Construction of the Arusha facility

Latest: the new premises of the Arusha Branch were officially opened on 25 November 2016 during a ceremony presided over by H.E. Samia Suluhu Hassan, Vice President of the United Republic of Tanzania. Press Release

In his report of 16 January 2013 to the General Assembly, the UN Secretary General underlined that the specific programmatic, functional and security requirements of the Mechanism required the construction of a new facility for its branch in Arusha, where the ICTR is currently located.

The Government of the United Republic of Tanzania offered to provide land for the premises and any required amenities and utilities at the identified site at no cost to the United Nations.

The most suitable site was identified at a location known as Lakilaki, in the immediate vicinity of both the city of Arusha and its airport.

The compound is situated so as to fit naturally with the gently sloping terrain, and the three-sided courtyard will frame the view north towards Mount Meru on the open side. The overall design reflects the essence of the Mechanism, which is affirming itself as a small and efficient model institution in international criminal justice. The three buildings are lean and minimalist, designed to be flexible and scalable as required to address ad hoc activities, thereby reflecting the Security Council’s vision of a small, efficient and temporary institution.

The project adhered to best practices for green building standards in the design and construction industries, thus minimising the consumption of energy, water and other resources, In turn, this minimises both the long-term operating costs of the facility and the emission of greenhouse gases.

The Facility also complies fully with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The site and buildings are accessible to all, with particular emphasis on researchers and other members of the public, including those with mobility, hearing, sight or cognitive disabilities.

The completion of the project took approximately four years, for a total cost of around US$8.7 million.

Project timeline

Project timeline

Construction progress

The site of Lakilaki before construction works started.
The local construction company Jandu Plumbers Ltd. took over the site, mobilised the site office atop of the hill and officially commenced works at the end of February. Tanzania made progress with the construction of a temporary access road to the site, which had started earlier in February.
After having completed the setting-out of the site boundary and the building survey layout, Jandu started the excavation of the building foundation and the perimeter fence footings. Tanzania completed the temporary access road and provided electricity to the site.
The contractor fully completed the mobilization; excavation is in progress to prepare the foundation works for the office building.
The bulk excavations for all buildings - the office, archives and courtroom, as well as the ancillary pump house and pedestrian security buildings - have been completed. Foundation works are in progress for the office and archives buildings.
The foundation works for the office building have been completed, and are in progress for the archives, the court and the ancillary buildings. Preparation for the construction of the ground floor of the office has begun.
The construction of the ground floor of the office building is ongoing. The foundation of the archives and courtroom buildings have been completed and preparations for the construction of their respective ground floor have begun.
The construction of the ground floor of the three buildings - the office, the archives and the courtroom - is ongoing.
Construction of the columns and walls of the archives and court buildings have commenced.
Construction of the columns and walls of the three main buildings continue to progress and the preparatory works for the roof of the archives and court buildings have commenced.
The structure of the archives building has been completed. The structure of the court building is also complete with the exception of its conical element whose construction is in progress. Finally, the structure of the ground floor of the office building has been completed and construction of the first floor is underway.
The fit-out of the interior of the archives and the courtroom buildings has started. The construction of the upper floor of the office building is ongoing.
As the interior fit-out of the buildings continues, the earthworks for the parking lot, the internal road, and the perimeter fence have began.
As the interior fit-out of the buildings continues, the external works are ongoing, with the installation of the perimeter fence and the construction of the parking lot and the internal road. The excavation of the underground ducting and the courtyard has also begun.
As interior and exterior fit-out progresses, external works are on-going. The formation of the courtyard, installation of underground ducting and drainage system has been completed, while the construction of the parking and internal road continues.
As interior and exterior fit-out continues to progress, external works are on-going. The courtyard is ready for finishing touch. The tree, a central feature of the courtyard, has been planted.
Interior fit out and external land formation continue to progress. Benches have begun to be installed in the courtyard, and the staircase and ramp between the courtyard and office building await final finishes.
Interior and exterior finishes continue to progress. The preparatory work for the installation of the curtain wall - the last structural element of the project - has been completed.

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More information about the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals: www.irmct.org