Starting on Monday 24 May 2004, a ground breaking conference will be held between the ICTY Victims and Witnesses Section (VWS) and health/welfare professionals from Serbia and Montenegro to discuss the physical, emotional and psychological needs of witnesses.

The purpose of the conference is to discuss how the establishment of health and welfare networks throughout Serbia and Montenegro could assist in providing preparation and follow-up services to witnesses who testify at the Tribunal. These services will supplement the services undertaken by VWS while the witnesses are in The Hague.

This three-day workshop will bring to the ICTY, a group of psychiatrists, medical doctors, psychologists and social workers from Serbia and Montenegro. The professionals invited are currently practicing in the areas where most ICTY witnesses reside.

A similar conference was held in December 2003 with experts from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and further conferences will be held with professionals from Croatia and Kosovo later this year. The series of conferences is funded by the European Commission.

During their stay at the ICTY, participants will familiarize themselves with the Tribunal’s work through meetings with representatives from the various organs comprising the ICTY and they will have working meetings with VWS representatives aimed at developing protocols of services to be offered to witnesses.

KEY FIGURES:

From 1 January 1998 to the present date, just over 3,050 witnesses have testified before a Trial Chamber of the ICTY.

Of this number (approximately):

60% were called by the Office of the Prosecutor, 38% by Defence Counsel, and 2% called by the Trial Chambers themselves, 61% testified openly without any protective measures, 10% were resident in Serbia and Montenegro, 19% were female witnesses, 41% were aged over 51 years, 13% over 61 years and 5% younger than 30 years.