YouSaid · the spoken record

Judge Byron

lines on the record: 119
first: 2007-06-18
most recent: 2010-12-06
sittings or episodes: 8
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“We should not forget, in our focus on the completion strategy, the significant contribution the Tribunals have made to international law and to the acceptance of justice as an indispensable element of international peace and stability. As our Tribunal, in its current form, draws to a close, we should all redouble our efforts to ensure its lasting legacy as a beacon for international justice.”
2010-12-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6434 (2010) · source
“Following resolution 1932 (2010), which called on States, especially those in the Great Lakes region, to cooperate to bring indictees of the Tribunal to justice, Kenya recently met with representatives of the Tribunal. I am sure the Prosecutor will provide you with a more comprehensive briefing on that matter. I want to thank the Council for the commitment and support it has shown the Tribunal and to me personally over the last years. As a citizen of a small nation - Saint Kitts and Nevis - it is a special honour for me and my country to serve the international community. The International Tribunals the Council created in 1994 established international criminal justice as an essential tool in challenging impunity for the most horrendous crimes.”
2010-12-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6434 (2010) · source
“Those persons are in a legal vacuum, as we can currently see in at least one of those cases. There will be many persons in that position in the coming years. If the problem is not dealt with through a comprehensive, long-term approach, the interests of justice and the rule of law will not be served. That is especially true as the problem will also affect the International Criminal Court in the future. The Tribunal therefore calls upon the international community to urgently commence a review process to develop a lasting mechanism for dealing with that problem. Ten fugitives still remain at large. The last arrest of a fugitive was made over five months ago. The Tribunal depends on the cooperation of Member States for the tracking, arrest and transfer of fugitives.”
2010-12-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6434 (2010) · source
“I intend to render decisions on the transfer of four convicts to a Member State for the enforcement of their sentences within the next weeks, and I would like to thank all States that have concluded agreements with the Tribunal to receive convicts for their cooperation. Only two weeks ago, the Tribunal signed an additional agreement with Senegal. Despite significant efforts by the Registrar, three acquitted persons have still not been resettled and remain in safe houses in Arusha, As I stated in my last speech, for one of them, Andre Ntagerura, it has now been four years since the confirmation of his acquittal by the Appeals Chamber. Additionally, the issue of the relocation of convicted persons who have served their sentences needs urgent attention.”
2010-12-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6434 (2010) · source
“We call upon Member States to recognize the unique circumstances of a downsizing institution such as ours and to encourage the responsible bodies of the Organization to be flexible in the application of the Staff Rules while preserving their principles. With respect to the terms and conditions of service of the ad litem judges, I thank the members of the Council and the General Assembly for their consideration of the Secretary-General's recommendations. The ad litem judges have made and continue to make a significant contribution to the work of the Tribunal. In the interests of the completion strategy, I trust that the General Assembly will acknowledge that contribution in an appropriate way. I turn now to another important point: the issue of State cooperation.”
2010-12-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6434 (2010) · source
“After mine and President Robinson's speeches in June, the Council adopted two resolutions (1931 (2010) and 1932 (2010)), which noted the importance of the Tribunals being adequately staffed and called upon the Secretariat to work with the Registrars of the Tribunals to find practicable solutions to address that issue. The resolutions also urged the Tribunals, once more, to complete their work expeditiously. We are indeed doing everything possible to complete our work without undue delay. However, as staff continue to leave at an alarming rate and our recruitment efforts face significant obstacles, further delays in judgement delivery are inevitable.”
2010-12-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6434 (2010) · source
“In 2010, Tribunal lost almost 100 staff members. For Chambers alone, the number is 19, which is a high percentage of our staffing level. In order to stem the tide of departures and to facilitate new recruitments, the Organization must continue to be innovative in administering the Staff Rules. We cannot ignore that the circumstances of a downsizing institution are specific, and that creates particular challenges. The Tribunal's human resources should not be treated like any standard staffing situation in a permanent United Nations agency. For example, rules such as the compulsory six-month break for former consultants before a new appointment can impact significantly on our ability to meet the judgement delivery deadlines if they prevent the speedy recruitment of experienced candidates, in particular of former staff members.”
