2004

20 December, Zagreb, Croatia

Meeting of local and international organisations dealing with war crime issues

The meeting established firmer links among various organisations and groups dealing with war crime issues, improving the flow of information and exchanging information on activities planned for 2005. Over 30 representatives of a dozen NGOs and international organisations concentrated on local trial monitoring and collecting materials and documents related to war crimes. A number of the organisations pointed to the weaknesses in local war crime proceedings and expressed the wish to hold coordination meetings and possible joint actions more often. Participants of the meeting were invited to freely approach Outreach with any ideas and plans for future projects.

This meeting was organised by the ICTY Outreach programme and Zagreb based NGO Human Rights Centre

> over 30 representatives of the OSCE, ABA CEELI, civil society activists, local and international NGOs, government representatives

16 December, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Screening of the documentary “Justice Unseen”

The Outreach BiH representative attended the premiere screening of “Justice Unseen”, a critical documentary on the ICTY, and participated in the panel discussion that followed. A major criticism relayed in the film is the victims’ disappointment with the Tribunal’s penal policy.

The film explored the criticism expressed by some media in the Federation of BiH about the early releases granted to the ICTY convicts Miroslav Zarić and Blagoje Simić, as well as the Appeals Chamber decision to release Mario Čerkez pending the rendering of the Appeals Judgement.

> civil society activists, media, government representatives, victim associations, general public

13–16 December, The Hague

Visit by FSOE (Forum for South Eastern Europe) documentary film crew

A documentary crew from the FSOE, an NGO aimed at expanding the democratic values in politics and economics of South Eastern Europe, visited the Tribunal. As part of their ‘Arena’ series, which was shown in Serbia and Montenegro, they were producing a documentary on the work of the Tribunal. The Forum crew interviewed a number of senior staff to produce a 50-minute programme to be aired on Radio Television Serbia (RTS).

This event was organised by NGO Forum for South Eastern Europe

> general public in Serbia and Montenegro

13 December, Zrenjanin, Serbia and Montenegro

Youth Initiative event in Zrenjanin

The Outreach representative and the NGO, ‘Youth Initiative’ participated in a high school workshop and a public panel discussion on the subject of war crimes, attended also by representatives of the Zrenjanin media. In addition to the local press coverage, the Belgrade daily “Danas” printed a report on the event.

This event was organised by Belgrade-based NGO Youth Initiative for Human Rights

> over 35 secondary school students, general public in the Zrenjanin area

10 December, Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro

International Human Rights Day roundtable

The NGO ‘Youth Initiative’ held a roundtable discussion on the occasion of International Human Rights Day.  In addition to the local Outreach representative, also speaking at the event were US Ambassador Michael Polt and the OSCE Ambassador Maurizio Massari. The event received wide press coverage in both the print and electronic media. 

This event was organised by Belgrade based NGO Youth Initiative for Human Rights

> civil society, NGO and media representatives

6–7 December, Brčko,  
9-10 December, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

ABA CEELI seminars for judges and prosecutors

The BiH Outreach representative attended a series of two-day seminars on war crimes for cantonal and district level judges and prosecutors. The ICTY Office of the Prosecutor sent its “Rules of the Road” officer to speak about the transfer of cases from the Tribunal. The information was extremely well received as there had been a low level of awareness about the new system by which the BiH Prosecutor’s Office conducted a review of domestic prosecutions.

This event was organised by BiH Court

> BiH cantonal and district level judges and prosecutors

29 – 30 November, The Hague

Visit of the President of the BiH Court

Medžida Kreso, President of Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, came to the Tribunal on a two-day visit during which she met senior ICTY officials, holding talks on the practicalities of the transfer of cases and material to the Bosnian judiciary.

This visit was organised by BiH State Court

> Medžida Kreso, President of BiH Court

29–30 November, Palić, Serbia and Montenegro

Regional Conference on judicial cooperation

The BiH Outreach represented the ICTY Sarajevo office at this regional conference on judicial cooperation. The conference focused on establishing effective regional cooperation between prosecutors in war crimes investigations, following an initiative by the Croatian State Attorney.

