The Vice Ministry of Foreign Trade and Integration (VCIE), in collaboration with the Embassy of Bolivia in the Netherlands, organized a trade mission with the Dutch company Agro Fair to promote Bolivian exports.

Pablo Van Linden, a Dutch expert from Agro Fair, held business meetings in November with both public and private companies to explore Bolivia’s commercial offerings. He stated: “I am grateful for this trade mission; we have started working to consolidate commercial agreements.”

In response to the United Nations General Assembly’s request for an advisory opinion on the obligations of states regarding climate change, Bolivia presented its oral statement to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). This followed the submission of its written declaration in March of 2024.

The Ambassador of the Plurinational State of Bolivia to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Roberto Calzadilla Sarmiento, speaking on behalf of Bolivia, stated: “The structural causes of climate change stem from the capitalist development model of the last two centuries—a system that has violated fundamental human rights, disrupted the life cycles of Mother Earth, caused ecosystem collapse, and intensified global hunger and poverty.”

Bolivia highlighted the need to recognize the differentiated responsibilities of states, arguing that not all countries bear the same level of accountability for the climate crisis. It emphasized that developing countries that have contributed the least to it—are disproportionately affected by its impacts.

In this context, Bolivia urged the ICJ to acknowledge that the duty of cooperation requires fundamental changes in climate finance. These include simplifying access to climate-related funds, prioritizing grants over loans, establishing debt-free financing mechanisms, and ensuring that developed countries provide finance, technology transfer, and capacity building in line with their international obligations.

This statement served as a strong call to the international community to address the climate crisis through a lens of equity and climate justice.

The Ambassador of the Plurinational State of Bolivia to the Republic of Portugal, Roberto Calzadilla Sarmiento, represented Bolivia at the Forum, held from November 25 to 27, 2024, where delegates from 130 countries participated to discuss the latest challenges and solutions for the future.

In his speech, he stressed that “the Forum constitutes a propitious space to reflect on the urgent need to rebuild trust and redesign our common future in peace in order to live well.”

He thus reaffirmed “the importance of an approach with more spaces for multilateral dialogue and collaborative understanding in a world marked by growing challenges, war conflicts, an unacceptable ongoing genocide, intolerance, neocolonialism, disagreements, the deterioration of respect for human rights, violation of international law and increasing inequalities.”

He also stated that “it is imperative to make efforts to end the genocide in Gaza and the full recognition of the State of Palestine, but it is also essential to eliminate colonialism.”

The fifth annual wine-tasting event, organized by Diplomat Magazine, was held at the Leonardo Royal Hotel in The Hague, Netherlands. This event served as an excellent opportunity to promote Bolivian wine and singani.

On this occasion, Bolivia was represented by the importing companies “Vinos de Altura”, based in Belgium, and “Miski Simi”, based in Germany, which showcased a rich variety of Bolivian wines for tasting. Additionally, the event allowed for the presentation of Bolivian singani in various formats.

During the event, the Ambassador of the Plurinational State of Bolivia to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Roberto Calzadilla Sarmiento, highlighted the country’s long-standing winemaking tradition, the unique aspects of its production, and the specific contributions of Bolivia’s ecosystems to the exquisite variety of high-altitude wines.

At a historic meeting held in Amman, Jordan, world leaders emphatically called for the urgent need to establish a truce in Gaza to alleviate the humanitarian crisis, facilitate humanitarian access and promote peace in the region.

Bolivia has been part of these international efforts, standing out for its recent and significant contribution of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian population. The Bolivian government has urged other countries to follow suit and actively participate in similar initiatives that seek to alleviate the consequences of a possible ongoing genocide against the Palestinian population in Gaza.

Bolivia, in its commitment to international justice and respect for international law, has resorted to the multilateral mechanisms of the United Nations and supported various initiatives presented before the International Court of Justice on the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and, in the International Criminal Court along with other countries, we requested investigations into the crimes committed on a daily basis by the Israeli occupying forces in the illegally occupied territory of Palestine.

“Peace and justice in Palestine are not only crucial for the stability of the region, but also for international peace and security. It is imperative that the international community act with determination and solidarity to put an end to the violence and promote a lasting and just solution,” said Ambassador Roberto Calzadilla Sarmiento, concurrent with the State of Palestine. a.

Bolivia remains committed to the defense of human rights and support for just causes in the international arena, reaffirming its role as an active promoter of global peace and justice.

The only way to ensure a just and lasting peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is through a process of dialogue and negotiation, in good faith, by both parties to achieve a two-state solution, in which a free, sovereign and independent Palestinian state with pre-1967 international borders is finally consolidated, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the Security Council and the United Nations General Assembly.

In this context, Bolivia fully supports the initiatives and resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council that promote a peaceful solution to the conflict and the implementation of the Security Council Resolution endorsing a ceasefire plan, as well as compliance with the binding interim orders issued by the International Court of Justice to protect the lives and rights of the Palestinian people.