YouSaid · the spoken record

Judge Joensen

lines on the record: 119
first: 2012-06-07
most recent: 2015-12-09
sittings or episodes: 7
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

“As this marks my final appearance before the Security Council as President of the ICTR, I would like to thank once more all those who have supported the work of the Tribunal and to express my sincere hope that, as the ICTR closes its doors, part of its legacy will be the tremendous potential to dispense justice held by the Council. The success ofthe Tribunal is a success for the Council as it highlights the possibilities for justice to address conflicts and fight impunity and to provide at least some comfort to the victims of heinous crimes. The ICTR has proved that it is possible. It has been my honour and privilege to serve in that endeavour.”
2015-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7574 (2015) · source
“Through the Prosecutor's development of best practices and lessons-learned manuals, including manuals on the prosecution of sexual and gender-based violence, on the referral of international criminal cases to national jurisdictions and on the tracking and arrest of fugitives from international justice, and by the Tribunal's sharing of expertise on criminal justice with countries andjudiciaries throughout Africa and beyond, the Tribunal has directly strengthened the capacity of national criminal justice systems to effectively prosecute international crimes and ensured that the Tribunal's work will continue to help future triers of international crimes long after the Closure of the ICTR.”
2015-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7574 (2015) · source
“In our final month of operation, the Tribunal continues to ensure that the knowledge gained and lessons learned throughout its existence are not only passed on to its successor, the Mechanism, but are also shared with other national and international jurisdictions.”
2015-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7574 (2015) · source
“By complementing the Tribunal's core judicial work with other programmes, especially those conducted in Rwanda, such as the implementation of genocide-awareness-raising campaigns, workshops and trainings focused on strengthening the capacity of the Rwandan judiciary and the creation of the Umusanzu mu Bwiyunge Information Centre, in Kigali, as well as 10 additional provincial centres across Rwanda, the Tribunal was able to bridge the gap between the Tribunal and the Rwandan population and ensure that justice was not only done but also, perhaps equally important, was seen to be done by those directly affected by the genocide.”
2015-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7574 (2015) · source
“During those events, representatives from Members States, along with representatives from other international and domestic courts, Government officials and scholars from across the world, came together to discuss the ICTR'S contribution to peace and reconciliation in the Great Lakes region, not only through justice but also through the capacity-building and outreach programmes it created over the years.”
2015-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7574 (2015) · source
“Judicial records relating to the Butare case have been separated for transfer following the upcoming appeal judgement, and the Tribunal remains hopeful that the remaining transfer of its records will be completed upon closure. As I speak before the Council today, less than one month before the formal closure of the ICTR, it is hard not to reflect on the legacy of the Tribunal and what it will leave behind for posterity. In that regard, events marking the closure of the Tribunal were held last week, which included the inauguration of a new Peace Park in Arusha in memory of the victims and survivors of the Rwandan genocide and in honour of the work of the ICTR, and a main closing ceremony.”
2015-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7574 (2015) · source
“With respect to the transition to the Mechanism, I am proud to report that the Mechanism's reliance on the ICTR for administrative and other services continues to be significantly reduced. The Tribunal has to date already transferred the human resources, travel, procurement and about 80 per cent of its finance functions to the Mechanism. All remaining administrative functions will be transferred by the end of the year. With respect to the Tribunal's archives, the ICTR continues to ensure that records are prepared in a manner that will facilitate their effective management after being transferred to the Mechanism, and I am happy to report that the Tribunal has transferred 80 per cent of its records to Mechanism.”
2015-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7574 (2015) · source
“Turning to another important issue, that of relocating the acquitted and convicted released persons still residing in Arusha, I wish to inform the Council that my Office and the Office of the Registrar will continue to provide the Mechanism, which has already assumed responsibility for that function, with all possible support until the end of the year. I believe that the issue remains a serious challenge to the credibility of international criminal justice, and I shall call once again for urgent assistance from the Security Council to find a sustainable solution to a problem that continues to result in acquitted and convicted released persons, some of whom have remained in a safe house in Arusha for over a decade, without a place to call home.”