This event was organised by OSCE Mission in Serbia and Montenegro

> judiciary from the region

23 November, Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro

Workshop on war crimes trials at the Belgrade Political Science Faculty

The NGO, ‘Youth Initiative’ organised a workshop on war crimes trials, held at the University of Belgrade Faculty of Political Sciences.  Also speaking were the Director of the Humanitarian Law Center, Nataša Kandić, and the Spokesperson and Registrar of the War Crimes Chamber of the Belgrade District Court, Sonja Prostran. The event was significant as it marked the first time that the university permitted an event on the ICTY to be held on its premises.

This event was organised by Belgrade based NGO Youth Initiative for Human Rights

> students of political sciences from Belgrade University

22 - 25 November, The Hague

Visit by law students from Croatia

Law students from Osijek, Croatia visited the Tribunal for a week. They attended lectures on the following topics: introduction and overview of the Rules of Procedure and Evidence, courtroom tour, work with victims and witnesses, Chambers; The Office of the Prosecutor; accused defense and detention of the accused; defense counsel at the ICTY; the Tribunal and the media. They also attended court sessions.

This visit was organised by European Law Students Association (ELSA)

> 6 law students from Osijek, Croatia

20 November, Konjic, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bridging the Gap: Conference  “ICTY Cases in Relation to War Crimes Committed in Konjic”

During 2004 to 2005 Outreach conducted a conference series entitled “Bridging the Gap Between the ICTY and communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina” in which the Tribunal dealt directly with the immediate communities most affected by crimes at the heart of ICTY cases.

The Konjic conference gathered more than a hundred members of the local community. Senior Tribunal officials described their work on the Konijc cases and multi-media presentations guided the audience through the stages of investigation, visits to the crime scene, interviews with witnesses, analysis of forensic and other evidence, through key moments of the trials and most compelling evidence presented, until the final judgement. At the end of the day’s presentations, the panel of Tribunal representatives answered questions that had been submitted during the day in written form by the audience.
After the conference, representatives of victim groups indicated that one of the main achievements of the event was to say publicly and with authority that crimes were indeed committed – and that they could no longer be denied. The event was widely covered in the BiH media.

This conference was organised byThe Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Republika Srpska (HCHR) in association with Outreach
The series of events was generously supported by the "Neighbourhood Programme" of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

See Press Release PR914

> more than l00 members of the local community, including victims’ associations, representatives of governmental and non-governmental institutions, legal and law enforcement agencies and others

18 November, The Hague

Visit to the ICTY of the Canadian Ambassador to Croatia

During a one-day visit Ambassador Stephanie Beck met with senior ICTY officials, visited ongoing trials and was given a tour of the courtrooms.

This visit was organised by Canadian Embassy in Zagreb

> Canadian Ambassador to Croatia

18–19 November, The Hague

“The Fallen Pride and Prejudice” project

Two reporters each from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro and Croatia respectively, visited the Tribunal to prepare a variety of media products (short films, TV documentaries, internet photo reports) with the aim to counter the prejudices about the ICTY. Reporters were acquainted with the work of the Tribunal, services for journalists, and had interviews with the ICTY President, Spokesperson to the Prosecutor, Head of the Detention Unit and others. They also learnt about the technical side of courtrooms. The various media products of the visit were made available to the media and other recipients across the region.

This visit was organised by a Belgrade based NGO Media Education Centre

> general public, media, decision makers, academics, students from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia and Montenegro
 

17 November, Novi Sad, Serbia and Montenegro

Human rights training in Novi Sad

The Outreach representative gave a lecture at a training program in human rights.  Some Novi Sad-based journalists were also present. 

This event was organised by Helsinki Committee for Human Rights

> media representatives from Vojvodina and NGO activists

24 October, Zagreb, Croatia

UN Day lecture

As part of the programme marking UN Day in Croatia, an Outreach representative gave a lecture at the Human Rights Centre in Zagreb on the challenges of the ICTY completion strategy.

