75 years of the United Nations
The Hague testing ground for the UN?
International thinking is formed here, gets hands and feet here. This is important for The Hague, for the Netherlands - but also for the UN.

DATE
03 September 2020
TEXT
Arthur Eyffinger
IMAGE
PR
75 years of the United Nations
The Hague testing ground for the UN?
International thinking is formed here, gets hands and feet here. This is important for The Hague, for the Netherlands - but also for the UN.
Mhe Hague proudly carries the motto 'city of peace and justice' in its coat of arms. It is quite a claim, but a justified one. Over the past century, our city has made a name for itself worldwide in the quest for a more peaceful and just society. Of course, man has always had that ambition.
Locomotive and steamboat
But in the late nineteenth century, this became more urgent when locomotive and steamboat brought the world within reach. Products reached everyone, but conflicts also no longer passed anyone by. 'Prosperity is the child of peace,' reads an old saying. As a true trading nation, the Netherlands did everything to stay out of the quarrels of the great powers.
The Peace Palace
It adopted a neutral stance. It helped mediate. And it hosted the first global consultations on disarmament and peaceful settlement of disputes, the Hague Peace Conferences of 1899 and 1907. The outcome was a court for arbitration between states. Since 1913, it has been based in the building that symbolises that ideal: the Peace Palace.

In 1922, an international court was installed in the Peace Palace.
After World War I, the powers recognised the need for permanent consultation within a world organisation, the League of Nations. Dispute resolution also needed to be more binding. In 1922, an international court was installed in the Peace Palace. After the war, it was succeeded by the current court, chief organ of the new world organisation, the UN.
International Court of Justice
In 75 years, the ICJ has ruled on almost all forms of dispute in the complex inter-state traffic. It gave important opinions to the UN. It dealt with such fraught issues as decolonisation, apartheid, human rights violations, nuclear weapons. For a time in the 1980s, it was almost paralysed by the Cold War stalemate. The reputation of 'The Hague' faded.
Change
This unexpectedly changed in the mid-1990s. We owe that to the UN. Secretary-General Boutros-Ghali designated The Hague as the seat of the ICTY. In 25 years, this decision changed the entire face of The Hague. That is the sum of a series of factors. Important was the mental impact. Disputes between states often seem far from our minds. But ethnic cleansing horrifies every human being.

Secretary-General Boutros-Ghali designated The Hague as the seat of the ICTY.
International law suddenly became very tangible. Media pounced on it. Interest groups and NGOs established themselves in The Hague. Research institutes opened their doors. Conferences followed one another. The city's international reputation gained new lustre. Municipal governments actively lobbied with establishment and meeting facilities.
Europol and Eurojust
The 1899 Permanent Court of Arbitration developed new initiatives. The International Court of Justice almost collapsed under the workload. The arrival of new UN institutions broadened the agenda: the OPCW to combat chemical weapons, the International Criminal Court, the special tribunals for Lebanon, Kosovo and Sierra Leone. The Hague became a UN city.
'The 'corridors' in The Hague count again!'
The concentration of knowledge also attracted cooperation bodies outside the UN: Europol and Eurojust, space research in Noordwijk, intellectual property and water management agencies. Whether it is peace research, climate talks, development cooperation or oppressed minorities, no interest group or it has a foothold in The Hague. The same applies to diplomacy.
Once upon a time, in the seventeenth century, our city was the centre of news gathering. The Hague's 'corridors' count again! Contacts between the international community, parliament and the judiciary enrich understanding.
Expats
Of course, most of this took place outside the public's field of vision. But the average Hague resident also saw the cityscape change. Expats flooded the city, flocking to estate agents, registering at language institutes and looking for international schools for their children. They populated shops, restaurants and terraces - and our middle class quickly adapted to their spending patterns. Theatres and museums saw new opportunities. Festivals tumbled over each other. The Leiden Settlement brought international students.

