| Press Release |
REGISTRY
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| (Exclusively for the use of the media. Not an official document) |
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The Hague, 22 December 1997
GREFFE: CC/PIO/280-E
The International Tribunal welcomes with appreciation Canada's support
Following the announcement last week by His Excellency Lloyd Axworthy, the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, that Canada would provide to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia an "assistance package" worth of up to Canadian $ 600,000 ( US $ 422,535), the ICTY Registrar and the ICTY Prosecutor wish to express their gratitude.
Another contribution by Canada will consist of a witness protection program, including the possibility of resettlement for some witnesses and their family.
The Registrar of the ICTY, Mrs Dorothee de Sampayo, welcomed this announcement as an "helpful, generous and impressive sign of support of the judicial aspects of the work of the Tribunal". She underlined that a part of the Canadian donation was earmarked to help financing the construction of a new courtroom, enabling thus "the Tribunal to proceed efficiently and speedily with a growing number of hearings".
A significant part of the Canadian donation will support the program of mass graves’ exhumations set up by the Office of the Prosecutor in order to uncover corroborating and new evidence useful for the preparation and the adjudication of court cases. The ICTY Prosecutor, Justice Louise Arbour, said that she was "delighted by this rapid and generous response to her call for funding, which illustrates the continuous commitment of Canada to a meaningful legal process". Justice Arbour also expressed her "personal gratitude and the gratitude of her Office" for the Canadian authorities’ offer to provide gratis expert personnel.
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International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
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