> representatives of Croatian ministries, international organisations and NGO’s

04 – 05 November, Zagreb, Croatia

ICTY President visited Croatia

This was the first visit of Theodor Meron to Croatia in his capacity as ICTY President.  He met with President Stjepan Mesić, and the Croatia’s Foreign Minister, Minister of Justice and the President of Supreme Court. President Meron spoke positively of the Government efforts to fulfill its obligations and of the progress of the Croatian judiciary in preparations to deal with ICTY. He stated that the apprehension of the fugitive Ante Gotovina was the key outstanding issue.

The visit was organised by ICTY Outreach

> Croatian politicians and judiciary, general public

31 October, Fruška Gora, Serbia and Montenegro

Swedish Helsinki Committee Regional Human Rights Training Programme

The Outreach representative based in Belgrade visited Fruška Gora, near Novi Sad, to speak at a training programme for human rights lawyers. The training brought together human rights lawyers from across the former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and Albania.

This training programme was organised by Swedish Helsinki Committee

> human rights lawyers from the former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and Albania

27 October, Novi Sad, Serbia and Montenegro

Press Conference and Public Debate on War Crimes

A press conference and public debate on war crimes committed by Serbs were held in Novi Sad, with the Outreach representative addressing both events.  Also speaking at the press conference were the Canadian Ambassador, the German Embassy Counsellor, the Serbian War Crimes Prosecutor’s Spokesperson Bruno Vekarić, and the War Crimes Chamber Spokesperson Sonja Prostran.  The Outreach representative was joined during the panel discussion by Nenad Čanak, leader of a Vojvodina political party, and representatives of the NGO Mothers of Srebrenica and Žepa Enclaves, who recounted their experiences living in Srebrenica from 1993 to its fall in July 1995.

The events received extensive press coverage in the press, and provoked political debate. In both Kraljevo and Novi Sad, the organisers, the Youth Initiative introduced a series of TV ads on crimes committed in Prijedor, Srebrenica, Sarajevo, Vukovar and Kosovo.  The ads were aired across Serbia on the independent network of television studios.

This event was organised by Belgrade-based NGO Youth Initiative for Human Rights

> Serbian politicians and judiciary, diplomatic community, victims’ associations, civil society activists, general public

25-29 October, Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro

Training Programme for Serbian War Crimes Investigators

The Outreach representative in Serbia and Montenegro lectured during this week-long training programme for Serbian war crimes investigators. The lectures focused on the Tribunal’s establishment, mandate, work and relationship with domestic war crimes courts. The Tribunal was also represented by other speakers from the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP): the Deputy Chief of Investigations, a military analyst, a legal advisor, and an investigator. The investigators participated actively in the course and the same group travelled to The Hague for consultations on concrete cases with the OTP in November.

This programme was organised by OSCE Mission in Serbia and Montenegro

> Serbian war crimes investigators

21-23 October, Kraljevo and Kragujevac, Serbia and Montenegro

Outreach events in Kraljevo and Kragujevac

The two events were part of an NGO Youth Initiative project “The Hague – Dealing with the Past,” took place in Kraljevo and Kragujevac.  The Outreach representative in Serbia and Montenegor and the OSCE War Crimes Advisor participated in a live television show on the Tribunal’s work and war crimes issues on the Kraljevo TV. The Outreach representative also participated in high school workshops and public panel debates in both cities, joined by the OSCE and War Crimes Chamber representatives. All events were well-attended and provoked much interest and animated discussion.

The events were organised by the Belgrade-based Youth Initiative

> general public, high school students

9 October, Foča, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bridging the Gap: Conference  “ICTY Cases in Relation to War Crimes Committed in Foča”

During 2004 to 2005 Outreach conducted a conference series entitled “Bridging the Gap Between the ICTY and communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina” in which the Tribunal dealt directly with the immediate communities most affected by crimes at the heart of ICTY cases.