2015-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7574 (2015) · source
“As I explained in my previous briefing to the Security Council (see S/PV.7332), the International Organization for Migration has completed and submitted a draft assessment study to the Government of Rwanda. The assessment study identifies options for reparations for victims and survivors and describes in concrete and operational terms how those options can be developed and implemented in Rwanda, as well as how those programmes may be funded. The final report of the study will be issued in due course, and thereafter transmitted to the relevant stakeholders, and follow-up activities will be planned.”
2015-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7574 (2015) · source
“Since the Security Council determined that the Tribunal would have its seat in Arusha, Tanzania, the ICTR has enjoyed unwavering support from the Government of Tanzania, which has provided assistance in countless areas, including assistance related to security, the transfer of witnesses, the Tribunal's Detention Unit and, more generally, the Tribunal's capacity-building and outreach programmes. With the addition of the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights, the East African Court of Justice and the Mechanism, Tanzania continues to act as a hub for international law and a beacon for the continued development of international justice throughout Africa. As I have done in the past, I would now like to briefly update the Council on the progress being made with respect to the issue of reparations for victims of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.”
2015-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7574 (2015) · source
“Further, the evolution of the Tribunal's referral programme, which culminated in the transfer of eight cases from the ICTR to Rwanda, represents a significant part of the Tribunal's legacy, as it has not only strengthened the relationship between the ICTR and Rwanda but has led to substantive and procedural reforms to the Rwandan judiciary, including the abolition of the death penalty, which were all aimed at meeting international fair trial standards. The Tribunal's referral programme as a whole has provided the international community with a model on how an international criminal court can cooperate with national authorities to rebuildjustice sectors in conflict and post-conflict environments. The Tribunal also owes a true debt of gratitude to its gracious host for the past 21 years, the United Republic of Tanzania.”
2015-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7574 (2015) · source
“In that regard, I would like to inform the Council of a recent delegation, which included myself as President, the Prosecutor and the Registrar, which travelled to Rwanda last month to thank its Government for the tremendous support and cooperation it has provided to the Tribunal over the years. Without the support from the Rwandan Government, it would have been impossible to conduct investigations and obtain evidence of the atrocities committed during the genocide, o r bring to trial those indicted by the Tribunal.”
2015-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7574 (2015) · source
“Hassan Bubacar Jallow, and the Registrar, Mr. Bongani Majola, and all of the Tribunal's former Presidents, Judges, Prosecutors and Registrars, for the indispensable work they have done to ensure that when the Tribunal closes its doors, at the end of year, it does so with a completed mandate in hand. I would also like to take this opportunity to express a special note of appreciation to the Legal Counsel, Mr. Miguel de Serpa Soares; the Assistant Secretary- General for Legal Affairs, Mr. Stephen Mathias; and the staff of the Office of the Legal Counsel for all of the support they have provided to my Office and to the Tribunal as a whole. In addition, I would like to underscore that the Tribunal would not have been able to complete its mandate successfully without the assistance of the Government of the Republic of Rwanda.”
2015-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7574 (2015) · source
“Furthermore, by strengthening the jurisprudence on sexual violence crimes through the extended form of joint criminal enterprise and by holding those in power accountable, the ICTR has issued judgements that serve as powerful deterrents to those who might commit similar crimes in the future while also sending a clear message to the international community that all those who commit genocide or other atrocities, regardless of their position, will no longer go unpunished. Those milestones are but a few of the key jurisprudential contributions that the Tribunal has made to international justice. However, none would have been possible without the efforts of all the Tribunal's judges and staff, who have faithfully served at different periods over the past 21 years. I would therefore like to acknowledge and thank the Prosecutor, Mr.”
2015-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7574 (2015) · source
“The judgement further provided the first acknowledgment by an international court that genocide against the Tutsi had occurred in Rwanda in 1994, which was subsequently treated by the Tribunal as a fact of common knowledge that could not be disputed. Between its first and lastjudgement, in Akayesu and Butare, the Tribunal has issued many novel judgements that have significantly impacted the evolution of international law, including the first conviction for rape and sexual violence as a form of genocide and the first judgement against a Head of Government since the Nuremburg and Tokyo Tribunals.”
