability gap, fighting impunity and supporting transitional justice is among the priorities of the EU action plan on human rights and democracy for 2020-2024.

An EU policy framework on support to transitional justice provides guidance for both EU institutions and Member States, based on the main UN elements :

  • in terms of criminal justice: 

the EU supports the reform of national criminal legislation and alternative ways (mediation or traditional courts) to provide justice;

  • in terms of search for truth: the EU promotes truth-seeking initiatives based on international law and best practice;
  • in terms of reparations: the EU encourages a participatory, victim-focused approach to reparations;
  • in terms of guarantees of non-recurrence/institutional reform:

The EU opposes amnesties for war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide or gross violations of human rights, in line with the UN position.

The EU supports the ICC; it helps countries in situations of fragility and provides financial support for transitional justice initiatives and related issues.

The EU has put in place multiannual funding programs with partner countries including Burundi, Central African Republic, Colombia, Rwanda, South Sudan and The Gambia.

European Parliament position

The European Parliament has repeatedly underlined the need to put an end to impunity for grave crimes under international law.

In a March 2019 resolution on building EU capacity on conflict prevention and mediation, the Parliament declared that a pool of experts covering reconciliation and transitional justice was needed at EU level.

In another resolution in January 2021, the Parliament proposed to establish an EU Special Representative on International Humanitarian Law and International Justice and underlined the need to ensure justice for all victims of violations of international human rights and humanitarian law.

A recent resolution in February 2022 called for the promotion of transitional justice processes empowering civil society, victims, marginalised and vulnerable populations, increasing the role of women and young people in transitional justice.

Transitional justice measures do not only address past atrocities but they are also forward-looking.

As the armed conflict in Ukraine is ongoing and atrocities continue to be committed systematically, it is important to keep documenting the human rights violations perpetrated by Russia, the aggressor country, not only for accountability purposes, but also to know the truth of what happened and help determine the type and form of reparations.

If there is a peace agreement, the inclusion of transitional justice issues will be important but there may not be any negotiations and any peace agreement as in the case on the Korean Peninsula 60 years ago. In such a case of a stuck or frozen conflict, Europol, Interpol and the International Criminal Court will have to unite their efforts to hunt and prosecute Russian war criminals until the last one as long as they will be alive as it happened to the Nazi criminals of World War II.

Financial Architecture of ICCIA for a Prosperous Tomorrow

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Financial Architecture of ICCIA for a Prosperous Tomorrow

In the epic city on two legs, each on other continent – Istanbul, the Future Leaders Executive Program (FLEP) welcomed four guests for its two full days June 2023 session. A definite highlight of the June round was a visit and the lecture of the Karachi-based Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (ICCIA) Secretary General, Dr. Yousef Khalawi. With a deep understanding of the interconnectedness of economy, religious philosophy and ethics, businesses and politics, Dr. Khalawi shared his invaluable insights on the current state of global economic affairs, challenges, obstacles and ways to tackle those.

Saudi-born Dr. Yousef Khalawi graduated from the Imam Mohammed Bin Saud Islamic University (Faculty of Theology), with further specialisations in comparative fiqh, international investment, arbitration and dispute resolution. He obtained his subsequent legal education in various international law and consultancy firms in Germany (Frankfurt), Switzerland (Geneva) and UK (London). He has established many companies with a large number of investors in more than 70 countries around the world, has served as a board member, and chairman of audit and management committees in various companies.

Besides being the ICCIA Sec-General for the past 5 years, Dr. Khalawi is also a board member of many important companies around the world and a member of the Board of Trustees in various international organizations, including the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions in Bahrain (AAOIFI), and the Islamic Fiqh Academy’s Main Committee member. Conclusively, he is a board member of the Saudi Commercial Arbitration Center in Riyadh – SCCA, which is the highest Saudi arbitration authority.