The Foča conference gathered more than a hundred members of the local community. Senior officials described their work on the Foča cases and multi-media presentations guided the audience through the stages of investigation, visits to the crime scene, interviews with witnesses, analysis of forensic and other evidence, through key moments of the trials and most compelling evidence presented, until the final judgement.  The two cases, Kunarac et al. and Krnojelac were the major focus of the Foča conference.

In all the presentations, ICTY representatives echoed Bosnian public sentiment in calling on local authorities to conduct their own investigations and to bring additional charges where evidence exists regarding the many crimes committed in the Foča region.

This conference was organised byThe Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Republika Srpska and ICTY Outreach program. The series of events was generously supported by the "Neighbourhood Programme" of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

> more than l00 members of the local community, including victims’ associations, representatives of governmental and non governmental institutions, legal and law enforcement agencies and others

7, 8 October, Bjelolasica, Croatia

Conference on court efficiency

Outreach attended a conference on court efficiency which was the last part of the “Independence and Objectivity of the Croatian Judiciary” project launched in 1999, aimed at strengthening the independence and objectivity of Croatian judges. The event held in Bjelolasica consisted of two conferences - on court efficiency and on respect for human rights. Outreach actively participated in the event with the view of the Croatian judiciary’s role and ability to successfully process war crimes cases.

This conference was organised by Canadian section of International Association of Lawyers, Croatian Legal Centre and Croatian Helsinki Committee for Human Rights

> 70 representatives of Croatian judiciary, NGO’s in the region, human rights activists, academics

1-3 October, Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro

Visit by the ICTY Registrar to Belgrade

The ICTY Registrar Hans Holthuis visited the Serbian capital as part of his regular exchange and consultation with the region. The Registrar visited the special court building where the war crimes panel of the Belgrade District Court was hearing the Ovčara war crime case. The Registrar met with the war crimes panel’s President its Registrar and Spokesperson.  The Registrar also held discussions with the Dutch Ambassador to Serbia.  During his visit, Mr Holthuis addressed the international conference on dealing with the past, organised by the Belgrade-based NGO Humanitarian Law Centre, and talked about the Tribunal’s accomplishments (see: 1-2 October).

The visit was coordinated by the ICTY Outreach

> members of the Serbian judiciary, NGOs, human rights activists, diplomatic community

1–2 October, Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro

Conference on post-conflict justice

The “International Conference on Dealing with the Past: Post-conflict Strategies for Truth, Justice and Reconciliation” addressed various instruments for dealing with the legacy of armed conflict in the former Yugoslavia. In addition, focus was put on the issues related to the pending transfer of best practices from international war crimes trials to domestic jurisdictions.Both the Tribunal Prosecutor Carla del Ponte and Registrar Hans Holthuis were invited as presenters.

The event was organised in cooperation with the  Belgrade based NGO Humanitarian Law Centre in cooperation with the Council of Europe

> NGO’s in the region, human rights activists

24–25 September, Opatija,
15-16 and 29-30 October, Trogir
Croatia

Training for Croatian judges and prosecutors

ICTY experts took part in the second leg of the training seminar for Croatian judges and prosecutors involved in war crimes cases (first part was held in Stubičke Toplice in May-July).  The seminar was organised in accordance with the Tribunal's mandate to assist in strengthening the capacity of local judiciaries to handle war crimes cases. Two sessions were held in Opatija, and one in Trogir, Croatia.

At these three sessions, the participants examined the definitions of crimes under international and local laws, forms of criminal responsibility and association, targeting, investigation, charging decisions and methods of proof in war crimes trials, among other topics.

The aim of the entire seminar was to compare the Croatian legal system to the rules that apply in international law and at the ICTY, so as to better identify all the relevant issues for conducting war crimes trials in Croatia, whether those trials are brought before local courts as a result of local investigations, or on the basis of information and evidentiary materials provided by the ICTY OTP to the Croatian State Prosecutors’ Office, or as a result of the possible transfer of ICTY cases involving intermediary and lower level accused in accordance with Rule 11 bis of the Tribunal’s Rules of Procedure and Evidence.

