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UN / ICTY ICTR
STORY: UN / ICTY ICTR
TRT: 02:43
SOURCE: UNIFEED-UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
DATELINE: 09 DECEMBER 2015, NEW YORK CITY, NY, USA / RECENT
RECENT, NEW YORK CITY, NY, USA
1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations Headquarters
09 DECEMBER 2015, NEW YORK CITY, NY, USA
2. Wide shot, Security Council open debate on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the Former Yugoslavia in progress
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Judge Vagn Joensen, President of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda:
“Excellencies, I am proud to report that on Monday, 14 December, the Tribunal will deliver its 45th and final judgement on appeal in the Nyiramasuhuko et al. or Butare case involving six accused. The rendering of this judgement represents, therefore, the culmination of over 21 years of judicial work by both the Trial and Appeals Chambers and marks the completion of the Tribunal’s core judicial functions. With the completion of this case, the ICTR will formally close its doors on 31 December 2015.”
4. Med shot, open debate in progress
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Judge Vagn Joensen, President of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda:
“As the ICTR closes its doors, part of its legacy, will be the tremendous potential to dispense justice held by this very Council. The success of the Tribunal is a success for this Council as it highlights the possibilities, through Justice, to address conflicts and fight impunity, and to provide at least some comfort to the victims of heinous crimes.”
6. Med shot, open debate in progress
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Judge Carmel Angius, President of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia:
“Anniversaries provide us with an opportunity to reflect on what has been achieved and to take stock on what remains to be done. Further, remembering the events of the past and paying tribute to those who suffered should strengthen our resolve to prevent such events from ever happening again.”
8. Med shot, open debate in progress
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Judge Carmel Angius, President of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia:
“While the Tribunal is doing everything in its power to address challenged to the timely completion of its work, the obstacles it continues to face should not overshadow the enormous achievements.”
10. Med shot, open debate in progress
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Judge Theodor Meron, President of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals:
“In a world where armed conflicts still rage on continent upon continent, where atrocities against civilians continue unabated, and where international humanitarian law can still be violated with impunity – in this word, we must not underestimate the need for, and the importance of, such symbols of our shared and continued commitment to principled accountability, to international law, and to respect for the rule of law. We must not underestimate the value of institution like the Mechanism.”
12. Wide shot, open debate in progress
As it prepares to formally close its doors on 31 December 2015, the President of the ICTR said on Wednesday (09 Dec), part of his Tribunal’s legacy will continue to live through “the tremendous potential to dispense justice held by this very Council.”
Judge Vagn Joensen, the head of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, told Security Council members “I am proud to report that on Monday, 14 December, the Tribunal will deliver its 45th and final judgement on appeal in the Nyiramasuhuko et al. or Butare case involving six accused.”
The Judge said the Butare judgement represented “the culmination of over 21 years of judicial work by both the Trial and Appeals Chambers and marks the completion of the Tribunal’s core judicial functions. With the completion of this case, the ICTR will formally close its doors on 31 December 2015.”
Joensen said that while the ICTR was closing its doors, part of its legacy would continue to live through “the tremendous potential to dispense justice held by this very Council. The success of the Tribunal is a success for this Council as it highlights the possibilities, through Justice, to address conflicts and fight impunity, and to provide at least some comfort to the victims of heinous crimes.”
Joensen made the comments during an open debate on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the Former Yugoslavia.
At the meeting, Judge Carmel Angius, President of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, presented a report on the progress of his Tribunal with regards to the Hadzic, Karadzic, Mladic and Seselj cases. He also remembered Member States that 2015 marked the 20th anniversary of Srebrenica massacre, and that today the UN was marking its first International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime.
Angius said "anniversaries provide us with an opportunity to reflect on what has been achieved and to take stock on what remains to be done. Further, remembering the events of the past and paying tribute to those who suffered should strengthen our resolve to prevent such events from ever happening again.”
The Judge also noted that while his Tribunal was facing a series of challenges to meet its deadlines “the obstacles it continues to face should not overshadow the enormous achievements.”
Meanwhile, Judge Theodor Meron, President of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, said the role of his institution should be not underestimated.
“In a world where armed conflicts still rage on continent upon continent, where atrocities against civilians continue unabated, and where international humanitarian law can still be violated with impunity,” Meron said, “in this word, we must not underestimate the need for, and the importance of, such symbols of our shared and continued commitment to principled accountability, to international law, and to respect for the rule of law. We must not underestimate the value of institution like the Mechanism.”
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