2010-12-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6434 (2010) · source
“The target date of the end 2011 means, for the appeals, that we maintain the goal of completion by the end of 2013. However, depending upon the staffing situation - which I will address shortly - we cannot exclude further delays in judgement delivery. As evidenced by the graphs presented in the completion strategy report (S/2010/574), our trial management initiatives have resulted in more expeditious trials and pre-trial over the last years, while upholding the highest standards of fair trial rights. However, those advances cannot be maintained if the pressing staff retention issue is not addressed. I want to highlight to this Council yet again the very difficult staffing situation at the Tribunal and the fact that that if left unaddressed the problem will lead to significant additional delays.”
2010-12-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6434 (2010) · source
“The outcome of that judicial procedure will impact upon the completion date for our trial work. I would like to use this occasion to call on Security Council members to consider accepting referral cases under their home jurisdiction, as Rwanda is willing to do. Of course, given the unpredictability of certain factors, the judicial calendar can only provide estimates of expected judgement delivery dates. For example, it is difficult to foresee when fair trial requirements may necessitate provision of additional time to the parties. Nevertheless, we believe, based on the current workload, that our goal of completing the first instance trials within the next year can be achieved, with a small caveat for the new trial, which will commence only in January and for which the goal of completion by December might seem ambitious.”
2010-12-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6434 (2010) · source
“I ask for the Council's support in approving the short extension of those judges in order that they may complete their judgements. Four trials are currently ongoing, and we expect evidence to be completed in the first quarter of next year. In January 2011, the last new trial under current projections will begin. As additional judicial workload, we also anticipate one or more proceedings for contempt of court and the hearings for preservation of evidence in the cases of three fugitives under new rule 71 bis. Council members may have read that the Prosecutor has recently submitted three requests for transfers of cases to Rwanda for trial - one in the case of Jean Uwinkindi, who is in pretrial detention in Arusha, and the other two in cases of fugitives. Last week, I assigned the benches to rule on those requests.”
2010-12-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6434 (2010) · source
“It would be beneficial if that work soon led to an agreement on the structure and location of the residual mechanism to facilitate a smooth transition process. Since my last report in June (6342nd meeting) the Tribunal has rendered five trial and two appeals judgements. The number of remaining judgements to be delivered at the trial level is now down to 10. We expect judgements in four trials, with respect to 15 accused, in the first half of 2011. We aim to deliver the remaining six judgments, with respect to seven accused, before the end of 2011. We have recently requested authorization for three judges, whose terms of office has not been extended, to be allowed to complete their assignments, which will spill over into early 2011.”
2010-12-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6434 (2010) · source
“Judge Byron: I would like to begin by congratulating the representative of the United States on her country's presidency of the Security Council for the month of December. I wish her all the best for a successful tour of duty. I am pleased to present to the members of the Security Council the fourteenth completion strategy report of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (see S/2010/574). I would like to express the gratitude of the entire Tribunal to the Governments represented here and to the Secretariat for their continued trust and support on all levels over the past six months. I would also like to say a special word of appreciation to the Permanent Representative of Austria for his important work during the past two years as Chair of the Informal Working Group on International Tribunals.”
2010-12-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6434 (2010) · source
“The International Criminal Court is the future, but today and in the coming years it is still for us to write the last chapters in the history of the ad hoc tribunals, the pioneer institutions of this development. We should all do what we can to make these last chapters a success story.”
2010-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6342 (2010) · source
“In this context, I welcome the information provided by the Rwandan authorities that Peter Erlinder, one of the advocates before the Tribunal, was released yesterday. The Tribunal's work with Rwanda and the Office of Legal Affairs of the United Nations is ongoing in this matter. Meanwhile, the Trial Chambers will continue to guarantee fair trials and ensure that defence counsel can represent their clients effectively and efficiently. Only two weeks ago, many of those working on international justice attended the International Criminal Court review conference in Kampala. At the conference, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spoke of the "new age of accountability". The conference was indeed impressive proof of how far we have come in making international criminal justice part of the international political agenda.”
