YouSaid · the spoken record

Ritscher

lines on the record: 109
first: 2021-12-02
most recent: 2023-12-04
sittings or episodes: 5
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

“And we must ensure that those who have not spoken up yet, but want to exercise their right to come forward, can do so of their own accord in a safe and welcoming forum. We must keep the common goal of serving justice for those victims and survivors in our hearts and minds as we continue to implement the resolutions of the Council and our collective work. I kindly thank Council members for their continued support.”
2023-12-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9493 (2023) · source
“I was reminded of that during a mission to Al-Anbar, where I stood together with local officials, tribal leaders, survivors and civil society representatives at the crime scene of ISIL massacres against Sunnis who refused to pledge their allegiance to the group. The completion phase of the Investigative Team should not mean that their hope for justice and their quest for accountability dims with it. A meaningful completion of our mandate and an orderly transition must be a guarantee for them. We must ensure that those who had the courage to speak up against ISIL crimes are not let down or left behind. We must make certain that their security is assured, that they are protected and that the trauma they have endured because of what they experienced and seen can be addressed.”
2023-12-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9493 (2023) · source
“They are the ones who see the work of UNITAD as a beacon of hope and an opportunity to have their voices heard, their suffering acknowledged and their stories told. They are the ones demanding that the crimes from which have they suffered be adjudicated as international crimes, whether they concern alleged acts of genocide, war crimes or crimes against humanity. I was reminded of that during a recent discussion with a father of a Camp Speicher massacre victim who, with other affected families, founded a non-governmental organization dedicated to serving justice for their loved ones who were victims of that atrocious massacre.”
2023-12-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9493 (2023) · source
“I am pleased to note that, with the approval of the Chief Justice, the Foreign Minister and the Chair of the National Coordinating Committee, an agreed modality that better outlines the Team’s evidence-sharing with third States has been concluded, as per resolution 2697 (2023). The Team also worked during the reporting period to better communicate to the Government of Iraq what previous evidence had been shared with third States, again as per resolution 2697 (2023), and remains engaged with all relevant counterparts to that end. Let me conclude my remarks with a reflection based on my recent engagements with affected communities in Iraq — those who are the victims and witnesses of ISIL and its heinous crimes.”
2023-12-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9493 (2023) · source
“ISIL perpetrators who committed heinous mass atrocities against Iraqi citizens must not remain unpunished, wherever they try to hide. In addition, personally in my former capacity as a Federal Public Prosecutor and head of a war crimes unit in Germany, I was glad to benefit from the expertise of a responsive investigative team. UNITAD has always been able to close the gaps within the chain of proof. That has enabled the Team to contribute significantly to convictions of ISIL defendants throughout the world. Let me stress that I commend Iraq’s commitment to supporting our cooperation with third States.”
2023-12-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9493 (2023) · source
“We must not forget that many of those perpetrators were very young when they committed their crimes, and they may face investigations and charges for international crimes in the decades to come. The function that UNITAD fulfils in that regard, namely, cross-checking against its evidence holdings, identifying witnesses and taking testimony to support third States, is a concrete measure of global accountability by any stretch and a monumental step in combating impunity. To a large extent, investigations and trials against ISIL perpetrators who tried to escape justice would not be possible in those countries if my Team had not provided legal assistance. It has always been our goal to close impunity gaps throughout the world.”
2023-12-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9493 (2023) · source
“One of UNITAD’s most tangible outputs is its support to third-State investigations and prosecutions. It ensures that the gap in global accountability will not expand and allow impunity to persist further. The Team has supported 209 requests from 20 third States so far, and the demand for that support has been growing and can only be expected to continue. Whether with regard to ISIL foreign fighters who have returned to their countries of origin, ISIL spouses who claim that they had no idea about ISIL’s reign of terror or perpetrators who have fled Iraq to seek safe havens abroad, the large number of ISIL perpetrators around the globe will only fuel that demand.”