2015-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7574 (2015) · source
“From the beginning of the Tribunal's establishment by the Council, thejudges ofthe ICTR were cognizant of the importance of their role in developing international legal concepts and providing a model for domestic judiciaries by codifying numerous facets of international criminal law and international humanitarian law that, at the time of the Tribunal's establishment, were either undeveloped or non-existent. The seminal judgement in the Akayesu case represented the beginning of this very task, as the Tribunal issued the first judgement by an international court on the crime of genocide and became the first international court to interpret the definition of genocide set forth in the Genocide Convention of 1948.”
2015-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7574 (2015) · source
“With the completion of this case, the ICTR will formally close its doors on 31 December 2015, and only liquidation activities will remain to be completed during the first half of 2016. In so doing, the ICTR will become the first ad hoc international criminal tribunal to complete its mandate and hand its remaining functions over to its residual mechanism, the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals. The Tribunal's final report to the Security Council provides an overview of the work of the ICTR, work that included 5,800 days of proceedings in which the ICTR brought indictments against 93 individuals, issued 55 first-instance judgements and 45 appeal judgements and heard the powerful accounts of more than 3,000 witnesses who bravely recounted some of the most traumatic events imaginable during ICTR trials.”
2015-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7574 (2015) · source
“Now, after 21 years of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) bringing those most responsible for the genocide in Rwanda to justice, it is my distinct honour and privilege to stand before the Council today and provide the Council with an update on the Tribunal's impending closure and to speak about some of the milestones that the Tribunal has achieved over the past two decades. I am proud to report that on Monday, 14 December, the Tribunal will deliver its forty-fifth and final judgement on appeal in the Nyiramasuhuko et al. ("Butare") case involving six accused. The rendering of this judgement represents, therefore, the culmination of more than 21 years ofjudicial work by both the Trial and Appeals Chambers and marks the completion of the Tribunal's core judicial functions.”
2015-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7574 (2015) · source
“Iwould also like to express the gratitude of the entire Tribunal to the representatives of Chad, Chile, Jordan, Lithuania and Nigeria for their nations" service to the Security Council as they near the completion of their terms, and to express also my sincere appreciation to His Excellency Ambassador Cristian Barros Melet and his team for Chile's effective and smooth management of the Informal Working Group on International Tribunals, which has been instrumental in facilitating the cooperation between the international tribunals and the members of the Security Council.”
2015-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7574 (2015) · source
“Judge Joensen: I would like to begin by extending my sincere congratulations to the representative of the United States of America, who is presiding over the Security Council in December, as well as the representatives of Japan, Egypt, Ukraine, Senegal and Uruguay for their nations' election to the Security Council beginning in January 2016. I wish them all the best for a successful tour of duty.”
2015-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7574 (2015) · source
“The workshop also facilitated discussions about what else can be done to ensure that the lessons learned in managing trials at the ICTR are not lost with its closure. Iwish to commend all ofthose involved in organizing those workshops, which I hope will continue, as they provide an important forum to learn from the past by examining what works, what needs improvement and how judicial institutions can continue to evolve. It is, as always, a distinct privilege to address the Council and on behalf of the Tribunal I wish to express our gratitude for the support that the Governments of Council members continue to provide. As we make arrangements for closure, their continued assistance remains crucial to the efforts that we are making to ensure that the Tribunal closes its doors with its mandate completed and its legacy secured.”
2015-06-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7455 (2015) · source
“Those events allowed for discussions on the initiatives that the ICTR has created to share developed practices with continuing judicial institutions, as well as other initiatives, such as the best practices manuals created by the Office of the Prosecutor, the aim of which is assisting other international and national courts to build on the experience of the ICTR. Most recently, a workshop on the best practices and lessons learnt in Chambers was held at the International Criminal Court (ICC), where representatives from the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, the ICC, the ICTR, the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and the Mechanism engaged in discussions on the technical aspects of providing legal assistance to the judiciary during the pre-trial, trial and appellate phases.”