Energetically thinking alternatives to the existing system

Secretary-General opened his talked by sketching the current state of global economy and finances, describing it as highly worrying and definitely unsustainable on a long run. This state of affairs invites all of us to energetically think alternatives and fundamental adjustments to the existing system which already spent his model, on both levels – trust and operability. Since every crisis is at the same time opening to new opportunities; this might be a way to consider the Islamic financing mechanisms, but even more the concept of Islamic economy as whole. Such approach would globally relax brewing tensions and omnipresent recession of trust.  

In the context of a crucial importance of Islamic finance, Secretary General Dr. Yousef Khalawi referred to “Sukuk” as a more flexible funding mechanism compared to usual financial instrument of bonds. This because it has funding mechanisms that are not existed with classical bonds, which makes “Sukuk” object of close consideration of governments, even the non-Muslim ones (like numerous in Latin America and Asia).

Developing verity of mechanisms of microfinance


In this regard, drawing from his profoundly rich professional and personal life journey, The Secretary-General highlighted the dire need to microfinance, particularly in the developing countries. In the light of ICCIA’s efforts to develop verity of mechanisms of microfinance and promote its position globally, Secretary-General Khalawi also pointed out that the Islamic economy’s firm scientific merits which survived tests of history and numerous regional realities throughout calamitous centuries – which only means one: That system is beyond any narrow religious interpretation, and is as such applicable for those confessing any religion and those non-religious as well.

The tantalising sparkling and inspiring tit-for-tat exchange between Secretary-General, and the FLEP participants draw to its close with open exchanges, brain-storming. To say; in a search, and a quest for solutions, to live future of a safer and fairer world – emphatic moral and inclusive, while striving to the realisation of human race.

Dr. Yousef Khalawi’s participation in the Future Leaders Executive Program provided an indispensable opportunity for emerging leaders to gain insights into the current state of the global economic and financial affairs and their subtle interplay with geopolitics, security and civilisation advancements. His huge experiences and wisdom shed light on the essential values and principles that can guide aspiring leaders on their path to success, ensuring a more inclusive, compassionate, secure and just future.

Summing up that special day with the ICYF President, Mr. Taha Ayhan (who acted as a principal host to the event), Secretary-General Khalawi jointly expressed what all participants had already concluded throughout the day: that the Future Leaders Executive Program (FLEP) offers a unique setting and the winning narrative. Excellency Khalawi and President Taha both agreed that such a particular format – by which an established experience meets the new passions, drives, rhythms and colours through cross generational leaders’ talks – represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for emerging leaders from verities of environments: the state, intergovernmental, and corporate sectors of all meridians.

Secretary-General expressed his joy that the FLEP’s mesmerising ship of insights and wisdom gets a full swing sail once again in the Fall this year. 

About the author:  

Isabella Maria Bello Arocha

Isabella Maria Bello Arocha – Madrid-based researcher specialized in comparative law and international relations. She covers International Institute IFIMES before the UNWTO, other Iberia-based and Latin American international FORAs.

The French Protests: Behind the Scenes of the Media

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The French Protests: Behind the Scenes of the Media

By Hana Kolar

The political uproar of France in the first half of 2023 was at the face of the media, with articles and new outlets covering the anger of citizens. From the 19th of January 2023, protests began all throughout France, revolting against the Government’s pension reform project to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 years.  

In the nation’s capital, the vocalisation of frustration was often heard, especially of those living in the heart of Paris as the strikes and protests ensued, causing blockages, increased cases of police presence and violence. However, both French nationals and foreigners were often seen participating in these protests, supporting the common goal to have their opinions regarding  by the government. 

Students were also seen to be actively involved in the protests. Pupils at Sciences Po Paris, a research university of social sciences, were seen protesting on multiple occasions. Through barricading the entryway to the Saint Guillaume campus on the 8th of March 2023, this, alongside other similar occurrences, resulted in some classes being cancelled or moved to an online platform. This consequentially caused disruptions for both students and teachers, affecting the university curricular.

