Legacy website of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia

Since the ICTY’s closure on 31 December 2017, the Mechanism maintains this website as part of its mission to preserve and promote the legacy of the UN International Criminal Tribunals.

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2003

 

Date Activity/Event Stakeholders

17 December, The Hague

Visit of local government and NGOs from Croatia

The group received briefings on the mandate, goals and achievements of the Tribunal and its Outreach programme, as well as met with representatives of the Office of the Prosecutor who provided an insight into their work.

The visit was organised by the Dutch NGO Interchurch Peace Council, Interkerkeljik Vredesberaad (IKV)

> around sixty representatives of local government and  NGOs from Eastern Croatia

10 December, The Hague

Visit from Amnesty International

The group visited the Tribunal as part of Amnesty International’s Young Hero program for young human rights' defenders. They received an overview of the ICTY work in the context of human rights law, and attended a session in the Milošević trial.

The visit was organised by Amnesty International Netherlands

> four participants, including a Kosovo representative of the Nansen Group and NGO Kosovo Organisation for New Initiatives (KONI), and Amnesty International Netherlands coordinators and experts on the Balkans

8-10 December, The Hague

Visit on witness protection

Officials from both the Serbian judiciary and government and the OSCE visited the ICTY for discussions on implementing a more effective witness protection programme. The interest is due to the lack of implementing legislation to establish a functioning witness protection system in Serbia. The ICTY Staff from the Victims and Witness Section took the lead to share their experiences and gave presentations on various aspects of witness protection.

The visit was organised by the OSCE Mission to Serbia and Montenegro

> officials from the Serbian Ministry of Justice, Ministry of  the Interior, Serbian judiciary - Presidents of the War Crimes and Organised Crime panels of the Belgrade District Court, the War Crimes Prosecutor, and the Deputy Prosecutor for Organised Crime

5-6 December, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Conference on guilty pleas

The two-day conference examined the practice of guilty pleas and plea agreements at the ICTY and compared related practice in national legal systems.
The ICTY team numbered some eight persons including Registrar Hans Holthuis and Deputy Prosecutor Graham Blewitt. The discussions, which took place during the conference, illustrated many different views that exist regarding the practice of plea agreements at the Tribunal. However, the conference was hailed as a great success by participants and observers. The interaction among victim groups representatives and senior ICTY officials pointed to the need for future activities to narrow the mentioned gap.

The event was organised by the Human Rights Centre, Sarajevo, and funded by the Peace and Stability Fund of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark

> 80 participants including judicial practitioners and legal professionals, as well as state officials and victims associations from the former Yugoslavia

17-21 November, The Hague

Visit of judges and prosecutors from the Brčko District

This was the first visit of the judiciary from the Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Tribunal. The aim was to provide judges and prosecutors with an opportunity to attend trials, and offer them a comprehensive introduction to the ICTY criminal procedure, the crimes prosecuted and modes of responsibility, working with witnesses, plea agreements and implications of the completion strategy. The visitors met with senior Tribunal officials, held round table discussions with the ICTY judges and received a tour of the courtroom.

The visit was sponsored by the Brčko Legal Reform Office of the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina

> eight judges and prosecutors from the Brčko District judiciary, Bosnia and Herzegovina

12 November, Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro

Domestic war crimes round table

The Outreach representative attended an OSCE round table on local war crimes trials to discuss the organisation’s report entitled War Crimes Before Domestic Courts and stated that the Tribunal finds it critical that local courts try war crimes cases. Outreach stressed that the Tribunal was aware of the difficulties these institutions face and that it was fully prepared to assist in overcoming the multitude of challenges.

The event was organised by the OSCE Mission to Serbia and Montenegro

> Belgrade-based NGOs, international organisations, governmental bodies and journalists

12 November, The Hague

Visit of a municipal delegation from Srebrenica

During this short visit the participants (who were in The Netherlands for a week long tour including visits to several Dutch municipalities) received a general introduction to the Tribunal’s mandate, goals and achievements, together with the overview of current cases, particularly the Srebrenica-related cases.