2010-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6342 (2010) · source
“Unfortunately, I have to highlight in this context particular difficulties with respect to cooperation with Kenya. The Prosecutor has reported to me that Kenya continuously fails to comply with its cooperation obligations under article 28 of the Tribunal's Statute, and I have brought his report to the attention of the President of the Council for consideration and appropriate action. But fugitives are suspected to reside and to cross borders in several other countries as well. Therefore, let us once more strengthen our efforts to shut down the remaining safe havens and arrest those indicted of the worst imaginable crimes so that justice can finally be done. We have been cooperating with Rwanda effectively over the last 16 years to ensure the smooth functioning of our trials.”
2010-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6342 (2010) · source
“I would like to underline once more the importance for Member States to respond expeditiously to requests for information or other assistance by a Trial Chamber, which greatly assists in moving the proceedings forward without additional delay and in accordance with the requirements of fair trials. Since I last addressed the Council in December (see S/PV.6228), the international community has unfortunately not made progress with regard to our biggest remaining task - the arrest of the remaining 11 fugitives. I am convinced that we all agree that 11 fugitives are not an acceptable legacy to leave to the residual mechanism as the Tribunal prepares to finalize its trial activities by the end of next year. The Tribunal depends on the cooperation of Member States for the tracking and arrest of fugitives.”
2010-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6342 (2010) · source
“However, despite significant efforts by the Registrar, three others remain, as of today, at safe houses in Arusha. For one of them, Andre' Ntagerura, it has been almost four years since the confirmation of his acquittal by the Appeals Chamber. The Tribunal calls once more upon Council members' support. Their Governments' willingness to allow these lawfully acquitted men to settle in their territory would be a credible symbol of their countries' commitment to international justice and the rule of law. State cooperation is also essential for the everyday judicial work of the Tribunal.”
2010-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6342 (2010) · source
“With regard to the terms and conditions of service of the ad litem judges, I welcome the adoption of General Assembly resolution 64/261, which decided that this item will be dealt with as a priority at the sixty-fifth session this autumn. The large majority of judges on the benches of the two new trials will be ad 7 litem judges, and they will also take on most of the other remaining judicial work at the trial level. I trust that the General Assembly will recognize the importance of equalizing the terms and conditions of service with those of the permanent judges, not only as a matter of equity, but also and in particular in the interest of the completion strategy. I turn now to my last major point - State cooperation. I will start with the good news that one of the recently acquitted persons was successfully relocated in March 2010.”
2010-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6342 (2010) · source
“I urge Council members to be aware that providing us with the necessary resources now will help to prevent longer delays in the Tribunal's completion of its work. I have asked that the Secretary-General bring a number of requests to the Council for consideration. In line with the revised trial schedule, the terms of office of all but two of our judges will need to be extended. In addition, we are facing a particular situation at the Tribunal with a very small number of permanent judges - a number insufficient to fill the key positions, in particular the President and Presiding Judge of a Trial Chamber next year. We will also need a new roster of ad litem judges to be appointed in case there are new arrests or unexpected unavailability of the currently serving judges if we do not want to risk additional delays.”
2010-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6342 (2010) · source
“But even if we were to do our utmost and have a replacement in place when the current incumbent leaves, no one could be realistically expected to familiarize himself or herself with the amount of evidence involved in less than several months. The situation in two other multi-accused cases is comparable. Delays in the judgment delivery in cases of this nature are therefore unavoidable. The Council may wish to consider issuing a statement expressing its understanding for the difficult situation of staff retention and recruitment at the Tribunal and to encourage further work with the relevant United Nations bodies to address these problems. This week, the Tribunal submitted the revised estimates for the rest of the 2010-2011 biennium budget to the Controller. The delays I have just set out will require additional resources.”
2010-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6342 (2010) · source
“I mentioned in my written completion strategy report the departure of 154 staff members during the past year. For Chambers alone, the number is 24 - roughly half of our staffing level. Let me take one of our multi-accused cases, the so-called military trial, as an example. That trial spanned 395 trial days. The Chamber heard 216 witnesses and admitted 965 exhibits. Familiarity with 10-41106 the evidence, which covers several thousand pages of transcripts, is indispensable for everyone involved in the drafting of a judgment. With these figures in mind, Council members can imagine the impact of the departure of members of the drafting team, including the judgment coordinator, only a few months before the expected judgment date. The Tribunal works intensely on reducing internal delays in recruitment.”