2015-06-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7455 (2015) · source
“Apart from the judicial work that continues to consume most of our attention, the Tribunal has taken its impending closure as an opportunity to ensure that the lessons learned in the creation, operation and closure of an ad hoc international criminal tribunal are preserved for posterity and shared with those Courts, both international and domestic, that will succeed the ICTR. The twentieth anniversary of the ICTR provided the Tribunal with one such opportunity as representatives from various Courts and academia travelled to Arusha, The Hague and New York in November and December 2014 to reflect on the Tribunal's impact on peace and reconciliation in Rwanda.”
2015-06-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7455 (2015) · source
“Judicial records relating to the Butare case have been separated for transfer following the appeals judgement, while all other records have been transferred, or are scheduled for transfer, before the Tribunal closes. Despite the challenges presented by the volume and nature of the records and the downsizing of human resources, the Tribunal is hopeful that the preparation and transfer of its records will be completed on time. As I anticipate briefing the Council as President of the ICTR only one more time after today, I would like to conclude my remarks with a word on the Tribunal's legacy.”
2015-06-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7455 (2015) · source
“Considering that all of the suspects remain at large and that even if the trials were to commence today, the ICTR would likely be unable to complete them prior to closure, I have assigned benches to review the indictments and ascertain whether any action is necessary prior to closure of the ICTR in order to preserve the possibility of those cases being prosecuted by the Mechanism. With respect to the Tribunal's archives, the ICTR remains devoted to ensuring that records are prepared in a manner that will facilitate their effective management after being transferred to the Mechanism. I am pleased to report that as of 5 May, the Tribunal had transferred to the Mechanism more than 1,700 linear metres of records comprising more than 75 per cent of physical records anticipated for transfer.”
2015-06-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7455 (2015) · source
“I would also like to draw the attention ofthe Council and the Informal Working Group on International Tribunals to several cases of contempt/false testimony before the Tribunal. In May, as part of an exhaustive review of judicial work being in transition to the Mechanism, it was determined that there were, in fact, four cases of contempt/false testimony before the Tribunal. Those indictments were confirmed prior to 1 July 2012 and, pursuant to the transitional arrangements in annex 2 of resolution 1966 (2010), remain the responsibility of the ICTR.”
2015-06-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7455 (2015) · source
“However, until its closure, the ICTR remains committed to providing any support and assistance that the Mechanism requests. In that regard, we once again call for the urgent assistance of the Security Council to find a sustainable solution to the issue. I now turn to the subject of the transition to the Mechanism. 1 am proud to report that reliance by the Mechanism on the ICTR for administrative and other services has been significantly reduced, and the Mechanism continues to assume responsibilities, pursuant to resolution l966 (2010) and in line with the transitional arrangements. The monitoring of all ICTR cases referred to national jurisdictions is now fully the responsibility of the Mechanism; however, the ICTR continues to assist the Mechanism by providing interim monitors in the French cases.”
2015-06-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7455 (2015) · source
“I should like to take this opportunity to renew my praise for the efforts being undertaken to ensure that the project continues to move forward. I now return to the very troubling issue of relocating those persons who were acquitted or convicted and released who are still residing in Arusha. The issue of relocation remains a daunting one, and the challenges that the ICTR have faced with relocating these persons, some of whom have been residing in a United Nations safe house for over a decade, have been brought to the Council's attention on numerous occasions. As the ICTR makes preparations to close its doors, it is only appropriate that it passes that important duty onto the Mechanism, which has assumed responsibility for the relocation and care of the acquitted and released persons in Arusha on 1 January.”
2015-06-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7455 (2015) · source
“It is also important to recognize the work of Prosecutor Jallow and Registrars Mr. Majola and Mr. Hocking as well as the work of their respective Offices, all of which have been instrumental in our progress towards completion and the transition to the Mechanism. As I have done in the past, I would now like to briefly update the Council on the issue of reparations for victims. As previously reported to the Council, the International Organization for Migration has completed and submitted a draft assessment study to the Government of Rwanda on the issue of reparations and possible ways forward. Once the report is finalized, which should occur in the coming months, it shall be transmitted to relevant stakeholders and follow-up activities will be planned.”