As the protests continued across France, from the 6th of March onwards, Paris was seen littered with rubbish for a three-week period, as media coverage focused on trash collectors of the capital joining the protest against the government and limiting access to waste incinerators.

Just as things were suspected to have settled down, news had surfaced that the reform to the pension would ensue, moments before parliamentary vote was set to occur. Invoking article 49:3 of the French Constitution, the Government was enabled to pass a law without a vote, unless the parliament chose to pass a ‘noconfidence’ motion.

Photo taken by Hana Kolar on the 25th March 2023 Phone numbers are blurred for privacy purposes.

Protests have since continued to occur, progressively getting more violent as the balance between the freedom of speech and the danger of uncontrolled protesting was increasingly strained.

One student of Sciences Po Paris recounted her experience being tear gassed alongside her friends at a night-time protest, explaining how she carried a keychain (see pictured to the left) containing phone numbers of her family and friends, as well as her forearm being marked by the same numbers in case of an emergency.

Photo taken by Hana Kolar on the 26th March 2023 in Paris, France: 4th arrondisement.

The response of the public to the actions of the Government reflected similarities to the Yellow Vest Movement (Gilets Jaunes) which took place in November of 2018 in response to the rise of tax on diesel and petrol. Similarly to the current protests occurring, what started as a protest against tax soon transformed into a wider protest against the actions of the French Government. Citizens argued that President Macron was favouring the elite, privileged class of the population as tax increase and low wages impacted more severely low- to middle-income families, particularly single mothers, on their ability to support themselves and their children.

Both protests highlight the ingrained cultural system where what is rooted in the population is a desire to be heard. Throughout history, the French Republic has demonstrated a desire for their leaders to reflect and uphold of values of the nation. The cyclic nature of protesting the Government has led, to some degree, to positive change for the French in the past. It can equally allow us to wonder what the outcome of this current wave of protests will be.

So how may these protests affect France’s diplomatic, economic and trade relations? The strain between the government and its people have been present since the beginning of January, even more so with the news of Nahel Merzouk’s death, police brutality concerns and tensions are increasing. President Macron was seen to have left the European summit in Brussels (29–30 June 2023) early and has postponed his upcoming planned visit to Germany – a visit intended to demonstrate the strength of France’s friendship with Germany, despite each country’s ongoing economic, defence and energy issues.

With increasing societal issues being faced by France such as discrimination, police brutality, integration, crime rates in immigrant-prominent suburbs, social inequality, and tensions between civilians and the military, the French President has been seen in crisis cabinet meetings to direct ministers. As the protests have begun in French overseas territories, such as French Guiana, Martinique, Guadeloupe, and Reunion, it is still unclear as to what the potential long-term impacts on France’s diplomatic, economic and trade relations will be due to the current protests occurring.  

This could arguably echo a greater sense of dissatisfaction of governmental actions, demonstrating this issue sensitivity goes beyond strictly continental French boarders. Only the future will demonstrate whether both the French citizens as well as President Macron’s methods will induce grounds for stability, or further chaos.

About the author:

Hana Kolar

Hana Kolar is a 4th year law(honours)/science student at Monash University, Australia. She has just completed a law school exchange at Sciences Po Paris last semester and continues to explore her interests in global legal and political spheres. She is a Junior Legal Officer to the International Institute IFIMES.

Swiss-based startup fairaly combines the power of analytics and AI to achieve ESG goals 

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Swiss-based startup fairaly combines the power of analytics and AI to achieve ESG goals 

July 2023, Zürich, Switzerland – With the European directive seeking to put an end to pay secrecy by March 2023, companies are feeling the pressure to comply with regulations that require full disclosure of salary information. This measure, designed to expose existing gender pay gaps and provide a basis for fair salary comparison among employees, has left organizations scrambling to meet the guidelines. Stepping into the spotlight to address these challenges is fairaly, a Swiss-based startup that combines the power of analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) to achieve ESG goals and retain and attract talent through facts.