The first leg of the training seminar involving a different group of participants was held from May to July in Stubičke Toplice.

This training was organised by Croatian Ministry of Justice and supported by ICTY Outreach

> 35 Croatian judges and prosecutors

2–5 September, Dubrovnik, Croatia

Conference on the legacy of war crimes

 The Outreach representative was one of the presenters in the conference titled “War Crimes and Legal Legacy: Historical Background and Comparative Experiences”, which put the prosecutions for war crimes in Serbia and Montenegro in a broader historical and comparative context. The seminar examined historical benchmarks in international criminal justice and their relevance for present practice in the region. Participants discussed international legal practice and transitional justice policies that supported war crimes trials. 

This conference was organised by the Judicial Training Center

> Judges and prosecutors selected to conduct war crimes trials and government officials facilitating work of international and domestic courts from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia and Montenegro

14 July, The Hague

Visit by public officials from Kosovo

The visitors were given an introduction to the work of ICTY and were offered a look into the technology that serves the ICTY courtrooms.

This visit was organised by Academy for Legislation from The Hague

> officials from Kosovo

July, Priboj, Serbia and Montenegro

Youth Initiative for Human Rights Event in Priboj

The Outreach representative participated in a series of events in Priboj, in the south-west of Serbia.  She went to a roundtable discussion, gave a half hour television interview, and a one-hour call-in radio show. The most important element of the visit in Priboj was a public panel discussion and meetings with families of the victims from Sjeverin who were kidnapped and killed in 1993 (ICTY indictee Milan Lukić was convicted by the Belgrade District Court in absentia for this crime). Also participating in the event were: a representative of the War Crimes Panel of the Belgrade District Court and a member of the Humanitarian Law Center. All events were well-attended.

This event was orgainsed by Belgrade-based NGO Youth Initiative for Human Rights

> representatives of NGOs, Serbian judiciary, vicitms’ associations, local politicians and general public

23 June, Zrenjanjin, Serbia and Montenegro

Meeting with high-school students and local NGOs

The Outreach representative was in Zrenjanin at the invitation of the Zrenjanin Centre for Human Rights where she spoke to students at the Zrenjanin high school. The students were active and reactions were very positive. The Outreach representative also met with several Zrenjanin NGOs and its Ombudsman. The NGOs were interested in assisting with Outreach events, and receiving training from the Tribunal on how to teach others about its work.

This meeting was organised by Zrenjanin Centre for Human Rights

> high-school students and local NGOs

22-24 June, Sarajevo and Potočari,
Bosnia and Herzegovina

Visit of the ICTY President to Bosnia and Herzegovina

The President of the Tribunal, Judge Theodor Meron, held meetings with the Office of the High Representative, Court of BiH, and also paid a visit to the Srebrenica Victims Memorial at Potočari. In statements given to the media, the President urged for the arrest of fugitives and confirmed that the Tribunal was willing to transfer a considerable number of cases to Bosnian courts.

The visit was organised by ICTY Outreach

> political leaders, victim’s associations, judiciary and the general public

June, Novi Pazar, Serbia and Montenegro

Youth Initiative for Human Rights Event in Novi Pazar

The Outreach representative in Serbia and Montenegro participated in a series of Youth Initiative events focusing on the Tribunal and facing the past.  In Novi Pazar, she attended a workshop with high school students and a live TV call-in show.  Also participating in the events were representatives of the UNDP’s Judicial Training Centre and a representative of the OSCE.

This event was organised by Belgrade based NGO Youth Initiative for Human Rights

> high school students from Novi Pazar and the general public

28 May, Budva,  Serbia and Montenegro

Outreach briefing for journalists

The Outreach representative spoke to Serbian, Montenegrin and Albanian journalists about the Tribunal’s relations with domestic courts and public opinion. The journalists received an introduction to the mandate and achievements of the Tribunal. 