Poster on the occasion of the opening of the Peace Palace in 1913.
The economic, cultural and intellectual impulses were profound. The 1899 Peace Conference also discussed world issues. But our citizenry looked strangely at the attire of the Eastern envoys and their wives. Modern The Hague is a multicultural city. All the world walks around here, in all languages. But more importantly: international thinking is shaped here, is given hands and feet here. That is important for The Hague, for the Netherlands - but also for the UN. Here's the thing.

The 1951 'Aegon Building', the seat of the ICTY since 1993.
For four centuries, the sovereign state dominated international traffic. No other player interfered. The UN is the product of that world. It is an exclusive organisation of states. That was self-evident in 1945. But the world has since changed dramatically. The concept of state sovereignty has been eroded. Terrorism mocks the exclusive right of states to use force.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan once said, "You cannot separate peace and security from social justice and economic development.
Cyber technology is eluding their control. Emissions and climate change are empowering states. From below comes the call for sustainable development and clean energy sources. And then there are the derailments. Much has already slipped away from the state. Think of organised crime.
Multinationals shirk social responsibility. Civil wars and religious conflicts cause streams of refugees, disease and hunger. And hanging over our world is the glaring lack of solidarity, the gap between rich and poor, ineradicable greed.
Comfort
There is one consolation: the problems are all aspects of the same challenge. At the UN, people realise this too. Secretary-General Kofi Annan once said: 'You cannot separate peace and security from social justice and economic development. And both stand or fall with human rights and fundamental freedoms.' But the UN does have a problem.
Civil society
The challenges facing humanity do not only cross national borders, but also cut across public and private sectors. States are not the only stakeholders. In short, the UN no longer represents the whole playing field. NGOs and civil society also demand a voice. And that input is also badly needed.
'Only a world organisation representing all parties can lead the world with authority'
Thinking along is called for - across the board! And, more importantly, from a new model of thinking. A recalibration of values from the perspective of the entire world community. Only a world organisation that represents all parties and does justice to their sectional interests can lead the world with authority. The Hague debate can provide direction in this.
The Hague
The convergence of parties and interests in our city is an interesting test model for transforming consultative structures into a more convincing and effective UN. And wasn't that what The Hague was all about for us in 1899?
Dr Arthur Eyffinger is a historian
text Arthur Eyffinger image PR
Mhe Hague proudly carries the motto 'city of peace and justice' in its coat of arms. It is quite a claim, but a justified one. Over the past century, our city has made a name for itself worldwide in the quest for a more peaceful and just society. Of course, man has always had that ambition.
Locomotive and steamboat
But in the late nineteenth century, this became more urgent when locomotive and steamboat brought the world within reach. Products reached everyone, but conflicts also no longer passed anyone by. 'Prosperity is the child of peace,' reads an old saying. As a true trading nation, the Netherlands did everything to stay out of the quarrels of the great powers.
The Peace Palace
It adopted a neutral stance. It helped mediate. And it hosted the first global consultations on disarmament and peaceful settlement of disputes, the Hague Peace Conferences of 1899 and 1907. The outcome was a court for arbitration between states. Since 1913, it has been based in the building that symbolises that ideal: the Peace Palace.

In 1922, an international court was installed in the Peace Palace.
After World War I, the powers recognised the need for permanent consultation within a world organisation, the League of Nations. Dispute resolution also needed to be more binding. In 1922, an international court was installed in the Peace Palace. After the war, it was succeeded by the current court, chief organ of the new world organisation, the UN.
International Court of Justice
In 75 years, the ICJ has ruled on almost all forms of dispute in the complex inter-state traffic. It gave important opinions to the UN. It dealt with such fraught issues as decolonisation, apartheid, human rights violations, nuclear weapons. For a time in the 1980s, it was almost paralysed by the Cold War stalemate. The reputation of 'The Hague' faded.
Change
This unexpectedly changed in the mid-1990s. We owe that to the UN. Secretary-General Boutros-Ghali designated The Hague as the seat of the ICTY. In 25 years, this decision changed the entire face of The Hague. That is the sum of a series of factors. Important was the mental impact. Disputes between states often seem far from our minds. But ethnic cleansing horrifies every human being.