2015-06-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7455 (2015) · source
“Considering the significant work that the Appeals Chamber continues to undertake and bearing in mind their commitment to finalizing our sole remaining appeals case without delay, I feel that it is important for me and for the Council to acknowledge the dedication and commitment demonstrated by all the Judges and staff of the Tribunal in The Hague and in Arusha, who work under extremely tight deadlines to ensure that we meet our completion strategy goals. I would also like to commend President Meron for his leadership of the ICTR Appeals Chamber and to thank him for the assistance he provides with respect to the transition of functions to the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals and to me in my role as Duty Judge of the Arusha branch of the Mechanism.”
2015-06-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7455 (2015) · source
“I commend the judges and all of their support staff for the tremendous work that they continue to do to ensure that the extremely large and complex Butare appeal is completed as projected. I would also like to note that in December 2014, in light of the projected time line for the completion of the Butare appeal and considering the current Judges' involvement in cases before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, I requested that the Secretary-General convey my request for the extension ofthe terms of office ofthe ICTR Judges to the Council. On behalf of the Tribunal and my fellow Judges, please allow me to express our gratitude for the support shown by Member States in resolution 2194 (20l4), which granted the requested extensions.”
2015-06-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7455 (2015) · source
“(Butare) case concerning six persons. Following the oral hearings that took place in April, the Butare case is now in its final stage, judgement drafting. As previously reported, the scope and complexity of the appeals in the Butare case combined with the continued departures of experienced staff and the need to rule on voluminous pre-appeal litigation prior to the oral hearings has plagued the appeals team and caused considerable strain on their workload. Nonetheless, the delivery of the Butare appeal judgement remains projected for later this year, and more precisely, we expect the judgement to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2015. The formal closure of the Tribunal is still expected to occur before the end of 2015, following the rendering of the judgement.”
2015-06-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7455 (2015) · source
“Please allow me to once again express my sincere appreciation to the United Nations Legal Counsel, Mr. Miguel de Serpa Soares; the Assistant Secretary- General for Legal Affairs, Mr. Stephen Mathias; and the staff of the Office of the Legal Counsel for the continued support they provide as a liaison between the Tribunal and the Security Council. It remains an immense honour for me to provide the members of the Security Council with an update on the progress towards the completion of our mandate, especially as it is expected that this may be my penultimate briefing before the Council. First, I will provide an update on the progress of the judicial work. I am happy to report that the Appeals Chamber has now completed its work with respect to all appeals from Tribunal trial judgements, with the exception of one case, the Nyiramasuhuko et a].”
2015-06-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7455 (2015) · source
“Judge Joensen: I would like to begin by extending my congratulations to the representative of Malaysia, His Excellency Ramlan Bin Ibrahim, whose country's delegation is presiding over the Security Council in June. I also seize this opportunity to welcome the representatives of Angola, Malaysia, New Zealand, Spain and Venezuela, which have joined the Council since my last briefing in December 2014 (see S/PV.7332). I wish them all the best for a successful term of duty. On behalf of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), I would also like to express the gratitude of the entire Tribunal to all of the Governments of the Council for the support they have provided as we approach the completion of our mandate and closure of the Tribunal.”
2015-06-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7455 (2015) · source
“On behalf of the Tribunal, I wish to express our gratitude for the support that the Governments represented here have shown us throughout the past two decades. As we make arrangements for closure, the continued assistance of those Governments remains crucial to our efforts to ensure that the Tribunal closes its doors with its mandate completed and its legacy secured.”
2014-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7332 (2014) · source
“During the Symposium, panels of experts in the field of international law and court administration discussed the ICTR's significant contributions to international criminal justice, as well as the outreach and capacity-building programmes that it created throughout its existence. On 8 November, exactly 20 years after the adoption of resolution 955 (1994), which created the Tribunal, an event was held in Arusha to mark the occasion and to launch the new ICTR website. A similar event will be held today at 1.15 pm. in the Economic and Social Council Chamber. We look forward to welcoming Council representatives and many other guests from the international community here in New York. It is, as always, a distinct honour to address the Council.”
