Terms of Reference on Hague Academy’s Program for the Philippines Signed in The Hague
(L-R) Senior Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen, Chancellor Justice (ret.) Rosmari Carandang, Hague Academy Secretary General Jean-Marc Thouvenin, and Philippine Ambassador to the Netherlands J. Eduardo Malaya. (The Hague PE photo)
THE HAGUE 19 July 2023 – An official signing ceremony of the Terms of Reference on the conduct of a two-week program to be carried out in Tagaytay by The Hague Academy of International Law at the request of the Philippine Judicial Academy (PHILJA) was held on 14 July at the Historical Reading Room of the Peace Palace Library in The Hague.
Signing on behalf of PHILJA was its Chancellor, Justice (ret.) Rosmari Carandang, while Secretary General Prof. Jean-Marc Thouvenin signed for The Hague Academy.
Also signing as witnesses were Senior Associate Justice Mario Victor “Marvic” Leonen of the Philippine Supreme Court, and Philippine Ambassador to the Netherlands J. Eduardo Malaya.
Present at the event were Associate Justices Benjamin Caguioa, Rodil Zalameda and Midas Marquez, and Professor Linos-Alexander Scilianos, Member of the Curatorium of The Hague Academy.
In his welcome remarks, Secretary General Thouvenin described its engagements with the Philippines as “excellent, relevant and great,” noting the sizeable number of Filipinos attending its courses through the years. “It is high time for The Hague Academy and PHILJA to work together for a new program tailor-made for the Philippines,” the Secretary General said.
In response, Chancellor Carandang said that “this signing forges future collaboration between PHILJA and The Hague Academy, hopefully making this program a continuous and regular activity.”
Senior Associate Justice Leonen noted that “this program is part of the Court’s strategic road map of modernizing its procedures and system, continually upgrading the competence of its judges and court personnel, and making the judiciary more responsive to the needs of the Filipino people.”
During the program, Ambassador J. Eduardo Malaya noted, “In this Peace Palace where the International Court of Justice, Permanent Court of Arbitration and The Hague Academy of International Law have their offices, one can find within one modest compound facilities offering the international community a comprehensive range of options for the study of international law and the resolution of international disputes. Thus, the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Philippine Embassy have exerted efforts to be supportive of the institutions in the Peace Palace, notably The Hague Academy.”
Likewise, in attendance were Philippine Judicial Academy officials Dean Sedfrey Candelaria and Dean Emerito Engico and other members of the visiting delegation, as well as Filipino lawyers currently attending the Academy’s Summer Course.
Over the years, numerous Filipino lawyers have participated in Academy’s courses, enriching their knowledge and experiences and thereafter contributing to the advancement of the Philippine legal and judicial system. END
Senior Associate Justice Leonen (top left), Secretary General Jean-Marc Thouvenin (top right), Justice (ret) Carandang (lower left), and Ambassador Malaya (lower right) during the event. (The Hague PE photo)
The official signing ceremony of the Terms of Reference at the Historical Reading Room of the Peace Palace Library in The Hague on 14 July 2023. (The Hague PE photo)
For more information, visit https://www.thehaguepe.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHinTheNetherlands/.