The visit was organised by the Dutch NGO Interchurch Peace Council, Interkerkeljik Vredesberaad (IKV)

> eight participants from the municipality of Srebrenica

11 November, The Hague

Visit of judges from Serbia and Montenegro

The judges made a short visit to the Tribunal where they received a general briefing on the ICTY and attended a trial. It was part of a week long visit to European judicial institutions.

The visit was organised by the Judicial Centre, Serbia and Montenegro

> 45 judges and future judges from throughout Serbia and Montenegro

4 November, The Hague

Visit of young Macedonian politicians

During this visit the group was keen to learn about the Tribunal’s mandate, practical functioning and completed prosecutions. They also gained further knowledge about the investigations into the crimes committed on the Macedonian territory. Finally, the group attended court proceedings.

The visit was organised by the Dutch NGO Interchurch Peace Council, Interkerkeljik Vredesberaad (IKV)

> nine young generation Macedonian politicians, from both Macedonian and Albanian ethnic background

October, Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro

Donation to the Belgrade Law Faculty

The Belgrade Outreach office delivered an extensive collection of ICTY documents to the Belgrade Law Faculty Library.

The donation was organised by Outreach

> law students of the Belgrade University

23-25 October, Igalo, Serbia and Montenegro

Seminar on international humanitarian law

The Outreach representative attended this training seminar, together with senior ICTY representatives: an investigator and a Trial Attorney from the Office of the Prosecutor and the President’s Deputy Chef de Cabinet, who presented lectures on points of international law and led smaller group sessions. Outreach distributed Tribunal-related printed materials, including ICTY indictments, judgements and plea agreements. The conference was useful for forging professional ties amongst the participants, with Croatian investigators offering to provide Serbian colleagues some forensic information related to the Ovčara case, and Serbian prosecutors discussing with their Kosovo counterparts the investigation of the Kosovo Albanian bodies buried in the Belgrade suburb of Batajnica. Outreach liaised with many local prosecutors working on war crimes cases about the assistance the ICTY could offer.

The seminar was organised by the Humanitarian Law Center (HLC) in conjunction with the International Bar Association (IBA), and funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA)

> high-level legal professionals from the countries of the former Yugoslavia (judges, prosecutors, defence attorneys, investigators), as well as academics from Europe and the USA

9 October, The Hague

Visit of students from Slovenia and the Netherlands

The students received a general introduction to the ICTY, including an introduction to the origins and current challenges and achievements of the Tribunal. They also attended a session in the Milošević trial.

The visit was organised by the Dutch chapter of the  European Geography Association (EGEA)

> 18 geography students

29 September – 1 October, The Hague

Visit of law students from Croatia

An introduction to the ICTY opened the visit of the law students from Croatia. The visitors gained knowledge about various legal aspects of the ICTY work, including procedural issues, plea agreements, work with witnesses, etc. They were also offered an in-depth look into the work of the Office of the Prosecutor, receiving presentations from staff working in this organ.

The visit was sponsored by The European Law Students’ Association (ELSA)

> seven law students from the University of Rijeka, Croatia

26-27 September, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Seminar for journalists on war crimes

The Outreach BiH representative spoke at this journalist's seminar, aimed at building the capacity of those people reporting on the issue of war crimes, and improving their practical skills. The ICTY representative explained the completion strategy and role of the Bosnian judiciary in the prosecution of war crimes. Other lecturers included experienced war crimes trials reporters (from SENSE, IWPR and the ICTY correspondent for the magazine Dani).

The seminar was organised by Transitions Online

> six young journalists from BiH, Croatia and Serbia and Montenegro, with experience either in the ICTY or domestic war crimes trial reporting

17 September, Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Confronting war crimes in Srebrenica

The BiH Outreach representative attended a round table in Srebrenica entitled “Crime and Truth”. The discussion, held three days before the opening of the Potočari Memorial, focused on crimes committed in Srebrenica and their consequences. The ICTY’s contribution to the establishment of facts about the Srebrenica crime was acknowledged by most speakers. Participants agreed on the crucial importance for the societies in the former Yugoslavia to confront the war-time crimes, but that the societies were not yet ready to accept responsibility. The Outreach representative spoke on the need for local judiciary to pursue information resulting from the ICTY trials in order to prosecute lower-lever perpetrators and broaden the picture on crimes which occurred during the conflict.