2014-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7332 (2014) · source
“To pay homage to those who lost their lives during those 100 dark days in 1994 and to once again remind the international community of what happens when cries for help go unanswered, the Tribunal held events to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of its creation. On 6 and 7 November, representatives from various international and domestic courts, civil society members and academics came from across the globe to attend the International Symposium on the Legacy of the ICTR in Arusha, Tanzania, which focused on the ICTR's accomplishments and lessons learnt during its two- decade fight against impunity.”
2014-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7332 (2014) · source
“Despite vast challenges presented by the volume and nature of the records and the downsizing of human resources, the Tribunal remains hopeful that the preparation and transfer of its records will be completed on time. As I address the Council today, almost one month after the Tribunal commemorated its twentieth anniversary and one day after the anniversary of the General Assembly's signing of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, it is hard not to fully appreciate the gravity of the decision that the Council made two decades ago to establish the ICTR - a decision that, together with the establishment of the ICTY the previous year, would forever alter the landscape of international criminal law.”
2014-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7332 (2014) · source
“With respect to the Tribunal's archives, the ICTR continues to cooperate to ensure that records are prepared in a manner that will facilitate their effective management after being transferred to the Mechanism. I am happy to report that, as of 4 December, the Tribunal had transferred to the Mechanism more than 1,100 linear metres of records, comprising more than 50 per cent of physical records anticipated for transfer. Judicial records relating to the Butare case have been separated for transfer following the appeal judgement, while all other records have been transferred, or are scheduled for transfer, before the Tribunal closes.”
2014-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7332 (2014) · source
“The Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals will assume responsibility for the relocation and care of the acquitted and released persons in Arusha from 1 January 2015, and, as such, we once again call for urgent assistance from the Security Council to find a sustainable solution to this issue. I next turn to the transition to the Mechanism. I am proud to report that the Mechanism's reliance on the ICTR for administrative and other services has been significantly reduced and that it continues to assume responsibilities pursuant to Security Council resolution 1966 (2010) and in line with the transitional arrangements. The monitoring ofall ICTR cases referred to national jurisdictions is fully the responsibility of the Mechanism; however, the ICTR continues to assist the Mechanism by providing an interim monitor, as required.”
2014-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7332 (2014) · source
“The ICTR is grateful to the Kingdom of Belgium for that assistance. The issue of relocation, however, remains a daunting one and has been brought to the Council's attention on numerous occasions. It is an issue that I firmly believe represents a serious challenge to the credibility of the enforcement of international criminal justice. Despite numerous Security Council resolutions calling upon Member States to assist the ICTR in relocating these individuals, apart from the support the ICTR recently received from Belgium regarding General Ndindiliyimana, for which we are extremely grateful, for a number of years all efforts made by the ICTR to relocate the remaining individuals have proved unsuccessful.”
2014-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7332 (2014) · source
“I now return to the very troubling issue of relocating the acquitted and convicted released persons still residing in Arusha. I am pleased to inform the Council today that there have been some developments since the last time I briefed members on this issue. There has been a decrease in the number of acquitted persons from nine to eight, resulting from the acceptance of the relocation request that the Registrar had submitted to the Kingdom of Belgium in July 2014 on behalf of General Augustin Ndindiliyimana. On 10 September 2014, the Kingdom of Belgium informed the ICTR that General Ndindiliyimana's application for a family reunification visa had been approved. Having satisfied certain requirements, General Ndindiliyimana ultimately left the United Republic of Tanzania in September 2014 and is now resettled in Belgium.”
2014-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7332 (2014) · source
“The assessment study identifies options for reparations for victims and survivors and describes in concrete and operational terms how those options can be developed and implemented in Rwanda as well as how these programmes may be funded. The final report of the study should be issued in the coming months; once it is issued it will be transmitted to the relevant stakeholders, and follow-up activities will be planned. I would like to take this opportunity to once again thank the Government of Finland for its generous contribution, without which the assessment study would not have been able to be conducted, and to commend the Government of Rwanda and the IOM. for their efforts to ensure that this project continues to move forward.”