2023-12-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9493 (2023) · source
“We also agreed that the capacity- building and support that the Team is providing to Iraqi authorities must not only continue but intensify, in order to ensure that national capacities remain sustainable and operational in the long term. That includes areas such as digital forensics, evidence preservation and management and mass grave excavations, as well as technical assistance to the witness-protection department within the Iraqi Ministry of the Interior and training for local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the Ministry of Health in the area of psychological support. All of that support provided by UNITAD has continued to progress during the reporting period. The Team has worked tirelessly to better enable its national counterparts to conduct their work independently and without the Team’s involvement in future.”
2023-12-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9493 (2023) · source
“That is why I urge the Government of Iraq and Council members to give due consideration to the end state of our mandate rather than the end date. Over the coming weeks and months, I will continue to work closely with all Iraqi counterparts to furnish possibilities and present different scenarios. It will be up to Iraq to choose an option, and we will of course abide by that choice. While UNITAD was never meant to last forever, we all have a collective responsibility to ensure that the work it has done will not be lost. I was particularly encouraged to hear recently from the Chair of the National Coordinating Committee, Zaidan Khalaf Al-Atwani, that we are on the same page. Our shared goal is to ensure that the work of the Team can be used to support accountability efforts in Iraq and all over the world.”
2023-12-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9493 (2023) · source
“The Council knows better than anyone that the consent of the host Government in any given context is key to the conduct of the work of a United Nations mission, but I would like to stress that it is even more crucial for an investigative team with a unique mandate such as UNITAD’s. Since the beginning, the Team has been working in Iraq, at the request of its Government and in partnership with Iraqi counterparts, to investigate ISIL crimes against all the communities affected in the country. We have conducted our work accordingly, in full respect for the sovereignty of Iraq, and will continue to do so. It remains up to Iraq to exercise its sovereign right to decide on the future of the mission. However, I would like to stress that a premature and abrupt ending for UNITAD would only be a loss for all concerned.”
2023-12-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9493 (2023) · source
“When it comes to sharing, the Team examines whether the requesting national judicial authority has the jurisdiction and competence to hold ISIL accountable for acts that may amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide. That is done on a case-by-case basis, and support has been provided when there are prospects for charging international crimes and when the information provider consents to such sharing. I assumed my responsibilities as Special Adviser in the firm belief that Iraq was UNITAD’s main ally and partner, and that has not changed in any way.”
2023-12-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9493 (2023) · source
“During those consultations the Team will be ready to articulate the core principles that have guided its evidence collection, storage and sharing with its counterparts. UNITAD adheres to those principles to ensure the broadest possible use and admissibility of the evidence before national courts and by national investigative and prosecutorial authorities, as set out in its terms of reference. In the past few years, the Team has successfully maintained and managed that reservoir of evidence holdings and provided support accordingly. We have worked on specific requests for assistance to support specific investigations and shared tailored information, in line with the Team’s mandate.”
2023-12-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9493 (2023) · source
“During the reporting period, other evidence was added to those holdings, notably through cooperation with the Iraqi judiciary in the area of digital forensics, digitization and archiving, as well as forensic data obtained through the excavation of a dozen new mass graves in support of the Iraqi mass- grave and medical-legal directorates. What will happen with those holdings and how they can be shared with Iraq remain at the heart of resolution 2697 (2023). The Team looks forward to further guidance to that end in the report of the Secretary- General forthcoming next month, and intends to further develop the road map based on that in consultation with the Government of Iraq.”
2023-12-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9493 (2023) · source
“It is a substantial amount of data that includes records collected from Iraqi authorities — the vast majority of the information — as well as from civil society organizations and open sources, together with statements and other materials collected from individuals in Iraq, mostly witnesses. A large majority of that reservoir of evidence has been processed and added to the Team’s electronic discovery platform and is accessed daily by its investigators, lawyers and analysts for their work, although some of the data that the Team has collected has yet to be processed.”
