On 22 September it was my second time attending The Hague International Open Day, which is held every year on a Sunday closest to the International Day of Peace (21 September), with a week long of programs surrounding it.
Although The Hague has been a centre of legal knowledge for years, it was then UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, who called it the “legal capital of the world” in a speech in the early 90s. This and the overall academic history of the city inspired the government of The Netherlands to lobby for more and more international organisations to move or set up their offices there. Today about 160 international organisations, including several courts, make The Hague the city of international peace and justice.
Every year on the week of the International Day of Peace (21 September) Just Peace Festival is being held with many cultural programs (concerts, movies, theatre, exhibitions) around the city. Part of this program is The Hague International Open Day, when on a Sunday many international organisations open their doors for the public to see behind the scenes and get to know the job they are all doing.
Entry is free, registration is usually open from sometime in August, and lately everyone can register to visit up to three organisations (last time I went was only two). This year I visited The Hague Academy of International Law, Eurojust and the International Criminal Court.
I could only spend the weekend there though, so I missed most of the programs of the festival. I arrived Saturday afternoon, and after checking in my hotel in Scheveningen, immediately went for a walk on the beach. It was a beautiful warm and sunny weekend, autumn kind of warm for me, but many of the locals were swimming in the 17 °C (~63 F) sea. I wasn’t out for that kind of adventure, so I only took a big walk, which was perfectly enough of a refreshment after the flight and train ride. I also started the next two days with walks on the beach before breakfast. What can I say, I could get used to it.
Sunday was busy, as expected. My program started at the Peace Palace, which looks the most beautiful in the morning sunshine. I also visited the Peace Palace three years ago, then registered for the International Court of Justice tour, now for The Hague Academy of International Law.
The Peace Palace is a beautiful building of so much history in and of itself, just watching it from the outside gives you chills. Unfortunately I’ve never had the chance to attend on visiting days, as they are a few and only announced shortly in advance, in accordance with the schedule of the organisations operating inside.
The Open Day tours are scheduled meticulously in half hours, so there are no congestion with all the different groups. There are three kinds of tours, besides the ICJ and The Academy, the Permanent Court of Arbitration can also be visited on the premises.
No cameras are allowed inside, in fact you have to leave everything except your ID card in lockers, so I have no pictures from the program itself. We were escorted to the lecture hall of The Academy, where the actual courses are held.
Professor Jean-Marc Thouvenin, the Secretary-General of the Academy gave a short lecture about why international law matters (many of the visitors were non-professionals), and what The Academy does and how it works. It was interesting, even for me, knowing a little more than the basics.
The sessions of the Academy seem like a great opportunity to learn about different aspects of international law and meet like-minded professionals. I’d love to attend one day.
My second stop was the newly built offices of Eurojust. Here registration was also scheduled for the timing of different tours and lectures, but outside that period those who registered could hang out in the lobby, talking to employees of Eurojust, including those at the HR desk, play games for prices and also have their picture taken answering the question “what does justice mean to you”.
Out of the scheduled programs I took the tour of the building to the uber-secure meeting rooms where the prosecutors hear those involved in criminal cases. We’ve heard about the work of the organisation and also some interesting details about the new building.
This was one of the most positive experiences for me out of all the organisations I’ve visited so far. Everyone I talked to was so open and friendly, the lady who took my photo was actually Hungarian, which I found out hearing her talking to the Hungarian prosecutor of Eurojust, who was also there (talking about mafia-cases in a different tour than mine). They really made me eager to learn more and follow the work of the organisation.
And finally, I went to the International Criminal Court. At the ICC, there wasn’t a time set for attending, registration was for the same time for everyone (from 11.00 am to 17.00 pm), and you could go whenever you got there within this time frame.
The main program was held about every half hour, a short screening, lecture and Q&A on the public gallery of the courtroom. The courtroom was “decorated’ with figures in robes, so we could see where everybody’s place is during a trial.
Aside from that, the visitor centre was open to walk through the history of the court, and there was a screening room with a short documentary about the ICC on repeat. There were also helpful staff around to answer questions, you could also talk with HR here, play quiz for prices and there was an exhibition of photos and sculptures around the cafeteria to view.
This was my first time visiting the ICC, and after following its work for so long, it was exciting to be there in person.
I think it was a weekend well spent, and I am really looking forward to visiting again. I was told that it’s quite unique that I’ve travelled from another country, most of the visitors come from the immediate surroundings of The Hague, or other parts of The Netherlands at best. So, wherever you live, if you are interested in the works of international organisations, it’s worth scheduling your visit for this time of the year. Within Europe you can always find cheap flights if you plan ahead, and can make it out of a budget. It’s a great opportunity to learn about the work of the organisations, hear from people who work there, and meet some like-minded people too. Plus, The Hague is a beautiful city, worth visiting anytime!
Have you ever been to The Hague? Have you ever attended the International Open Day? Which organisations have you visited? I’d love to hear your stories!