The round table was organised by the Forum of Tuzla Citizens and the Helsinki Committee in Republika Srpska

> some 50 participants from various BiH governmental institutions and NGOs, as well as activists, journalists and professors from the region, including amongst others, the Vice-President of the Federation of BiH, the director of B92 TV from Belgrade, the Head of Humanitarian Law Fund from Belgrade, the Head of Commission for Missing Persons of FBiH and the Head of the State Commission for Investigation of War Crimes

9-12 September, The Hague

Visit of judges from the Indonesian Ad Hoc Human Rights Court

The visit was part of an intensive two-week training workshop on international humanitarian law for judges of the Indonesian Court. The ICTY part of the training focused on the development of international humanitarian law and human rights from Second world war to the present. It also included jurisprudence regarding command responsibility and crimes against humanity, analysis of elements of crimes, court management, development of the rules of procedure and evidence, evaluation of witness credibility, pre-trial investigations, and the role of defence attorneys and sentencing. 

The visit was sponsored by the University of California’s Human Rights Center and the War Crimes Studies Center, in collaboration with the East West Center

> ten judges from the Indonesian Ad Hoc Human Rights Court

17 July, Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro

ICTY presentation at a NATO seminar

The Outreach representative gave a presentation on the ICTY as part of a week-long course providing basic knowledge about NATO and the Partnership for Peace. The participants focused on the cases against Serb and Kosovo Albanian perpetrators, as well as the legal issues surrounding the establishment of the ICTY.

The event was organised by the German-based NATO School

> some 60 army and ministry officials, journalists and NGO representatives from Serbia and Montenegro

11 July, The Hague

Visit of Serbian local government officials

The participants attended a briefing on the establishment, structure and overview of ICTY cases, with special focus on those related to Serbia and Montenegro. The group also attended a session in the Milošević trial.

The visit was organised by USAID in Belgrade and by the International Co-operation Agency of the Association of Netherland Municipalities - VNG International

> 11 officials active in the local government management in Serbia and members of the management team of the USAID project of reform of local government in Serbia, including officials from: the Municipality of Kruševac, Standing Conference of Towns and Cities in Yugoslavia, Ministry of Finance and Economy

5 July, Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina

“The Truth about the Srebrenica Massacre”

The victims' group representing families of the men killed in and around Srebrenica during summer of 1995, organised a round table titled “The Truth about the Srebrenica Massacre”. It was attended by the BiH Outreach Coordinator and by an experienced Senior Trial Attorney from the ICTY Office of the Prosecutor, (the lead prosecutor in the case against one of the high-level perpetrators of the Srebrenica crime, Radislav Krstić). The presentation about the established facts was powerful and generated much discussion and comment. The round table pointed to the need for more substantive communication between the ICTY and victims' groups. The participants also stressed the responsibility of opinion makers to lead the societies in the process of facing the Srebrenica crime.

The conference was organised by the victims group Mothers of Srebrenica and Žepa Enclaves

> 80 representatives of victims groups, Srebrenica municipal authorities, government ministers from the state and BiH Federation (invitees from RS government failed to attend), human rights groups, missing persons’ commissions, media and others

2 July, Vrnjačka Banja, Serbia and Montenegro

Youth lecture in Vrnjačka Banja

The Outreach representative held a youth lecture in Vrnjačka Banja as part of a nine-day human rights course. The feedback was very positive and many students’ views changed and their understanding of the Tribunal improved as a result of the half day lecture.

The event was organised by the Serbian Helsinki Committee for Human Rights and financed by the Norwegian Helsinki Committee

> 20 high-school students from various parts of Serbia

 

26-29 June, Bjelašnica, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Training for Bosnian judges and prosecutors

The event gathered a select group of Bosnian judges and prosecutors active in war crimes and provided them with a solid foundation regarding applicable law at the ICTY. Speakers were ICTY practitioners, including Senior Trial Attorneys from the Office of the Prosecutor, Chambers Legal Officers, Outreach officers, as well as lecturers from the Office of the High Representative and domestic lawyers.