2010-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6342 (2010) · source
“I am, of course, well aware of the unpredictability of certain factors impacting the judicial calendar, but we believe that our goal of completing the first instance trials based on the current workload within the next year can be achieved. For the appeals, this means maintaining the goal of completion by the end of 2013 in relation to the ICTR cases. Yet, as my colleague did, I need to draw once more the attention of the Council to the difficult staffing situation at the Tribunal and the possibility that this challenging situation could lead to additional delays. I have mentioned this before. The high turnover and the difficulties in recruitment in Chambers and in the Office of the Prosecutor, are amongst the principal obstacles to meeting our goals for judgement delivery in the remaining cases.”
2010-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6342 (2010) · source
“The second and important reason is fair trial requirements - in both cases linked, among others things, to an alibi defence that required cooperation from a Member State. Our planning for the rest of this year and the beginning of 2011 concentrates, apart from the ongoing trial work, on judgement drafting in all remaining cases. The expected judgement delivery in several cases before the end of 2010 will reduce the remaining trial workload and free up time for some of our judges to hear special depositions for the preservation of evidence against the remaining highest-level fugitives. We also expect several proceedings for contempt of court; investigations are ongoing and could lead to prosecution in up to six cases.”
2010-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6342 (2010) · source
“We expect judgements in seven trials with respect to 15 accused before the end of 2010. The remaining six judgements with respect to 11 accused will be delivered during the course of 2011. 10-41106 Two of the three ongoing trials and the two trials that are yet to commence will continue into 2011. The two single-accused cases currently in evidence phase, the Ngirabatware and Nzabonimana trials, are taking significantly longer than expected, with judgements now expected for the second half of next year. I would like to highlight two main reasons for the delay in the completion of the evidence phase. First, the parallel involvement of the judges in several other trials makes scheduling particularly difficult in case of unexpected delays.”
2010-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6342 (2010) · source
“Judge Byron: I would like to start by congratulating the representative of Mexico on his country's current presidency of the Security Council. I wish you, Sir, a successful tour of duty. Today, it is my honour to present to the members of the Security Council the thirteenth completion strategy report (S/2010/259) of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). I would like to begin by expressing the gratitude of the entire Tribunal to the Governments of Council members and to the Secretariat for their continuous trust and support on all levels over the past six months. Since I last addressed the Council in December 2009 (see S/PV.6228) the Tribunal has rendered two trial and two appeal judgements. The number of remaining judgements to be delivered at the trial level is now down to 13.”
2010-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6342 (2010) · source
“However, today, I ask for the Council's continuous support so that our Tribunal, which was at the starting point of that amazing development of international criminal justice, can complete its mandate expeditiously and with all due respect for the highest standards of fair trials.”
2009-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6228 (2009) · source
“We all know that the days of our Tribunal are numbered. It is essential that we reflect on the lessons we can learn from the past 15 years and on how best to address the fight against impunity for international crimes in the future. If we succeed together in establishing a more effective rule of international law, the suffering of countless victims will not have been completely in vain. At the same time, we know that the last part of the Tribunal's lifespan is not an easy one. We must remain committed and strive to improve our work, while our experienced and hard-working staff faces the imminent end of their contracts and the need to secure their professional careers. The future of the international fight against impunity will rest mainly on the shoulders of national jurisdictions and the International Criminal Court.”
2009-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6228 (2009) · source
“The Secretariat, in particular the Office of Legal Affairs, has facilitated our cooperation with the Council and with the Governments of its members and has assisted in communicating our mutual needs and concerns. We extend our appreciation and thanks to all their staff. It remains a fact that the ad hoc Tribunals have laid the ground for the rapid and astonishing development of international criminal justice during the past decade and a half. Without them, there would be no International Criminal Court. Without their jurisprudence, support and policy-setting examples, convictions of Rwandan ge'nocidaires in Canada, the Netherlands and Belgium and the ongoing investigations against alleged perpetrators of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity worldwide would have been less likely, to say the least.”