Fairaly offers a comprehensive solution for businesses that need to navigate these new regulatory waters. Serving as a one-stop shop for all processes around DEI within a company, fairaly proposes directly how to implement salaries for new hires and pay raises to ensure compliance and fairness.

Leveraging AI

By leveraging generative AI, the fairaly team enables its clients to easily enrich their salary data with market benchmarks so HR and business leaders can see how the company’s salaries compare to others in a similar market. Last but not least, fairaly automatically provides an employer branding module where companies can promote their truly data-based DEI company. At a time when talent are hard to find and talent acquisition is a major challenge for companies, employer branding automation offers refief. “In addition, companies that act in a socially responsible manner have a better chance of attracting talent and convincing investors”, so the founder N. Habicht of fairaly. 

She states that “Leveraging AI, companies can eliminate inequalities (not only between men and women), comply with equal pay regulations, and at the same time promote diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) with just one click. Our software helps companies to identify salary discrepancies instantly.

As new hires are onboarded and salaries change during a year our platform automatically and continuously analyzes the changes and provides instant feedback if there’s a risk of non-compliance. With the help of intelligent chatbots we provide another way to access information faster in a more natural way. 

“Our mission is to reach equality not in 300 years as predicted by UNO, but earlier with the help of technology”

The fairaly team is composed of renowned AI entrepreneurs and leaders from various industries. They help enterprises and SMEs to safe time, be compliant and at the same time have a real social impact.

For further information“

www.fairaly.com 

Image courtesy of fairaly 

The future belongs to those who prepare for it today

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The future belongs to those who prepare for it today

By Alexandra Paucescu

As diplomats, we learn to build intercultural bridges, we form alliances and we get to master to perfection the art of conversation. We were not all prepared or formally trained for it; some just learned it along the way. For others, it was part of their career and a life time passion.

Giovanni Calvano is one of those people, who made a career out of the intercultural dialogue and international relations and who was lucky enough to be able to practice it in his future diplomatic life.

Born in Paola, a beautiful little town in Calabria, southern Italy, he fondly remembers his childhood years: ‘I feel lucky having grown up there, in a quiet place where everyone knew each other, where I played with my friends all day in the courtyards until mom yelled from the balcony “back home, it’s late”. I remember the endless hot summers on the beautiful beaches’.  It certainly sounds idyllic and worry-free, as every childhood should be.

Giovani Calvano receiving the award “Corea -Colombia” from Mario Lopez, President of the Association of Corean Studies in Colombia.

His life changed thanks to an Erasmus study program in the UK. Although he was studying economics at the University of Calabria, his career path took a turn, and he decided to continue his education in international and public relations. (He later completed two masters, at the University of Mantova and University of Rome).

‘I was feeling more and more like a real global citizen and my happiness grew beyond borders. Now I feel good and happy in any place where I can share the little beautiful things of life with my wife and kids’.

‘I started working in Rome for an association where I was in charge of managing the European youth exchange program; then I moved to the International Development Law Organization (IDLO), where I had the opportunity to work with many diplomatic missions and international organizations. Finally, I crossed the Atlantic to Colombia, starting a wonderful collaboration with the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana of Bogota.  I currently hold the position of director of international affairs at the oldest and most prestigious university in Colombia, which is a great experience that allows me to move in the context of the internationalization of higher education. Javeriana university aims to improve education and research, but also promoting “ the common home”, as a commitment to improving the society, and this is perfectly in line with my job, which is to lead the international academic collaboration of the Javeriana university with others abroad. This allows me to continue my duties while being posted in the Netherlands. Also, I feel privileged because living a diplomatic life certainly gives an added value to my work. Moreover, the excellent and strategic geographical position of the Netherlands greatly facilitates me reaching out to local universities and expand my network at an European level’.

He continues, passionately: ‘living in the Netherlands, a unique country where many cultures coexist and interact, is an ideal opportunity to promote, in my case through university collaborations, Colombia and its beauties, art, traditions, culture and its excellent higher education’.