Secretary-General Boutros-Ghali designated The Hague as the seat of the ICTY.
International law suddenly became very tangible. Media pounced on it. Interest groups and NGOs established themselves in The Hague. Research institutes opened their doors. Conferences followed one another. The city's international reputation gained new lustre. Municipal governments actively lobbied with establishment and meeting facilities.
Europol and Eurojust
The 1899 Permanent Court of Arbitration developed new initiatives. The International Court of Justice almost collapsed under the workload. The arrival of new UN institutions broadened the agenda: the OPCW to combat chemical weapons, the International Criminal Court, the special tribunals for Lebanon, Kosovo and Sierra Leone. The Hague became a UN city.
'The 'corridors' in The Hague count again!'
The concentration of knowledge also attracted cooperation bodies outside the UN: Europol and Eurojust, space research in Noordwijk, intellectual property and water management agencies. Whether it is peace research, climate talks, development cooperation or oppressed minorities, no interest group or it has a foothold in The Hague. The same applies to diplomacy.
Once upon a time, in the seventeenth century, our city was the centre of news gathering. The Hague's 'corridors' count again! Contacts between the international community, parliament and the judiciary enrich understanding.
Expats
Of course, most of this took place outside the public's field of vision. But the average Hague resident also saw the cityscape change. Expats flooded the city, flocking to estate agents, registering at language institutes and looking for international schools for their children. They populated shops, restaurants and terraces - and our middle class quickly adapted to their spending patterns. Theatres and museums saw new opportunities. Festivals tumbled over each other. The Leiden Settlement brought international students.

Poster on the occasion of the opening of the Peace Palace in 1913.
The economic, cultural and intellectual impulses were profound. The 1899 Peace Conference also discussed world issues. But our citizenry looked strangely at the attire of the Eastern envoys and their wives. Modern The Hague is a multicultural city. All the world walks around here, in all languages. But more importantly: international thinking is shaped here, is given hands and feet here. That is important for The Hague, for the Netherlands - but also for the UN. Here's the thing.

The 1951 'Aegon Building', the seat of the ICTY since 1993.
For four centuries, the sovereign state dominated international traffic. No other player interfered. The UN is the product of that world. It is an exclusive organisation of states. That was self-evident in 1945. But the world has since changed dramatically. The concept of state sovereignty has been eroded. Terrorism mocks the exclusive right of states to use force.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan once said, "You cannot separate peace and security from social justice and economic development.
Cyber technology is eluding their control. Emissions and climate change are empowering states. From below comes the call for sustainable development and clean energy sources. And then there are the derailments. Much has already slipped away from the state. Think of organised crime.
Multinationals shirk social responsibility. Civil wars and religious conflicts cause streams of refugees, disease and hunger. And hanging over our world is the glaring lack of solidarity, the gap between rich and poor, ineradicable greed.
Comfort
There is one consolation: the problems are all aspects of the same challenge. At the UN, people realise this too. Secretary-General Kofi Annan once said: 'You cannot separate peace and security from social justice and economic development. And both stand or fall with human rights and fundamental freedoms.' But the UN does have a problem.
Civil society
The challenges facing humanity do not only cross national borders, but also cut across public and private sectors. States are not the only stakeholders. In short, the UN no longer represents the whole playing field. NGOs and civil society also demand a voice. And that input is also badly needed.
'Only a world organisation representing all parties can lead the world with authority'
Thinking along is called for - across the board! And, more importantly, from a new model of thinking. A recalibration of values from the perspective of the entire world community. Only a world organisation that represents all parties and does justice to their sectional interests can lead the world with authority. The Hague debate can provide direction in this.
The Hague
The convergence of parties and interests in our city is an interesting test model for transforming consultative structures into a more convincing and effective UN. And wasn't that what The Hague was all about for us in 1899?
Dr Arthur Eyffinger is a historian