2009-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6228 (2009) · source
“Any change in the judicial calendar at this stage, when contract extensions are tightly linked to trial schedules, affects all who are involved in the trial work, from legal officers and trial attorneys to court reporters and interpreters. I ask for the understanding of all Member States for that increased need for flexibility. Over the past six months, the Governments of the members of the Security Council have continued to provide support for our work through the adoption of resolution 1878 (2009) in July, the arrest of fugitives, voluntary contributions to the Trust Fund, and intense preparatory work for the residual mechanism. I would like to assure the Council that all of us at the Tribunal in Arusha greatly appreciate that support.”
2009-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6228 (2009) · source
“At the same time, we have been following up on the recommendations for the transitional period, contained in the report of the Secretary-General on the residual mechanism (S/2009/25 8). An overview of the measures taken so far is contained in our completion strategy report (see S/2009/587), and we will continue, to the best of our abilities, to provide the Council with comprehensive information to support its decision- making process. The discussions in the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions and the Fifth Committee on the Tribunal's budget submission for the 2010-2011 biennium are ongoing. Since our submission, many developments have occurred, for example the two new arrests, which will lead to certain adaptations in the initial request.”
2009-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6228 (2009) · source
“But other Member States with jurisdiction are also urged to consider accepting some of the remaining cases of fugitives from the Tribunal for trial on the national level. In this regard, we are pleased to note legislative changes that have been introduced or are under way in several countries, providing jurisdiction over genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed, for instance, in Rwanda in 1994. Such laudable legislative changes not only support the Tribunal in its efforts to transfer cases to national jurisdictions, but underscore the willingness of those countries to effectively fight impunity for the most serious international crimes, irrespective of where or by whom or against whom they were committed. Our efforts are channelled towards the completion of our remaining trial and appeals work.”
2009-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6228 (2009) · source
“It is of fundamental importance and in the interests of fair justice that Member States be ready and prepared to accept the relocation of acquitted persons to their territory. The third essential area of cooperation by Member States and a cornerstone of the completion strategy is the referral of cases to national jurisdictions under rule 11 bis. The Prosecutor, assisted by the Registrar, continues his efforts to ensure that more than the two cases that were transferred to France in 2007 can be handled by national courts now or in the near future. The focus of the efforts continues to be technical support for Rwanda in order to ensure that the State in which the crimes were committed can take over cases.”
2009-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6228 (2009) · source
“But we should all aim at leaving behind a heritage of trials that is as limited as possible, so that the mechanism can focus on truly residual work, such as the management of the Tribunal's archives, continuous witness protection and the supervision of sentences. Recent developments at the Tribunal highlight the essential need for cooperation by Member States in another area. During the last weeks, two accused were acquitted, Hormisdas Nsengimana at the trial level and Protais Zigiranyirazo by the Appeals Chamber. For them and two others who were previously acquitted and who all live currently in safe houses in Arusha, the Registrar of the Tribunal is seeking countries for relocation.”
2009-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6228 (2009) · source
“It is in the interest of the entire international community that the remaining fugitives be arrested and tried fairly. This Tribunal has not accomplished its mandate, if top-level fugitives continue to benefit from impunity, while victims wait for justice. I strongly call upon all Member States, and in particular those where there is significant evidence that fugitives are hiding in their territory, such as Kenya, to fully cooperate with the Tribunal. The fugitives need to be arrested and transferred to Arusha now, before the Tribunal closes down. The trial functions of a residual mechanism are indispensable as long as fugitives remain at large.”
2009-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6228 (2009) · source
“The transfer of Idelphonse Nizeyimana to Arusha only one day after his arrest in Uganda should serve as an example of efficient and swift cooperation between the Tribunal and Member States. I am sure that Council members agree with me that 11 fugitives remaining at large today, more than 15 years after the genocide, are 11 too many. The list includes three top suspects, Felicien Kabuga, Protais Mpiranya and Augustin Bizimana. The time for their arrest is long overdue. They have benefited from impunity for far too long. I would like to recall once again that it was the Council that determined, when setting up the Tribunal in 1994, that genocide, war crimes and crimes against 09-6300} humanity constitute a threat to international peace and security. That proposition was as true then as it is today.”
