#DemocracyDrinks x The Hague Justice Week

What does peace and justice through law mean in the context of a shifting international order?

Join us for the official networking event of The Hague Justice Week 2026, organised by the The Hague Humanity Hub, the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD), and the Netherlands Helsinki Committee (NHC).

Eighty years after the foundations of the international legal order were laid, that order is shifting beneath us. What does the promise of peace and justice through law mean when the institutions built to protect it are under pressure? And what does that look like for someone living with the consequences, sometimes far from the conference rooms where decisions are made?

📅 19 November, 2026

📍 Amare, Spinoza Foyer (1st floor), The Hague

#DemocracyDrinks is the networking event of The Hague Justice Week, bringing together representatives from the international ecosystem of courts, tribunals, organisations, knowledge institutions, and changemakers working every day to advance peace and justice. Join us for an evening that connects the big geopolitical picture to everyday lives, with people who have made it their mission to defend democracy on the world stage.

We are excited to share that we have an incredible line up planned for you. For this edition we will be joined by:

• Judge Nicholas Guillou, International Criminal Court
• Ambassador Hugh Adsett, Ambassador of Canada to the Netherlands.
• Celia d’Almeida, NIMD Mali Country Director, Feminist and Human Rights Defender.

The event will be opened by Jill Wilkinson, Managing Director of The Hague Humanity Hub and moderated by NIMD Executive Director Tijmen Rooseboom.

To allow speakers and audience members to speak freely, the event will be held under the Chatham House Rule: participants are free to use the information shared, but may not reveal the identity or affiliation of the person who made any particular comment.

After hearing from our speakers, we hope you will stay for drinks, good conversation, and lasting connections.

Programme:

16:45 — Doors open

17:15 — Welcome and introduction

17:20 — Facilitated conversation

18:00 — Open discussion

18:30 — Informal networking

19:30 — Close

We are proud to be part of The Hague Justice Week 2026, taking place from 16-20 November under the theme "80 Years and Beyond: Renewing the Promise of Peace and Justice through Law."

Secure your spot for #DemocracyDrinks, the networking event of this year's Hague Justice Week!.

What are the #DemocracyDrinks?

#DemocracyDrinks is an informal, recurring conversation and networking series bringing together people working on democracy, peace, justice, and democratic participation.

The format is intentionally simple: open, dialogue-led conversations in a relaxed setting. #DemocracyDrinks The Hague provides space to connect across sectors, test ideas, explore emerging questions, and reflect collectively on democratic challenges beyond formal panels or presentations.

Launched by Defend Democracy in Brussels in 2018, #DemocracyDrinks now takes place in cities around the world. Editions in The Hague have brought together a diverse mix of practitioners from NGOs, international institutions, think tanks, government, and civil society. The Hague series is co-organised by the Netherlands Helsinki Committee (NHC), the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD), and The Hague Humanity Hub (THHH).

Interested in hosting your own edition? Apply .

House Rules - disclaimer.

Visitors may be denied access to Amare in the event of a threat to the order inside the premises that puts the safety (physical or otherwise) of other visitors and/ jobholders... at risk.

Photos - disclaimer.

Please note that a photographer and/or videographer may be present during #DemocracyDrinks. Images may be used by partner organisations for communication and promotional purposes, including social media and future event promotion. By attending, you consent to this use. You may withdraw consent at any time by contacting [email protected] and specifying the event. Thank you for your cooperation!

Event venue & nearby stays

Amare - Den Haag, 150 Spuiplein, Den Haag, Netherlands

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.

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