The Mechanism signs certificate of occupancy for the land in Arusha

On Saturday, 8 November, Mr. John Hocking, Assistant Secretary-General, Registrar of the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT) signed the certificate of occupancy for the new premises for the MICT’s Arusha branch, on behalf of the United Nations.

This certificate, required under Tanzanian law, grants the MICT a 99-year lease to the 6.5 hectares of land which will house the new MICT facility.

The signing ceremony, in the presence of H. E. Ambassador Irene Kasyanju, Director of Legal Affairs Unit in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation of Tanzania, was held in the MICT Arusha offices, shortly after the commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of the ICTR. Speaking at the commemoration event, the Vice-President of Tanzania, H. E. Dr. Mohamed Gharib Bilal, reiterated that the Host State “will continue to do all it can to facilitate the operations" of the MICT. In addition to the generous donation of the land, the Government of Tanzania will also provide a road to the site as well as connections to utilities, such as water and electricity. 

Reporting to the Fifth Committee of the General Assembly last month, Mr. Hocking praised the cooperation of the Government of Tanzania and expressed his highest appreciation for its tangible commitment to this project, from the highest levels down. Together with the public opening of the bids for the construction company procurement on 3 November, the signing of the certificate of occupancy is yet another key advancement in this capital project. Construction works are planned to start at the beginning of 2015, with occupancy scheduled in early 2016. For more info, visit our webpage on the construction of the Arusha facility.