ICTY President Judge Carmel Agius met today with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for a final meeting before the Secretary-General’s term expires at the end of the year.
The Secretary-General commenced by thanking President Agius for his service to the Tribunal and his strong commitment to international justice and accountability. He assured the President that the Tribunal has the United Nations Secretariat’s full support, and asked President Agius to convey his thanks and best regards to the Tribunal’s Judges and staff.
President Agius in turn congratulated the Secretary-General for his leadership and dedication in the fight against impunity, and for making this a priority within the broader United Nations agenda. In addition, he acknowledged the valuable support of the Office of Legal Affairs, as well as the wider United Nations membership.
The meeting was also an opportunity for President Agius to update the Secretary-General on the Tribunal’s progress towards completing its work, including the conclusion of six cases in the past twelve months and its continued efforts on the remaining trial, appeal and contempt cases. The President identified staff attrition as one of the most critical challenges facing the Tribunal in its final year, appealing to the Secretary-General to give due consideration to further measures for staff retention.
President Agius then shared the Tribunal’s plans for a series of legacy and closing events entitled “ICTY Legacy Dialogues”, which will include a major conference in Sarajevo and a closing ceremony in The Hague, and expressed hope that a closing event would also take place in New York. He and the Secretary-General discussed the importance of sharing the Tribunal’s experience and lessons learned with future generations.
In closing, President Agius commended the Secretary-General for his support of the Tribunal and wished him success in his future endeavours. The Secretary-General again expressed his appreciation for the Tribunal’s work, stating that its closure in 2017 will be an historic moment for the international community to celebrate the Tribunal’s strong contribution to the international justice system.
This meeting is part of President Agius’s visit to New York to present the ICTY’s twenty-third annual report to the General Assembly on Wednesday 9 November 2016.