2009-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6228 (2009) · source
“I have had bilateral discussions with representatives of numerous Member States and the Secretariat on the matter, and they have expressed their sympathy for our endeavour to achieve a review of the terms and conditions of service in the interest of equity and the completion strategy. I am confident that the matter can be addressed by the General Assembly in early 2010. Let me now turn to another fundamentally important issue, namely, State cooperation. The arrests in August and October of two of the fugitives, Gregoire Ndahimana and Idelphonse Nizeyimana, are very positive developments, and I would like to thank the respective national authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda for their important contribution to the fight against impunity.”
2009-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6228 (2009) · source
“Judges are also needed to handle the cases of the two newly arrested accused, for possible requests for referral of cases to national jurisdictions under rule 11 bis, and for the special deposition hearings. I therefore ask the Council to extend the exception granted in resolution 1855 (2008), allowing for a maximum number of 12 ad litem judges to serve at the Tribunal at any one time, until the end of 2010. I explained in June our concerns about the inequality in the terms and conditions of service between permanent and ad litem judges, concerning in particular the entitlement to pensions. Resolution 1878 (2009) took note of those concerns.”
2009-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6228 (2009) · source
“During the first half of 2010, we will focus on the completion of the evidence phase in all ongoing trials, with the exception of Karemera. In addition, we expect judgement delivery in four single-accused cases. During the second half of 2010, additional judgements in six cases involving 17 accused are to be rendered. In short, and provided we manage to retain the current level of legal support staff, we expect judgement delivery in trials against 21 accused in 2010. Furthermore, two new trials will commence, and we aim, to the extent possible, for completion of their evidence phases during the coming year. As I mentioned before, most of the 7 permanent and 11 ad litem judges currently serving at the Tribunal are involved in several cases in parallel. That situation will continue for the majority of next year.”
2009-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6228 (2009) · source
“Priority must be given to judgement delivery in that case, which is expected for autumn 2010, even though this may delay the delivery of judgements in the other cases by some months. In September, the plenary of judges adopted an amendment of the rules of procedure and evidence, allowing for the hearing of special depositions for the preservation of evidence against the remaining fugitives. That amendment aims at preventing the loss of evidence 15 years after the crimes were committed. The hearings, which are planned for the last quarter of next year, will focus on those of the three currently top-ranked accused who still remain at large. As Council members can see, we have another busy year ahead, in which we need to provide increased output with declining resources.”
2009-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6228 (2009) · source
“The fourth trial, Karemera et al., continues to be delayed largely due to the illness of one of the defendants, requiring the Chamber to sit in half-day sessions only and to allow additional breaks in the trial schedule to accommodate medical needs. Despite those unavoidable impediments, we aim to complete the evidence phase in this case by the end of 2010. The Karemera trial will be one of three ongoing cases in which judgement drafting will continue in the first half of 2011. The other two, Ngirabatware and Nzabonimana, are likely to spill into 2011 because the presiding judges are also members of the bench in the largest multi-accused case, the "Butare" trial.”
2009-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6228 (2009) · source
“The four ongoing multi-accused cases continue to pose the greatest challenge to the Tribunal, even where the evidence phase has been completed, as is the case in three of the trials involving 17 accused. The judgement drafting in those cases is expected to be completed in the course of next year, but progress is continuously challenged by parallel assignments of the judges and their legal staff to support other cases. While the judges sit full days over months in the courtroom to hear sometimes several additional trials, the scheduling of complex deliberations in the multi-accused cases is difficult and risks delays.”
2009-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6228 (2009) · source
“Since my last briefing in June, our Tribunal has rendered five first-instance judgements in single- accused cases, including a sentencing judgement following a guilty plea, and one appeals judgement. We have mastered the difficult task of commencing 10 new trials in the course of this year. In two of the cases, judgements have already been delivered; in three other cases, including a retrial, the entire evidence has been heard. In the remaining five cases, the defence phase will be completed before the end of this year or in the first half of 2010. The spillovers are mainly linked to fair trial concerns; defence counsel have needed more time to prepare their cases initially or more time to respond to the prosecution case.”
