On 23 July 2016, Prosecutor Serge Brammertz and the ICTY Office of the Prosecutor were recognized with the 2016 Mostar Peace Connection award by the Center for Peace and Multi-ethnic Cooperation Mostar. Prosecutor Brammertz accepted the award on behalf of OTP staff, past and present, during a ceremony in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Mr. Safet Oručević, Director of the Center and formerly mayor of Mostar, noted that the decision to recognize Prosecutor Brammertz and the OTP was made in recognition of their “key role in promoting reconciliation and restoration of trust between affected communities which are fundamental conditions for the restoration and maintenance of peace.”
In his remarks, Prosecutor Brammertz emphasized that “justice is a universal human need,” and that “to achieve sustainable peace and reconcile divided communities, accountability is essential.” Noting that “today it seems that the region is moving in the wrong direction,” the Prosecutor underscored, “The next generation deserves better.” He closed by pledging the OTP’s support to those “who are striving to make peace and reconciliation a reality,” and expressed the OTP’s gratitude for the long-standing support it received over the years.
Center of Peace and Multi-ethnic Cooperation is a non-profit, non-governmental, non-political organization which develops and implements a wide range of projects involving thousands annually. The Center represents the affirmation of the traditional multi-ethnic and multi-religious lifestyle values, a recognizable feature of Mostar over the centuries. The Center yearly awards Peace Prize laureates to mark the anniversary of the reconstruction of the Old Bridge on 23 July.
