Mechanism Principals’ Joint Statement on the Day of International Criminal Justice, 17 July 2024

On the occasion of the Day of International Criminal Justice, the Principals of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism), President Graciela Gatti Santana, Prosecutor Serge Brammertz and Registrar Abubacarr M. Tambadou, issued the following statement:

“The Day of International Criminal Justice, marked every year on 17 July, offers us an opportunity to reflect on the progress of international criminal justice over the past decades. Undoubtedly, the Mechanism and its predecessors – the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) – have revolutionised this field through their contributions to substantive and procedural law and their wealth of operational experience. These advancements have guided and inspired other institutions with jurisdiction over international crimes, including the International Criminal Court, whose founding treaty was adopted exactly 26 years ago. Moreover, the Mechanism and its predecessors have sent a strong and enduring message against impunity and provided justice to victims of the horrific crimes that took place during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda and the 1990s conflicts in the former Yugoslavia.

It is clear, however, that justice is a process that extends beyond the issuance of a judgement. With no more active trials or appeals in core crime cases, and with all fugitives indicted by both ad hoc Tribunals accounted for, the Mechanism has become a truly residual institution focused on the ultimate stage of the justice cycle. Although this post-verdict phase may not attract the same attention, it is no less important and the Mechanism continues to perform a number of essential functions. These include supervising the enforcement of sentences pronounced by the ICTR, the ICTY, or the Mechanism, supporting national jurisdictions in their efforts to deliver justice, and ensuring the continued protection of victims and witnesses, as well as managing and facilitating broad access to the records of the Mechanism and the ad hoc Tribunals by a wide range of stakeholders both in the affected regions and beyond.

While challenges remain to securing accountability for other atrocities around the world, we trust that the commitment to international criminal justice embodied by the Mechanism and its predecessors will serve as a reminder of what can be achieved when the international community stands united.”