2014-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7332 (2014) · source
“I would also like to particularly thank and commend President Meron for his leadership of the ICTR Appeals Chamber, as well as Prosecutor Jallow and Registrar Majola for their leadership of the other organs of the Tribunal, all of which have been instrumental to our completion strategy. As I have done in the past, I would now like to briefly update the Council on the progress being made with respect to the issue of reparations for the victims of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, during which Hutu and others who opposed the genocide were also killed. I am pleased to announce that the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has completed and submitted a draft assessment study to the Government of Rwanda.”
2014-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7332 (2014) · source
“It is my sincere hope that we will have Member States' support for these extensions, as they are crucial to the ability of both Tribunals to complete their remaining work, and, for the ICTR, to our ability to continue towards closure in 2015, in line with current projections. Considering the significant work that the Appeals Chamber has completed since my previous report and considering their commitment to finalizing our sole remaining appeals case without delay, I feel that it is important for me and for the Council to acknowledge and commend all of the Judges and staff of the Tribunal in The Hague and in Arusha, who work under extremely tight deadlines to ensure that we meet our completion strategy goals.”
2014-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7332 (2014) · source
“In the light of the current projected timeline for the completion of the Butare appeal, and considering the current Judges' involvement in cases before the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), I have recently submitted a request to the Secretary-General for the extension of the terms of office of the ICTR judges. These extensions take into account the most recent projections in all of the cases and, as such, I have requested extensions until July or December 2015, or until the completion of the cases to which each individual judge is assigned, if sooner. President Meron has simultaneously made a request for the extension of the terms of office of several ICTY judges in line with the same projections.”
2014-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7332 (2014) · source
“As previously reported, the scope and complexity of the appeals in the Butare case, combined with the continued departures of experienced staff and the need to rule on voluminous pro-appeal litigation prior to the oral hearings, has led to the scheduling of those hearings later than previously planned. Nonetheless, the projection that the appeal judgement will not be delivered before August 2015 remains unchanged. I commend the judges and staff working on the Butare appeal for the tremendous work they are doing to complete this very large, complex appeal.”
2014-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7332 (2014) · source
“In that regard, I am happy to report that the Appeals Chamber rendered one judgement in the Bizimungu appeal in June and three additional judgements concerning four persons in September in the Karemera & Ngirumpatse, Nizeyimana and Nzabonimana cases. As of today, appellate proceedings have now been concluded with respect to 55 persons. That means that the ICTR Appeals Chamber has now completed all of its work with the exception of one case, the Nyiramasuhuko et al. or "Butare" case concerning six persons. Last week the Presiding Judge in that case, Judge Pocar, informed the parties that the appeals were scheduled to be heard in April 2015.”
2014-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7332 (2014) · source
“Please allow me this opportunity to also commend and renew my sincere appreciation to the Legal Counsel, Mr. Miguel de Serpa Soares; the Assistant Secretary- General for Legal Affairs, Mr. Stephen Mathias; and the staff of the Office of the Legal Counsel for their continued efforts to act as a liaison between the Tribunal and the Security Council and for all of the support they have provided to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in organizing its twentieth-anniversary commemoration event here in New York, which will take place later today. It remains an immense honour for me to provide the members of the Security Council with an update on the progress made towards the completion of our mandate, especially as we mark the twentieth anniversary of the establishment of the ICTR by the Council.”
2014-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7332 (2014) · source
“Judge Joensen: I would like to begin by extending my congratulations to the representative of Chad, which is presiding over the Security Council in December, as well as the representatives of Angola, Malaysia, New Zealand, Spain and Venezuela on their nations' election to the Security Council for the term beginning in January 2015. I wish them all the best for a successful tour of duty. I would also like to express the gratitude of the entire Tribunal to the representatives of Argentina, Australia, Luxembourg, the Republic of Korea and Rwanda for their nations' service to the Security Council as they near the completion of their terms, and thank all of the Governments represented on the Council for the support they have provided as we near the completion of our mandate and the closure of the Tribunal.”
2014-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7332 (2014) · source