The event was organised by the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Republika Srpska in cooperation with ICTY Outreach, and was supported by the Peace and Stability Fund of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Embassy of the United States in Bosnia and Herzegovina

> 36 judges and prosecutors from Bosnia and Herzegovina

13-14 June, Zagreb, Croatia

Conference on command responsibility – part two

This was the continuation of the conference started in May in Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro. The aim of the event was the analysis of the doctrine of command responsibility under international and national law. The participants examined the historical background, development and application of the doctrine, and discussed the current and future status of the national law. The ICTY provided the bulk of lecturers. On the first day of the conference, the Outreach representative appeared live in a popular news programme Meridijan 16 on the Croatian state television. Media interest was considerable, with all main print, radio, television and news agencies covering the event.

The conference was organised by the Croatian Association for Criminal Sciences and Practice (CACSP), with the support of the Peace and Stability Fund of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark

> over 40 members of  the Croatian judiciary, lawyers, law faculty professors, and 40 observers - NGOs, government (Ministries of Justice, Defence and Foreign Affairs), students and the media

11 June, The Hague

Visit of parliamentarians from Vojvodina

The guests from the Serbian province of Vojvodina got acquainted with the nature of the ICTY cooperation with states, from both the Registry and Office of the Prosecutor perspective. Transfer of documents, access to witnesses, and the arrest of fugitives were among the most discussed issues.

The visit was sponsored by the Embassy of Serbia and Montenegro in The Hague

> 18 members of the Vojvodina Parliament

16 June, Trn, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Presentation in the School of Human Rights

The Outreach BiH representative gave a presentation to a group of 20 youths attending the Helsinki Committee’s Summer School of Human Rights. The group included high school students (aged 14-17) from across Bosnia and Herzegovina. Following a short introduction on the establishment, structure and jurisdiction of the ICTY, a discussion ensued. This was the second such presentation by the Outreach representative (the first had been held in January) which further cemented the good relationship with the organiser.

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

> 20 students from throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina

26-30 May, The Hague

Visit of law students from Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Bosnian students attended a comprehensive programme on the Tribunal. The group consisted of students attending a specialised programme in international law. They learned about the work of the Chambers and the Prosecution (investigations, “Rules of the Road” program with Bosnia), work with victims and witnesses, legal aid for the accused, detention, and work with the media in the region. They also had a behind the scenes look at the technology used in the Tribunal courtrooms. This was the first time that such a group of law students from Bosnia and Herzegovina visited the Tribunal and it was seen as a very significant project by the students and their faculties.

The visit was organised by the Open Society Fund in Bosnia and Herzegovina

> 27 law students from the third and fourth years of study from the Universities in Sarajevo, Mostar and Banja Luka, with two Assistant Professors

23-24 May, Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro

Conference on command responsibility – part one

This, the first part of the conference, was held in Belgrade (with the second part taking place in Zagreb, Croatia). The aim of the event was to analyse the doctrine of command responsibility under international and national law. The participants examined the historical background, development and application of the doctrine, and discussed the current and future status in their national law. The ICTY provided the bulk of lecturers. Especially praised was the multi-media presentation by one of the ICTY Senior Trial Attorneys, Television B92 also aired a 20-minute report on the conference.

The conference was organised by the Humanitarian Law Center (HLC) from Belgrade, with the support of the Peace and Stability Fund of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark

> more than 40 members of the judiciary, and 40 observers from Serbia and Montenegro - NGO, government and military representatives

23 May, The Hague

Visit of politicians from Serbia and Montenegro

The visit was part of a wider programme “Serbia and Montenegro: Towards European Future”. The guests met with a senior Registry representative for a briefing focusing on the obligations of states to cooperate with the ICTY and the various forms of this cooperation. The discussion included the issue of the country’s European future in the context of transitional justice efforts. Afterwards, the politicians attended a session in the Slobodan Miloševič trial.