2009-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6228 (2009) · source
“Judge Byron: I would like to join Judge Patrick Robinson in expressing congratulations to you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for December, the last month of your country's membership in the Council. I wish you all the best for a successful tour of duty. On 8 November 1994, the Security Council adopted resolution 955 (1994) and created an international tribunal to bring justice to the hundreds of thousands of Rwandan victims of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Today, 15 years later, I am pleased to inform the Council of the remarkable progress in the conduct of trials and judgement deliveries. But yet, significant work remains ahead before we can safely say that we have achieved our mandate and tried the principal perpetrators of the horrendous atrocities committed in Rwanda in 1994.”
2009-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6228 (2009) · source
“Judge Byron: I think that I need only say that the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda is in general very pleased with the expressions of confidence expressed by the States members of the Security Council. I would like to reiterate our commitment to work as hard as we can to honour the mandates of the completion strategy and to bring the trials completely to an end as soon as possible.”
2009-06-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6134 (2009) · source
“The goal of successful reconciliation and enduring peace in the Great Lakes region will only be achieved if all those concerned can trust the power of this message.”
2009-06-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6134 (2009) · source
“Let me conclude by expressing, on behalf of all the judges and staff members of the ICTR, our sincere appreciation for the continuous support of the esteemed Governments represented on the Council. I would also in particular like to thank the staff members of the United Nations Secretariat for their invaluable advice and support. I would especially like to single out the Office of Legal Affairs in this regard. Our joint efforts to bring to justice those who committed the most atrocious crimes in Rwanda in 1994 are sending a powerful message to the world. Even if fifteen years have passed, even if it has been a burdensome process containing challenges and flaws, even if not all indictees have been arrested as yet, we must and we will continue to fight against the culture of impunity and for accountability and justice.”
2009-06-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6134 (2009) · source
“While the Tribunal continues working at full speed, preparations have to be made for the future after the closing down of the Tribunal. The Secretariat has been consulting the Tribunal extensively during the preparation of the report to the Security Council on the residual mechanisms and the archives. I am confident that the report will provide a very solid and comprehensive basis for the difficult decisions the Security Council will have to make on these matters. I trust that our joint goal of effectively avoiding impunity for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Rwanda in 1994 will be the overarching principle guiding its decisions.”
2009-06-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6134 (2009) · source
“The remaining work load is enormous, and our ability to successfully complete it is dependent on the adequacy of both financial and human resources and is relevant to this discussion even though the Security Council is not the forum for discussing budgetary matters. Kindly allow me to seize this opportunity to ask for the support of Member States in ensuring that the Tribunal is provided with the resources needed to complete its tasks. Even in these difficult times of economic crisis, I am convinced that all Member States remain committed to the goal of delivering high quality justice to the victims of the Rwandan tragedy. We can achieve these goals set for our work by the international community only if the necessary resources are provided.”
2009-06-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6134 (2009) · source
“For an international community committed to the fight against impunity, letting those indicted for the most serious crimes escape trial is not an acceptable option. The cooperation and assistance of Member States remains a cornerstone for the successful completion of the Tribunal's mandate in many respects. Two weeks ago, I signed decisions for the transfer of a further nine convicts to a Member State for the enforcement of their sentences. The support of the international community is still urgently required for the relocation of the two acquitted persons remaining in Arusha. I would like to reiterate my call for the Council's cooperation in this matter. As the Council is aware, the Tribunal is currently in the process of preparing budget proposals for the 2010-2011 biennium.”
2009-06-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6134 (2009) · source
“The ICTR is faced with a turnover of staff that is constantly increasing and is exacerbated by the insecurity stemming from the short-term duration of the contract currently being offered by the Tribunal. Loss of experienced staff translates into loss of institutional memory, which is not easily overcome by engaging new staff. This fact emphasizes the need to ensure that experienced staff members are retained as long as their services are required. Although much has been achieved, important tasks remain. Fifteen years after the genocide, 13 fugitives are still at large, four of them earmarked for trial before the Tribunal as high-level accused. I reiterate strongly my call upon Member States to cooperate fully with the Prosecutor's efforts to ensure their arrest and transfer to Arusha during this last period of the Tribunal's mandate.”
2009-06-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6134 (2009) · source