President Gatti Santana launches fourth cycle of Mechanism’s Inter-University Video Lecture Programme

The President of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism), Judge Graciela Gatti Santana, today launched the fourth cycle of the Mechanism’s Inter-University Video Lecture Programme (Programme) with a lecture on the creation and jurisdiction of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). Postgraduate students from 11 universities from across the region of the former Yugoslavia took part in the online event, and it is anticipated that additional universities will join the fourth cycle.

The Programme, entitled “International Law and Facts Established before the ICTY”, is comprised of a series of video lectures given by a variety of speakers over the course of several months. It focuses on the region’s recent history, the role and contribution of the ICTY, and principles of international criminal law and international humanitarian law.

During her lecture, President Gatti Santana provided students with an overview of the history and political context surrounding the ICTY’s establishment, as well as its mandate and jurisdiction.

In welcoming the students and professors from the participating faculties, President Gatti Santana highlighted the value of establishing a network of students from across the region of the former Yugoslavia who are actively discussing and engaging with the ICTY’s legacy. The President also emphasized the importance of educating students and young lawyers about the jurisprudence of the ICTY and the Mechanism, and of developing skills that will enable them to support national judiciaries in processing the large number of outstanding war crimes cases in the countries of the former Yugoslavia.

The Programme forms part of the wider Mechanism Information Programme for Affected Communities (MIP). Together with the participating universities, the MIP has created a regional network of law faculties – the first of its kind – where law students from different countries can learn about, and discuss, the work of the ICTY and its legacy. The lecture series not only builds the students’ knowledge, capacity and understanding of international criminal law and international humanitarian law, but also serves as a platform for genuine dialogue between law students from the countries of the former Yugoslavia.

The network includes faculties of the Union University in Belgrade, the University of Donja Gorica, the University of Niš, the University of Podgorica, the University of Priština, the University of Sarajevo, the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje, the University of Split, the University of Vitez, the University of Zagreb and the University of Zenica.

Launched in January 2019, the MIP aims to increase awareness and knowledge among affected communities about the 1990s conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, based on ICTY and Mechanism cases. The MIP is funded by the European Union.