The visit was organised by the Dutch NGO Pax Christi

> 12 politicians from: Democratic Party, G17 Plus, Movement for Democratic Serbia, Civic Alliance of Serbia, Social Democratic Union, Socialist People’s Party, Democratic Party of Socialists; representatives held various positions in Serbian, Montenegrin or State Union Parliament, Belgrade City Hall, ministries

19 May, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Start of TV broadcast of Slobodan Milošević trial

After negotiations and lobbying by Outreach, Federation Television (FTV) of Bosnia and Herzegovina started broadcasting the ICTY trial of Slobodan Milošević. Shortly afterwards, Republika Srpska Television also started broadcasting the trial.

> general public in Bosnia and Herzegovina

12-16 May, Pristina and Prizren, Kosovo

Visit of the ICTY Registrar to Kosovo

Hans Holthuis, the ICTY Registrar, visited Kosovo to gain insight into the domestic efforts in the processing of war crimes cases. The Registrar met with UNMIK justice and administration officials, the OSCE, Kosovo Supreme Court President, Bar Association, Kosovo Judicial Institute, and held talks with international prosecutors and judges in both Pristina and Prizren. The visit was widely covered in the Kosovo media.

The visit was organised by ICTY Outreach

> Kosovo judiciary, general public

8 May – 25 October, Igalo, Serbia and Montenegro

Project of training in international humanitarian law for Serbia and Montenegro judiciary

This project consisted of three two-day sessions designed to help the capacity-building of the Serbian and Montenegrin judiciary to apply international humanitarian law and to enable them to conduct domestic trials for war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. Additionally, the course facilitated the exchange of experience and initiated professional cooperation between the courts in the region thereby effecting more efficient and fair trial proceedings. ICTY practictioners were among the lecturers. The sessions were held on 8 - 10 May, 26-28 June and 23-25 October .

The project was implemented by the Humanitarian Law Centre from Belgrade, with the support of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)

> eight judges, eight prosecutors, eight attorneys and nine police investigators from Serbia and Montenegro (including Kosovo and Vojvodina provinces)

8-10 May, Palić, Serbia and Montenegro

ICTY contribution to capacity building in international humanitarian law

Four ICTY officials participated as trainers in a seminar on international humanitarian law (IHL). Separate groups (judges, prosecutors, defence and investigators) worked on the issues of relevance to their fields. The seminar filled an evident gap in education on IHL, and promoted communication between the Tribunal and the local judiciary. Materials were distributed to all participants, including ICTY basic legal documents, indictments and judgements.

The seminar was organised by the International Bar Association and the Humanitarian Law Center

> legal practitioners from Serbia and Montenegro: judges, prosecutors, attorneys and investigators

6, 13, 15, 20 May, Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro

Lectures for Serbian university students

The Outreach representative gave four lectures for Belgrade University students in May. All lectures lasted about 90 minutes with a question and answer session and offered a background to the Tribunal’s establishment, goals and structure, as well as procedures and cases. Reactions were very positive in all groups.

Three lectures were co-organised with the Belgrade University’s Faculty of Political Science and one with the help of a Belgrade-based NGO Most

> around 50 students
from a course in international humanitarian law, postgraduate students, some ministry officials, NGO activists and journalists

May, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Meeting with the Mothers of Srebrenica and Žepa Enclaves

The BiH Outreach representative held a meeting with the association Mothers of Srebrenica and Žepa Enclaves, following the NGO’s harsh reactions in the media to the reports on the guilty plea of the ICTY accused Momir Nikolić. Various aspects of the plea were discussed and explained and the initial perceptions by Srebrenica women were considerably modified after the meeting. The positive impact of this effort was noted following the guilty plea agreement of another Srebrenica accused, when no negative reactions by the group were reported.

The meeting was organised by ICTY Outreach

> Mothers of Srebrenica and Žepa Enclaves

May, Serbia and Montenegro

Booklet with FAQ on the Tribunal

The Outreach Belgrade office started with the distribution of 10,000 copies of a Frequently asked questions booklet on the ICTY, printed in Belgrade. The booklet went to legal practitioners, human rights activists, students and journalists.