This event was organised by Belgrade-based NGO Youth Initiative for Human Rights

> Serbian, Albanian and Montenegrin journalists

21 – 22 May, 11-12 June and 2-3 July, 
Stubičke Toplice, Croatia

Training for Croatian judges and prosecutors

Representatives of the Tribunal took part in the first part of a training seminar for Croatian judges and prosecutors involved in war crimes cases.

The seminar was organised in accordance with the Tribunal's mandate to assist in strengthening the capacity of local judiciaries to handle war crimes cases. This was the first of six training sessions held over six months.

At these first three sessions, the participants examined the definitions of crimes under international and local laws, forms of criminal responsibility and association, targeting, investigation, charging decisions and methods of proof in war crimes trials, among other topics.

The aim of the entire seminar was to compare the Croatian legal system to the rules that apply in international law and at the ICTY, so as to better identify all the relevant issues for conducting war crimes trials in Croatia, whether those trials are brought before local courts as a result of local investigations, or on the basis of information and evidentiary materials provided by the ICTY OTP to the Croatian State Prosecutors’ Office, or as a result of the possible transfer of ICTY cases involving intermediary and lower level accused in accordance with Rule 11 bis of the Tribunal’s Rules of Procedure and Evidence.

The second leg of the training seminar involving a different group of participants was held from September to October.

This training was organised by Croatian Ministry of Justice

> 35 Croatian judges and prosecutors

14 – 15 May, Mount Tara, Serbia and Montenegro

International criminal law conference

The Outreach representative took part in a conference entitled ‘Application of International Standards in National Jurisdictions’, where she delivered a paper entitled, “Criminal Procedure before the Tribunal”. Other topics discussed included command responsibility under international law, the Tribunal's Rules of Procedure and Evidence, human rights and fair trial issues.

This conference was organised by International Criminal Law Association in Serbia

> numerous legal professionals from the region, representatives of NGOs and civil activists

11–14 May, The Hague

Visit by Bosnian parliamentarians

Representatives from the Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH) Parliamentary Assembly took part in a a three-day visit to the Tribunal. Participants were given a presentation “Establishment and Organization of the ICTY and Overview of Ongoing Cases”. They also met with an Advisor to the Chief Prosecutor, with representatives of the “Rules of the Road” program and Chambers representatives. In addition, they visited the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The visit was organised at the request of the BiH parliamentary Assembly

> five members of the Committee for Human Rights, Immigration, Refugees and Asylum of the Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH) Parliamentary Assembly

10 – 14 May, The Hague

Visit by the Serbian War Crimes Chamber of the Belgrade District Court

Judges and prosecutors from the Serbian War Crimes Court (SWCC) visited the Tribunal for professional consultations with Tribunal officials. They  participated in a host of discussions on practical issues relating to building the capacity of Serbia’s war crimes court to try cases up to international standards and was aimed at building the channels of communication between the SWCC and the ICTY. The visit concluded with a roundtable with Tribunal judges.  The court and prosecutor’s spokespersons gave interviews in which they evaluated the visit very positively.

This visit was organised by the United Nations Development Program in Serbia and Montenegro

> 12 officials of the Serbian War Crimes Chamber of the Belgrade District Court

12 – 13 May, Leskovac, Serbia and Montenegro

Events on confronting the past in Leskovac

The Serbia and Montenegro Outreach representative was in Leskovac, in the south of Serbia for the first of six events focusing on the Tribunal’s work. Outreach participated in a press conference, public panel discussion, high school workshop, and interview on local radio.  Also participating in the event were two members of the Mothers of the Srebrenica and Žepa Enclaves, and a representative of the Humanitarian Law Center from Belgrade.