He clearly enjoys and fully appreciates the life and the city he lives in today. ‘I love to visit museums with my kids, to get lost in Hague’s wonderful parks or to follow my passion for international eno-gastronomy, because I am convinced that inter-culturalism also comes through the art of eating and drinking well, it’s a magnificent facilitator for dialogue between people.

I can honestly say that living a diplomatic experience abroad represents the realization of a dream. Being able to meet and interact with people from all over the world is wonderful. It is like a long journey across continents, but staying in one place. You learn so much every day, different points of view and opinions. To me, it’s a unique richness, hardly replicable in other contexts; and being able to also give this opportunity to my children is just fantastic!

However, I believe that the diplomatic life requires navigating within some constraints, prudence, tact, patience, open-mindedness and surely tolerance. The permanent dialogue is essential. Meanwhile, I believe that it is crucial to remain humble, be curious and understand the ecosystem in which we live, abandoning prejudices and not forgetting that we represent our countries on a daily basis. The role of a diplomatic spouse is much more than accompanying the partner, it is an honor’.

Giovanni Calvano with Giancarlo Fortino, UNICAL – University of Calabria.

But then again, ‘people tend to only notice the beautiful side of diplomatic life, often “fueled” by movies, fiction books, and it is therefore easy to imagine a life with only daily  parties and travels, disregarding the sensitive work commitments,  the compromise. It can also be sometimes hard and emotionally difficult.  You build a circle of friendships and a social life that you eventually have to leave behind after a few years, only to rebuild it in another place. The difficulty and, in many cases, the impossibility to develop your own steady and successful career may also be seen as a sacrifice’.

Above all that hardship, he says he is most proud of his wife and of all she can do for Colombia. In a world which is still strongly patriarchal, it is a pleasure to hear a man praising his wife in such a way: ’my wife is an incredible person and a great professional, I feel really lucky. We share the same passions, we love the inter-culturalism. I really enjoy talking to her and when I may, offer some small advice. I am sure that family stability is critical for the success of a diplomatic mission’.

He is equally fond of the couple’s children, who already master three different languages from a small age.

‘I feel also proud when I see students of my university returning happily and completely changed after a study experience abroad. I am proud because I know that even if I contribute in a small part to their formation, it may be decisive for their future, their work, and why not, to create a better world’.

…And the world certainly needs more people like him today.


About the author:

Alexandra Paucescu

Alexandra Paucescu- Author of “Just a Diplomatic Spouse” Romanian, management graduate with a Master in business, cultural diplomacy and international relations studies.

She speaks Romanian, English, French, German and Italian,  gives lectures on intercultural communication and is an active NGO volunteer.

May 20 Cameroon’s National Unity Day 

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May 20 Cameroon’s National Unity Day 

By Roy Lie Atjam

The Hague, on 16 June 2023, H.E. Ms. Madeleine Liguemoh Ondoua, Ambassador of the Republic of Cameroon, hosted a celebratory reception on the 51st National Day of Cameroon.

“Defence Forces and Cameroonian people in harmony to safeguard peace and national unity, bedrock of a strong and prosperous Cameroon”.

The reception saw the participation of a sizable number of members of the Diplomatic Corps among them ambassadors from Germany, Uruguay, Romania, India, Argentina, Tanzania, Georgia, Finland, Armenia, Greece, Latvia, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Azerbaijan, Finland, Japan, Albania, Poland, Brazil, Philippines, North Macedonia, Holy Sea, Egypt, New Zealand, Norway, Costa Rica, Panama, Rwanda, Algeria, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Morocco, Angola. The Charges d’Affairs of Sudan, South Africa, Malaysia and Venezuela. The mayors of Westland and Dorchdrecht, senior officials of the Netherlands, business people, Dutch cultural community, medias, NGO’s and members of the Cameroonian diaspora in the Netherlands and beyond.

A  delightfully flamboyant atmosphere reigned in the reception room as well as outdoors.

Cameroon National Anthem / H.E. Ms. Madeleine Liguemoh Ondoua, Ambassador of the Republic of Cameroon.