The booklet was produced with the financial support of the UK Embassy in Belgrade

> general public, legal practitioners, human rights activists, students, journalists, diplomatic community

 

29 April, The Hague

Visit of students from Serbia and Kosovo

This short visit provided the students with a basic introduction to the Tribunal and helped them understand its mandate and the importance of ending impunity for war crime perpetrators. More details were offered on the Kosovo-related cases.

The visit was organised by three NGOs: Fractal from Serbia, Forum from Kosovo and IKV from the Netherlands

> 20 students

23 April, Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro

Materials provided to a conference on genocide

Outreach attended a conference entitled “Genocide in the 20th century on the territory of South Slavic countries”. The programme of the two-day conference focused on crimes committed against Serbs. The Outreach representative provided fact sheets, CD-Roms and copies of selected judgements to the organisers.

The conference was organised by the Belgrade Museum of Genocide Victims

> academics, journalists, judiciary

11 April, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Extensive briefing after the arrest of an ICTY indictee

Outreach conducted a vigorous information campaign after the arrest of the ICTY indictee Naser Orić on 10 April. Responding to a huge media interest, Outreach organised a joint press briefing with the Stabilisation Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina (SFOR) who made the arrest. During the extensive briefing, details of the arrest and the indictment were given to the media. This was the first time such joint approach was adopted and it was highly successful. Coverage was extensive and media were satisfied with the information provided.

The event was coordinated by the ICTY Outreach and SFOR

> media, general public in Bosnia and Herzegovina

24-27 March, The Hague

Visit from the civil society from ex-Yugoslavia

This visit was part of a Council of Europe (CoE) programme entitled “International Justice in Southeast Europe” - a week-long training for professionals in the CoE Democratic Leadership Programme The visit exposed the participants to the work of the Tribunal, including the Chambers, Office of the Prosecutor, Media Office and Outreach. The group also observed various proceedings, among them the Further Initial Appearance of Vojislav Šešelj, and was given a tour of the courtroom.

The visit was facilitated by the Council of Europe

> 17 young NGO representatives, lawyers and journalists from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Macedonia and Kosovo

19 March, Osijek, Croatia

Presentation on the ICTY for Osijek law students

The Outreach representatives conducted a presentation on the establishment, jurisdiction and functioning of the Tribunal in the Law Faculty in Osijek, Croatia. The students posed pointed and challenging questions and gave very positive feedback.

The event was organised by the Osijek branch of the European Law Students’ Association (ELSA)

> 60 law students and staff from the University of Osijek Law Faculty

19 March, Osijek, Croatia

Round table on prosecution of war crimes

The Outreach representative participated in a round table entitled “Necessity of prosecuting war crimes as a precondition for reconciliation” and gave presentations on the issue, drawing examples from the domestic situation (Croatian Amnesty Law, war crimes provisions of the Croatian Penal Code) as well as basic information on the work of the ICTY. After the event, Outreach gave an interview to the daily Glas Slavonije which published an article on the roundtable and the Outreach programme a few days later.

The round table was organised by the Osijek-based NGO Centre for Peace, Non-Violence and Human Rights

> 20 participants: media, war veterans, academics

17 March, The Hague

Visit of students from Kosovo

The group received a briefing on the establishment, procedures and achievements of the Tribunal, and asked a number of questions relating to the ICTY work in Kosovo. They also attended a trial.

The visit was organised by the Dutch NGO Pax Christi

> eight students

14 March, The Hague

Visit of Serbian local government officials

The participants attended a briefing on the establishment, structure and overview of ICTY cases, with special regard to those related to Serbia and Montenegro. The group also attended a trial session.

The visit was organised by USAID in Belgrade and by the International Co-operation Agency of the Association of Netherland Municipalities - VNG International

> six officials active in local government management in Serbia and in the USAID project of reform of local government in Serbia

28 February - 1 March, Skopje, Macedonia

Seminar on the ICTY

The seminar provided an opportunity for representatives of the Tribunal to share information and experiences with Macedonian judges and prosecutors. The ICTY speakers gave lectures on the establishment, functioning of all three organs of the Tribunal, jurisprudence, achievements amongst other topics. A representative of the ICTY defence counsel spoke about the experiences and practical skills needed in defending in complex war crimes cases.

