Mechanism launches Archives catalogue

The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism or IRMCT) today launched a new Archives catalogue (catalogue), which provides, for the first time, information about the non-judicial archives held by the Mechanism.

These include records relating to support for the judicial process and the administration of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), and the Mechanism, as United Nations institutions. In addition, the catalogue also provides a general overview of the records from the early judicial cases.

The records are arranged in the catalogue by institution (ICTR, ICTY, IRMCT) and then by function and activity. Users are provided with a broad range of entry points which not only describe the content of the materials but their context and source. They can browse by institution, search by keywords, or by other information such as date, title, creator, or persons. Among other features, the context sensitive help and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) offer immediate assistance with searches, allowing for an improved user experience.

The launch of the catalogue enhances access to these historic and unique records, helping the Mechanism to fulfil one of its essential functions of managing access to the archives while continuing to protect confidential information, in accordance with Article 27 of the Statute.

Access to the archives is subject to the Access Policy for the Records held by the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (MICT/17/Rev.1). Copies of all public judicial records continue to be available online via the Unified Court Records (UCR) Database. To view or consult non-judicial records, which are detailed in the catalogue, please contact the Mechanism’s Archives and Records Section to check if they are available to the public, and if so, to make an appointment.

The archives catalogue is accessible at the link https://irm-apw.adlibhosting.com/search/simple and no-prior registration is necessary. In addition to English, the catalogue language can also be changed to French.

Records in the archives catalogue will be updated on a regular basis, and users are invited to provide feedback by sending an email to marshague[at]un.org or marsarusha[at]un.org. For more information about the archives see: https://www.irmct.org/en/archives