Benin signs new Agreement on enforcement of sentences with the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals

On 12 May 2017, the United Nations and the Republic of Benin concluded a revised Agreement on the enforcement of sentences pronounced by either the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) or the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT).

The Agreement was signed in Cotonou, Benin, by Mr. Olufemi Elias, Registrar of the MICT, on behalf of the United Nations and by H.E. Mr. Aurélien Agbenonci, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Benin.

During the signing ceremony, Registrar Elias recognized “the consistent support that Benin has provided to the Mechanism and its commitment to the cause of international criminal justice”. The Agreement, which reflects best practices on enforcing international sentences, reaffirms the longstanding support of Benin to the United Nations and to international criminal justice.

Benin currently enforces sentences for ten persons convicted by the ICTR. The first enforcement agreement between the United Nations and the Republic of Benin was signed on 26 August 1999. The 2017 Agreement reflects a comprehensive update to and modernization of this prior enforcement agreement. The MICT continues to carry out essential functions of the ICTR, including supervising the enforcement of sentences imposed by the ICTR, following the ICTR’s closure.

The MICT extends its gratitude to the Republic of Benin and other United Nations Member States performing the essential function of enforcing sentences imposed by the ICTR, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, or the MICT.