This event was organised by Belgrade based NGO Youth Initiative for Human Rights and Leskovac NGO Committee for Human Rights

> youth, general public from the Leskovac area

8 May, Brčko, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bridging the Gap: Conference  “ICTY Cases in Relation to War Crimes Committed in Brčko”

The first in a series of Outreach events conducted in 2004 to bring information to local communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina affected by the war crimes prosecuted at the ICTY. The Brčko conference gathered more than a hundred members of the local community. Senior officials, including Deputy Registrar David Tolbert, described their work on the Brčko cases and multi-media presentations guided the audience through the stages of investigation, visits to the crime scene, interviews with witnesses, analysis of forensic and other evidence, through key moments of the trials and most compelling evidence presented, until the final judgement. The conference was hailed as a great success by both participants and observers. 

The conference was organised by The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Republika Srpska and ICTY Outreach program
The series of events was generously supported by the "Neighbourhood Programme" of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
See Press Release PR845

> more than l00 members of the local community, including victims’ associations, representatives of governmental and non governmental institutions, legal and law enforcement agencies and others

6 May, The Hague

Visit by law students from Kragujevac

The students were given a presentation on the establishment, structure and achievements of the ICTY and overview of ongoing cases. They also attended two presentations from the Office of the Prosecutor and had a tour of the courtroom. 

The visit was organised by the University of Kragujevac

> 60 law students from the University of Kragujevac

03 May, The Hague

Visit by students from Kosovo, Serbia and The Netherlands

The group paid a half-day visit to the Tribunal as part of “Our Future - European Integration Program”. They attended a presentation on the mandate and achievements of ICTY. This study visit was part of a larger visit to Belgium and The Netherlands.

This visit was organised by Belgrade based NGO Fractal, Kosovo NGO Forum and Dutch NGO IKV Pax Christi

> 24 students from Kosovo, Serbia and The Netherlands

24 April, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Conference on Dealing with the Past and Reconciliation in the former Yugoslavia

The Outreach representative participated in a conference on dealing with the past and reconciliation in the former Yugoslavia. This ICTY-supported initiative served to bring together youth-focused NGOs in the region to form a Balkan Reconciliation Network.

This conference was organised by Belgrade based NGO Youth Initiative for Human Rights

> human rights youth activists from the region

15 April, Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro

Participation in a TV program on the work of the ICTY

The Outreach representative participated in an in-depth TV discussion program on the Tribunal.  The better part of the programme was devoted to the indictment against some top Serbian accused (Pavković, Lazarević, Lukić and Đorđević), although other questions were also discussed.  Other participants were Professor Frank Hoepfel, of the University of Vienna, and Igor Bandović, of the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights.  The program was aired on the network of independent TV stations in Serbia and Montenegro.

The program was produced by the Swiss NGO Forum for South East Europe

General public in Serbia

6 April, Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro

Prime time political discussion on Serbian TV

The Outreach representative in Serbia and Montenegro participated in a talk show called Pres Pretres (Press Discussion) on the law on assistance to the ICTY indictees and their families. Outreach explained the Tribunal’s system of legal and financial assistance to detainees. Other participants challenged the Democratic Party of Serbia representative whose party sponsored the law. Of the 700 people who called in to vote in the show’s poll, 89 per cent were in favour of annulling the law.  The show aired on BK television during prime time and was watched by approximately one million viewers.

> general public across Serbia and Montenegro

27 – 28 March, Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro

Conference on command responsibility

The conference was designed to introduce the concept of command responsibility to Serbian judges, prosecutors and investigators involved in domestic war crimes cases. The conference involved lectures from respected law professors in the region and Tribunal experts.

This conference was organised by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Mission to Serbia and Montenegro

> Serbian judges, prosecutors and investigators involved in the local war crimes cases

12–14 March, Vukovar, Croatia

Training seminar for Croatian journalists

A two-day seminar “Covering War Crimes Court Proceedings before the ICTY and Local Courts” served to educate journalists on the work of the ICTY with the aim of improving the quality of reporting. The seminar aimed to encourage journalists to increase reporting on the Tribunal and offer them an opportunity to exchange experiences with seasoned journalists who specialise in trial reporting.

