MIP and OTP held lectures at the International Summer School in Sarajevo
Representatives of the Mechanism Information Programme for Affected Communities (MIP) and the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism) delivered presentations today at the 18th International Summer School Sarajevo 2024.
Organised by the Association “Pravnik” and the Rule of Law Programme SouthEast Europe of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, this year’s Summer School focuses on "The Role of Transitional Justice in Rebuilding Human Rights and Rule of Law in Post-Conflict Societies." The Summers School is fully accredited by the University of Sarajevo. The event takes place at the Sarajevo Information Centre on the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), situated in the Sarajevo City Hall. Over the course of 11 days, it brought together 24 graduate and PhD students specialising in law and related fields from all over the world.
Today's session centered on the work of the ICTY and the Mechanism, facilitating productive discussions among the students about these two institutions' contributions and overall impact.
To start, Mr. Mathias Marcussen, the Senior Legal Officer in the OTP, delivered an introductory lecture. He discussed the ICTY's significant contributions to the development of international criminal law and transitional justice. His lecture highlighted the important contributions Tribunal and IRMCT made to the development of international criminal law role and their pioneering work assisting national jurisdictions in their continued efforts to close remaining impunity gaps.
Following this, MIP Researcher Mr. Nemanja Stjepanović provided the students with a comprehensive overview of ICTY and Mechanism cases. He detailed various proceedings and notable judgments, emphasising the importance of the ICTY and Mechanism’s archives and their legacies.
MIP Coordinator Ms. Rada Pejić-Sremac then addressed the attendees, underscoring the importance of outreach programs in reconciliation processes, addressing past events, and transitional justice. She shared examples of the ICTY's outreach activities and highlighted the significant work of the MIP.
After the lectures, the students viewed a documentary titled “Through Their Eyes: Witnesses to Justice,” produced by the ICTY Outreach Programme. This film showcases the bravery of witnesses who testified in ICTY cases.
The MIP’s participation in the International Summer School Sarajevo 2024 forms part of the Programme’s efforts to support projects and events organised by civil society organisations active in the field of transitional justice in the region of the former Yugoslavia.
The aim of the MIP is to improve the knowledge and understanding of citizens and communities in the countries of the former Yugoslavia about the crimes committed during the conflicts of the 1990s, based on the jurisprudence of the ICTY and the Mechanism. The MIP is funded by the European Union.