The Hague is the legal capital of the world. In 1899 Russian Tsar Nicholas II decided to organise the first international peace conference in The Hague. He wanted to prevent war through dialogue. It was the beginning of a special role for The Hague as the international city of peace and justice. Today, 160 international organisations are based in The Hague. The Peace Palace remains the seat of the International Court of Justice and the Permanent Court of Arbitration. 

Research has indicated that many target groups have scarcely any idea what The Hague has to offer, and since people are often much more positive about a city if they have some familiarity with it, in promoting the brand operate from the premise that ‘to know it is to love it’. The city branding approach is embedded in all levels within the municipal organisation. 

In order to be able to do this we launched ‘The Brand Book - The Hague’ in January 2016. We let individuals, businesses and institutions in the city tell others why the city is so special to them. We have launched focused communications initiatives to attract attention to The Hague, especially from young target groups. Our point of departure for all city brand efforts in the coming years is what we call ' Brand The Hague’ - the distinctive, relevant, credible proposition that the city has to offer to specific target groups.