President Gatti Santana meets with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres

The President of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism), Judge Graciela Gatti Santana, today met with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. António Guterres, in New York. It was their first meeting since Judge Gatti Santana assumed the presidency of the Mechanism on 1 July 2022.

The Secretary-General started by welcoming President Gatti-Santana, and reiterating his ongoing and strong support to the important work and mandate of the Mechanism.

In turn, President Gatti Santana conveyed to the Secretary-General her gratitude for the trust placed in her as President of the Mechanism. She also expressed her utmost appreciation for his continuous backing of the Mechanism and outlined the priorities of her presidency. President Gatti Santana then provided the Secretary-General with an update on the progress made with respect to the Mechanism’s judicial workload, including the ongoing trial of Félicien Kabuga.

The President also explained a number of challenges encountered by the Mechanism, in particular related to the enforcement of sentences and the eight acquitted and released persons relocated to Niger. Finally, President Gatti Santana emphasised the importance of the legacy of the Mechanism and assured the Secretary-General that she is committed to advancing the achievements of the international criminal justice system.

President Gatti Santana is currently in New York to present the twenty-first progress report of the Mechanism to the United Nations Security Council on 12 December 2022.