| Press Release |
PROSECUTION
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| (Exclusively for the use of the media. Not an official document) |
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The Hague, 6 December 2010
OTP/1376
Prosecutor Brammertz’s Address before the UN Security Council
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| ICTY Prosecutor Serge Brammertz |
ICTY Prosecutor Serge Brammertz addressed the UN Security Council today, delivering his office’s 14th report on the progress of the Tribunal’s completion strategy.
In his address, the Prosecutor provided the Security Council with updates on the progress of the Tribunal’s trials and appeals proceedings. The Prosecutor also discussed issues of State cooperation, judicial capacity-building in the former Yugoslavia region, and the current plans for the closure of the Tribunal.
The Prosecutor acknowledged that the Tribunal will miss its intended closure deadline, which was to be the end of this year. However, the Prosecutor stressed that his office is working as efficiently as possible while still operating at the highest standard of integrity. The Prosecutor lauded his staff, saying that despite the ever-increasing number of people leaving the office, those who remain have maintained the efficient progress of trial and appeals hearings. Since the last Security Council report the Prosecutor’s office has concluded two trials and one appeals hearing. Two more trials are in their final phases, and the Prosecutor’s office has completed its case-in-chief in two more trials.
The Prosecutor reported that State cooperation, in particular from States of the former Yugoslavia, remains critical in all aspects of the Office of the Prosecutor’s work.
When it comes to Serbia, the Prosecutor said that the failure to capture Mladić and Hadžić remains one of his office’s foremost concerns. The Prosecutor also said that the authorities are working on the recommendations made by his Office last summer, but “there is still much left to be done and the progress must be faster”. He asked Serbia to adopt a more pro-active approach to arresting the fugitives. Serbia “holds the key” to bringing Ratko Mladić and Goran Hadžić to justice, he said. The Prosecutor also said that Serbia’s co-operation in ongoing cases is proceeding well. Serbia is facilitating requests for access to documents and archives.
In relation to the cooperation of Croatia, the Prosecutor stated that the key outstanding issue remains the request for the important military documents relating to Operation Storm. The Prosecutor informed the Council that the Task Force established by the Government to locate or account for the missing documents has now started working on exploring avenues identified by the Office of the Prosecutor more than one year ago. He said that the authorities have identified a number of problematic areas raised by his Office. He encouraged the authorities to address these problems and account for the missing documents.
Turning to the cooperation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Prosecutor said that the authorities continue to respond adequately to requests for assistance and he asked that authorities redouble efforts against fugitives’ networks.
The Prosecutor’s office continues to support the full implementation of the Bosnia and Herzegovina National War Crimes Strategy. The Prosecutor also encouraged courts dealing with war crimes cases at all levels of the judicial system to further improve their working relationships
The Prosecutor also told the Security Council that his office is doing everything possible to transfer information and expertise to courts in the former Yugoslavia region. When the Tribunal closes, it will be left to courts in the region to prosecute the region’s remaining war crimes cases. A key component of this effort is the European Union has funded a “liaison prosecutors” program whereby one prosecutor from Bosnia and Herzegovina, one from Croatia and one from Serbia work alongside staff in the Office of the Prosecutor to gain firsthand experience and access the Tribunal’s information systems.
The Prosecutor reiterated his office’s commitment to a timely closure of the Tribunal and a smooth transition to the proposed residual mechanism. The Prosecutor’s office has abolished 30 professional posts and 12 general service posts. The Prosecutor stated that “the reduction of posts is part of a process that will continue and gather further momentum in the next reporting period as trials end”.
The Prosecutor concluded his presentation by stressing that his office is doing everything it can to meet all of its obligations and focus on the end of activities. He indicated however that, at the same time, his Office needed the support from the international community “more than ever.” While the key to the arrests of Ratko Mladić and Goran Hadžić lies in Serbia, the help from the international community remains crucial. More generally, he said, the failure to apprehend them “impedes reconciliation in the region and damages the credibility of the international legal system as a whole”. He stated that “with the concerted efforts of all relevant actors, we can prevail over the fugitives and their support networks”.
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The full text of the Prosecutor's speech can be found at:
The latest Completion Strategy Report can be found at:
In English
In French
An archive of all Completion Strategy Reports from previous years can be found at:
http://www.icty.org/tabs/14/2
An archive of all speeches made by the Tribunal’s principals can be found at:
http://www.icty.org/sid/10259
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International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
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