2023-12-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9493 (2023) · source
“That is not only what UNITAD is meant to support, but it is also the main demand of victim and survivor communities in Iraq, which is to have their day in court. The work of the Team is not only about investigations but also about evidence management. One of our priorities in that regard during the reporting period has been positioning our evidence collection, preservation and management capabilities to support what will be agreed on in the light of the upcoming report of the Secretary-General and the road map, which UNITAD will develop in consultation with the Government of Iraq, as requested in resolution 2697 (2023). UNITAD holdings currently contain 39 terabytes of information that has been collected over the last five years from a diverse range of sources.”
2023-12-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9493 (2023) · source
“During the reporting period, the Team worked closely with its Iraqi counterparts through that Iraq-led process and provided a series of technical comments on a proposed piece of draft legislation and its alignment with international and customary law. In September, UNITAD organized a workshop for Iraqi lawmakers and legal experts hosted by the Iraqi Council of Representatives. Two prominent international law experts presented and discussed with national stakeholders details regarding the necessary legal framework and principles relevant to the process of domesticating international criminal law in Iraq. The establishment of such a legal basis for international crimes would open new horizons for Iraq, as it paves the way for trials of ISIL perpetrators on such charges with the participation of Iraqi victims and witnesses.”
2023-12-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9493 (2023) · source
“That supported investigations into an alleged ISIL perpetrator for international crimes committed in Iraq and ultimately helped lead to the suspect’s arrest. The Team intends to move forward with this joint modality, as it represents a framework through which the Team and Iraq can cooperate meaningfully and closely, share information and use their respective evidence and knowledge to hold ISIL members accountable for their international crimes. In parallel, UNITAD remains committed to supporting Iraq domestically in establishing a legal basis for investigating and prosecuting international crimes.”
2023-12-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9493 (2023) · source
“Most probably, none of the outputs of those various investigative lines will be aimed at producing a final outcome. During my previous briefing in June (see S/PV.9341) I highlighted the importance of ensuring that the work of the Team should not just establish a record of international crimes committed by ISIL but should be used to hold the ISIL members who committed those crimes to account through evidence-based trials and before competent courts, in Iraq as well as third States. A practical example of that is what UNITAD has been doing based on its investigative work through the Team’s cooperation with the Iraqi judiciary to develop joint case files of alleged ISIL perpetrators in third States. During the reporting period, the first such joint case file was developed and shared with the third State concerned.”
2023-12-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9493 (2023) · source
“However, it is important to keep in mind that, despite a shift of resources and intensifying our efforts, it will likely be the case that, by September 2024, the Team will not be able to deliver final outputs on all the lines of inquiry it has initiated, but will be able to deliver only preliminary findings for those lines of investigations, rather than comprehensive reports. Furthermore, the Team will also be deprioritizing what cannot be completed within one year. That includes some key but complex investigations, such as the crimes committed by ISIL in Mosul; ISIL’s destruction of cultural heritage; ISIL’s pillaging of oil and other natural resources in Iraq; the question of ISIL’s genocidal intent towards the Shia community; and the Team’s work on Al-Hol returnees, a file that is expected to need years of work in Iraq and elsewhere.”
2023-12-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9493 (2023) · source
“That accompanies case assessments shared previously with Iraqi judicial counterparts focused on ISIL’s financing network, and those that are forthcoming from other investigations, notably the crimes committed against the Yazidi and Christian communities, the attack on Badush prison and the massacre of unarmed military personnel and cadets at the Tikrit Air Academy, known as Camp Speicher. It is important to underline that, when those assessments are shared, they are delivered in line with our mandate and terms of reference. More broadly, investigative resources of the Team have been shifted to expedite less advanced investigations and their planned outputs. I have aimed to underline that shift in our investigative strategy to my counterparts in Iraq, and I formally shared a list of expected investigative reports over the coming months.”
2023-12-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9493 (2023) · source
“The report is a milestone in our pioneering line of investigations that examines how ISIL developed and deployed chemical weapons in Iraq, including against the Shia Turkmen minority in the town of Taza Khurmatu. Furthermore, the Team published a comprehensive assessment detailing the heinous crimes of sexual violence perpetrated by ISIL during its brutal reign. The report was published yesterday and highlights the extensive nature of those acts against Iraqi women and girls from all affected communities.”