This seminar was organised by Vukovar-based NGO Centre for Peace, Legal Advice and Psychosocial Assistance

> about 30 journalists, including 17 from war-affected areas of Croatia, three from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia and Montenegro
and a dozen others (journalists, OSCE, UNDP, local NGOs and judiciary)

4-6 March, Bjelašnica, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Training seminar for BiH Prosecutors

Senior ICTY representatives, including the Head of Investigations Division, addressed the participants of this three-day conference on various aspects of war crimes investigations and prosecution procedure at the ICTY and possibilities to use the Tribunal’s experience in domestic war cases involving war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

In addition, presentations were made by domestic experts and OHR representatives on various elements regulating war crimes prosecution in the laws of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The conference was organised by the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Republika Srpska

> 40 BiH prosecutors from both entities, 20 other observers, mainly from the BiH-based international community

20 – 21 February, Vukovar, Croatia

Conference on Documentation and Investigation Centre

The Outreach representative took active part in this conference that discussed the possibility of establishing a regional documentation and investigation centre for confronting the past in the former Yugoslavia. It was suggested that it could be a part of the ex-Yugoslav civil society strategy with respect to the Tribunal’s completion strategy. The Humanitarian Law Centre was interested in coordinating an effort to create such a documentation center containing ICTY materials. Also in focus were NGO efforts to continue encouraging local courts to try cases fairly and communicating the Tribunal's work to the public.

This conference was organised by Belgrade-based NGO Humanitarian Law Centre

> 35 participants from NGO’s and human rights activists from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia and Montenegro

18 February, Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro

TV program on cooperation with the ICTY

The Outreach representative and a Legal Officer in ICTY and ICTR Appeals Chamber, participated in a television program on the cooperation with the Tribunal. Other participants in the program were distinguished professors of law from Vienna and Novi Sad, Legal Advisors from Council of Europe, and Serbian politicians. The program was be aired on the network of independent TV stations across Serbia. Over a million viewers watched the TV programme which was broadcast in several cities in Serbia on 5 March and rebroadcast on 8 March. Reactions from viewers who called into the TV stations were on the whole positive. One station concluded that there should be more such programmes “in order to create a true image with the public of events in the Former Yugoslav region.”

This event was organised by the NGO Forum for South East Europe

> general public in Serbia

January, Budapest, Hungary

International conference on facing the past

The conference’s goal was to learn from previous experiences worldwide and to discover the best practices in documentation for the purpose of establishing truth and accountability as a way of creating conditions for dealing with the past. ICTY representatives were invited to address issues relating to the Tribunal’s completion strategy and the fate of ICTY documentation upon the end of the mandate. Two initiatives were identified as most important: a regional approach to monitoring war crimes trials and a regional database of missing persons.

The conference was organised by the Humanitarian Law Centre from Belgrade

> 40 participants from NGOs from Serbia and Montenegro, Croatia, Macedonia, BiH, Kosovo, plus international experts from the USA, Cambodia, Argentina, Iraq and Hungary

January - December, Pristina, Kosovo

Expansion of Outreach activities in Kosovo

The Outreach Programme in 2004 expanded its Albanian and English language mailing lists from about 50 media outlets to well over 100. The Outreach Programme also began contributing on an ad hoc basis a column on the Tribunal’s work to the most widely-read Kosovo daily, Koha Ditore.  Outreach created a space for these columns on the Tribunal’s Albanian-language website, where they became available in both English and Albanian. 

This activity was organised by the ICTY Outreach programme

> general public in Kosovo

January - December, Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro

Tribunal columns in “Balkan” newspaper

Throughout the year Outreach produced a weekly column in the “Balkan” newspaper in which various topics related to the work of the Tribunal were covered, including issues related to the judicial process, indictments, trial, rights of the accused, sentences and judgements. The English version of the columns appeared in the V.I.P. daily English-language news service from Serbia and Montenegro.

This weekly column was produced by the ICTY Outreach programme

> Serbian general public, diplomatic community and foreign representatives in Belgrade