The seminar was sponsored by the UN Department of Justice’s Office of the Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) in Skopje, Macedonia

> 50 Macedonian judges and prosecutors

20 February, Sombor, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

Panel discussion in Sombor

A meeting with the local community and civil society in Sombor (north-western Serbia) was attended by the Outreach representative who spoke about the Tribunal’s mandate, procedure and some cases of interest to the local community.  The other speakers were: a representative of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia and an activist of a Sombor NGO. Later they appeared on local TV Spektar in a live broadcast for nearly two hours, discussing war crimes issues.

The event was organised by the Sombor coordination of NGOs

> 20 representatives of local community and NGOs in Sombor

14 February, Prokuplje, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

Meeting local community in Prokuplje

A public panel discussion on both the need to end impunity and some Tribunal cases was held by the Outreach representative. The atmosphere was tense, as the audience included a number of political activists with an anti-Tribunal stance. Footage of the trial of General Radislav Krstić (convicted of aiding and abetting genocide in Srebrenica) was shown. After the event, the Outreach representative gave statements to local televisions TV Grk and Oko Sokolovo and appeared in a live 40-minute interview on television RTS Toplica in which he responded to several misconceptions about the ICTY.

The event was organised by the NGO Toplica Initiative

> 50 local community representatives, mainly local politicians

1, 7 February, Ulcinj, Belgrade, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

Lectures on human rights for the youth

The Outreach representative held two interactive lectures on the ICTY for a group of high-school students, one in Ulcinj (Montenegro) and one in Belgrade (Serbia). This was part of a wider human rights programme for schools held for youth. Information materials were provided to the participants and the reception was excellent in both events.

The events were organised by the Montenegrin Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, and by the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia and funded by the Norwegian Helsinki Committee

> an ethnically mixed group of some 50 high-school students from across Serbia and Montenegro

29 January, The Hague

Visit of students from Kosovo

Students from Kosovo paid a brief visit to the Tribunal where they met with Outreach representatives to learn about the mandate, structure and future of the Tribunal, and were given an overview of cases. They also attended a trial session.

The visit was organised by the NGO Innovative Development

> ten students from Kosovo

22 January, Jagodina, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

Lecture on the ICTY in Jagodina

The Outreach representative held a lecture about the ICTY in Jagodina, a town in central Serbia, as part of a course on issues of guilt and responsibility, The 30-minute presentation was followed by a questions and answers session, which was dominated by members of nationalist organisations. After the lecture, the Outreach representative appear in a live 45-minute studio discussion on the local television, which gave Outreach an opportunity to address several misconceptions about the Tribunal and multiply the effect of the lecture in the local society.

The event was organised by the Niš-based Committee for Civic Initiative

> participants of the course – journalists, students and young politicians –  and interested general public, some 50 people in total

11 January, Trn, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Presentation in the School of Human Rights

The Outreach representative gave a presentation to a group of youths attending the Helsinki Committee’s Summer School of Human Rights. The group included high school students (age 14-19). Following a short introduction on the establishment, structure and jurisdiction of ICTY, a discussion ensued. It was interesting to hear their perceptions on the Tribunal and related issues. The level of knowledge was surprisingly high and questions valid and informed.

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

> 20 students from  throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina

January, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Screening  and discussion on media role in pursuit of justice

The Outreach representative participated in the screening of a documentary produced by a Belgrade-based TV station B92 about a crime committed by the ICTY indictee Milan Lukić and his paramilitaries. After the screening a discussion was held focusing upon the role of media in pursuing justice for war crimes victims and thus contributing to reconciliation. The high quality film took the subject of war crimes out of the political discourse and presented it as a gruesome crime.

The project was implemented by the Media Center in Sarajevo and supported by SFOR

> Sarajevo-based journalists, lawyers, professors and members of international organisations