Celebrating Cameroon’s National Unity Day

Ambassador Liguemoh Ondoua, explained the significance of 20 May for Cameroon. “It means celebrating an important moment in its existence as a Republic, a unique moment because it consecrated the fusion of the wills of the children of the same land to live together within a unitary State after an unprecedented referendum.”

The Ambassador went on to remark, in evoking this historic moment in the history of Cameroon, “I would like to convey to you the warm greetings of the President of the Republic of Cameroon H.E. Mr. Paul Biya and of his Government and to express my pleasure and that of all the staff of the Embassy on this day of 16 June 2023, to welcome you to share with all of you the joy of the Cameroonians in celebrating Cameroon’s National Unity Day. 

This unity remains our most precious asset, along with peace.

The People of Cameroon declared its will to unite during the Referendum of 1972. These founding values of a remarkable identity make our country a haven of peace, a stable State, a land of hospitality where life is good.

It is a Unity that celebrates and magnifies our cultural and linguistic diversity. Our unity is conscious of the need to involve the people in its consolidation and the development of the Republic. This is why the Constitution of Cameroon stipulates that, Cameroon is a decentralised unitary State and enshrines the special regime enjoyed by certain Regions, notably the North-West and South-West Regions.

Unity is the matrix that founded the Cameroonian Nation and its Martyrs. Cameroonian communities have always maintained plural exchanges despite their diversity.

The Government has chosen to place this 51st edition of the National Unity Day under the theme: “Defence Forces and the Cameroonian people, in symbiosis for the safeguard of peace and national unity, the foundation of a strong and prosperous Cameroon”.

The  President of the Republic of Cameroon H.E. Paul Biya, stated on the podium of the United Nations, “We are all beggars for peace“. Our commitment to peace is unflinching and firm.  This is why Cameroon is firmly fighting against terrorist and violent movements which, under the disguise of religious fundamentalism and irredentism, threaten peace. The commitment of Cameroon’s Security and Defence Forces against the Islamic State in the Sahel and Boko Haram.

Cameroon’s economy

Cameroon’s economy, known for its resilience thanks to its diversification, has been dubbed “Africa in miniature”. It is an attractive country, with a subsoil rich in mineral resources, a large amount of arable land suitable for healthy and commercial agriculture, and a young and well-educated population that speaks the two official languages, English and French above, making it more open to the world. Cameroon has adopted its National Development Strategy, which sets out vast economic, infrastructural and social projects to ensure its emergence by 2035. Potential investors are offered opportunities in the agricultural, industrial, road, airport, port and energy infrastructure sectors.

In this regard, I would like to pay tribute to the Dutch and Cameroonian companies that took part in the Economic Days organized in The Hague in May 2022, chaired by Cameroon’s Minister of External Relations, HE Mr. Lejeune Mbella Mbella, who had fruitful discussions with the Dutch authorities and heads of international organisations in The Hague. There was also an economic visit to Yaoundé in Cameroon in November 2023. As a result of this ballet of economic operators, trends suggest that the Netherlands has become Cameroon’s 3rd largest economic partner.

In addition to the events mentioned above, we can also look forward to the opening in Cameroon of the very first Luxembourg Cultural Centre in Central Africa, the foundation stone laid in the Commune of Lobo in Cameroon (Centre Region) last April.

These first steps certainly augur promising economic prospects for our respective countries, given the immense potential identified on both sides in terms of natural resources for Cameroon, capital and know-how for Holland and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.”

Ambassador Madeleine Liguemoh Ondoua also focused on Cameroonian entrepreneurs, sons and daughters of Cameroon who are working to make their country shine abroad and are participating in local development. “These sons and daughters have honourable intellectual aptitudes in many fields: scientific, technological, medical, political, social and artistic, like the Cameroonian photographer Angèle Étoundi, who is exhibiting 14 of her finest works this evening.”

