On the 13th of November, the Clingendael Institute opened its doors for the yearly Corps Diplomatique Seminar. During this afternoon, Clingendael welcomed approximately thirty newly-posted diplomats from twenty-nine different countries who have been posted in The Hague between zero to six months. This unique event serves as an introduction to the Hague as the city of Peace and Justice and allows for the Corps Diplomatique to exchange amongst each other and with invited experts.

At the start of the programme, a panel featuring Mr. Paul van den Ijssel, the Ambassador of international organisations in the Netherlands, and Pepijn Zaagman from the Municipality of The Hague discussed the unique position of The Hague as the chair of International Organisations and the future of the city as such. Following the panel, the Corps Diplomatique engaged with expert representatives from the International Court of Justice (ICJ), International Criminal Court (ICC), Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), thereby emphasizing the workings of these institutions and allowing the diplomats to increase their understanding of and ongoing cooperation with these organisations. 

The Clingendael Institute looks forward to opening its doors again next year for another group of newly-posted diplomats in The Hague.