Chief Prosecutor Brammertz meets with High Commissioner for Human Rights Bachelet

Mechanism Chief Prosecutor Brammertz and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Bachelet met on Thursday in Geneva to discuss issues of mutual interest in relation to the fight against impunity for serious international crimes and gross human rights violations. Prosecutor Brammertz briefed the High Commissioner on the Mechanism OTP's work, particularly its efforts to support national post-conflict accountability efforts and build capacity in national justice sectors in the former Yugoslavia and East Africa.

High Commissioner Bachelet noted recent UN initiatives to support justice in Myanmar, Syria and elsewhere, and the relevance of the experience of the ad hoc tribunals in this regard. They discussed the importance of accountability for serious international crimes in ensuring sustainable peace in post-conflict and other transitional societies.

National authorities have the primary responsibility to secure justice, while the UN has an important role to play in providing expert assistance and monitoring progress.