Penja pepper, Cameroon cocoa and Cameroonian coffee

The Ambassador further lauded the activities of Penja pepper as a protected geographical indication product that grows on the Penja volcanic plains in the Moungo department of the Littoral region. This pepper, one of the best in the World, is particularly prized for cold meats, cooking, roasting and other seasonings. “I invite you to try and taste this pepper and make it an essential part of your cooking, just like several Michelin-starred chefs. Mr Sop, CEO of the SCT and Executive Secretary of the Penja Pepper Geographical Indication, has made a memorable trip for this event and is at your disposal.

The cocoa bean from Cameroon has a unique brick-red colour and tones from different terroirs, giving it a unique flavour worldwide. On this day, we are offering you Cocoa Valley chocolate, which is now the chocolate of Buckingham Palace, the Elysée Palace and the best pastry chefs and Michelin-starred chefs. The chocolate desserts you will taste today have been prepared by Mr Serge Ngassa, a Master Chocolatier, and Mr Thierry Court, France’s Best Pastry Chef.

Cameroon has Africa’s broadest range of coffee varieties, such as blue mountain. The Utamtsi brand coffee from promoter Morin Kamga, which you are offering, comes from organic farming and sustainable trade. This coffee is grown on mountainous volcanic land at an altitude of 1800 meters, enhancing the meticulous work of the GIC SONDASON Cooperative. 

Cameroon’s cuisine is rich and diverse, with enchanting scents and spices. Mrs Suzanne Ekwalla, promoter of the Cameroonian company “Des Senteurs et des Goûts”, has taken great care of the meals served from our beautiful country.

Jangolo is an import/export company. It defines itself as the address book for operators involved in the agribusiness value chains in Cameroon.

MbòArts is a creation and brand named after a Cameroonian born clothing Designer called Anye Bih Irene.

CIMPOR company (which is not Cameroonian, but whose role in developing the industrial fabric in Cameroon deserves to be highlighted).

Visit Cameroon, visit this unique country in Africa, which concentrates all the beauties of the African continent. Today, Mr Yannick Tchamba‘s company AfroChic is offering you the chance to organise your visit to Cameroon.

Last but not least, I’d like to thank the Régie, Mr Wamba from ICON PROD, who has worked hard to make this event a success, as well as all my staff and the people whose names I haven’t mentioned.

To all of you who have honoured us with your presence, please accept the expression of my sincere gratitude and my dearest wishes for the strengthening of bilateral cooperation with the Kingdom of the Netherlands (and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg).

Let’s raise our glasses for long live Cameroon and friendship with The Netherlands, Luxembourg and Everyone and for Unity and Peace. “ End quote

The rich and varied Cameroonian gastronomy was served to the guests and the cultural and artistic performances to the rhythms of the musical artist Jay Lou Ava and his orchestra with his amazing vibes furnished this beautiful evening highly praised and appreciated by all.

Colourfully dressed Cameroonian ladies and music added an extra layer to the festive mood.

Celebrations back in Yaounde – Cameroon

The President of the Republic, H.E. Paul Biya presided over a grand military and civilian parade on 20 May 2023 to commemorate the 51st anniversary of Cameroon’s National Day at the emblematic 20th May Boulevard.

Festivities across the national territory to celebrate the advent of the Unitary State centred on the theme: “Defence Forces and Cameroonian people in harmony to safeguard peace and national unity, the bedrock of a strong and prosperous Cameroon”.

The festivities commenced with a magisterial performance by a detachment of the Egyptian Army’s military band invited by President Paul Biya – to foster the excellent, longstanding, fraternal, and diversified cooperation ties between Yaounde and Cairo.

A major attraction of their fantastic fanfare was the rendition of popular Cameroonian songs like “Waka Waka” and “Soul Makossa” of Zangalewa and Manu Dibango respectively.

On June 16th, 2023, we celebrated Cameroon’s National Unity Day in The Hague. Here’s to a long and prosperous friendship between Cameroon, The Netherlands, and Luxembourg.

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