2023-12-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9493 (2023) · source
“In those meetings and elsewhere, I have sought to underline how UNITAD has adjusted its priorities against the backdrop of those two resolutions and to articulate the concerns the Team has for its work based on the current timeline ahead of it. One such priority has been to ensure that our investigations conclude in a deliberate and orderly manner, so that a body of meaningful outputs produced by the Team can be used effectively to serve international criminal investigations and proceedings, both in Iraq and beyond. To that end, during the reporting period, the Team finalized and shared with the Iraqi judiciary a comprehensive case assessment report on the development and use of chemical weapons by ISIL. That includes extensive investigative findings based on three years of dedicated fieldwork.”
2023-12-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9493 (2023) · source
“Over the past weeks, I have been working closely with our counterparts in the Government of Iraq on that and wish to take a moment to specifically acknowledge the time, thought and effort they have dedicated in that regard, their continued support of our work and the constructive consultations we have started in follow up of resolution 2697 (2023). That was apparent during a number of my meetings, particularly with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, the National Security Adviser and the Chair of the National Coordinating Committee. I have also had the opportunity to speak with counterparts in the Kurdistan Regional Government, who have been equally supportive and forthcoming in their views.”
2023-12-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9493 (2023) · source
“Mr. Ritscher: I am pleased to present the eleventh report of the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for the Crimes Committed by Da’esh/ISIL (UNITAD). The report and my update to the Security Council today include significant milestones in the work of the Team and comes at a critical juncture for the Team itself and its future direction. As a priority, UNITAD remains committed to delivering on its core mandated tasks as stipulated in resolution 2379 (2017), conducted in line with the terms of reference. The Team has equally taken steps since September to implement resolution 2697 (2023), which extends the mandate of UNITAD only until 17 September 2024 and requests it to fulfil additional tasks towards the implementation of both resolutions.”
2023-12-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9493 (2023) · source
“But investigations, prosecutions and building evidence-based cases take time, patience and perseverance, particularly in relation to international crimes. ISIL’s crimes in Iraq are no exception. Its criminality has committed some of the most gruesome acts we have seen in recent history. The individuals responsible for such acts must be identified, tried and convicted for their crimes. Our duty is to walk together on that path for justice with dedication and determination. I thank the Council for its attention and continued support.”
2023-06-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9341 (2023) · source
“UNITAD was designed to represent an offer from the international community to Iraq and its people to jointly and successfully deal with the cruel legacy of ISIL. Let me say that UNITAD’s operations over the past five years have succeeded because Iraq accepted and supported that offer. However, the work is not yet done, and UNITAD’s mission is not yet accomplished. What we want to see in future are fair trials before competent courts in Iraq and ISIL members convicted on charges of international crimes, with the active participation of victims and survivors. Without that, UNITAD’s mandate and purpose will not be fulfilled. Justice can be a lengthy process, and we can often become impatient to see results.”
2023-06-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9341 (2023) · source
“The Team continues to be impartial, independent and credible in upholding United Nations best practices and policies and relevant international law, while responding with the highest possible standards in support of accountability efforts and the fight against the impunity of ISIL members and affiliates, wherever they are. As the Head of this Investigative Team, it is not only important for me to say that my Team continues to gather the full spectrum of information on ISIL crimes committed in Iraq, but also to emphasize that it supports the Iraqi authorities by enhancing their investigative capacities. UNITAD commenced its investigative work five years ago. We have shown that our unique and novel mandate to establish an international investigative team can yield positive results and success stories.”
2023-06-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9341 (2023) · source
“Within the remit of our mandate, we stand ready to contribute both to successfully reintegrating returnees into Iraqi society and to providing Member States with the information necessary to prosecute individuals alleged to have committed international crimes. Accountability is an integral factor in sustaining viable reconciliation, as is support for accountability processes, which can play a key role in encouraging Member States to repatriate their nationals and help resolve the complex situation in camps such as Al-Hol. I want to reiterate that UNITAD is bridging the gap between crime scenes, victims and survivors and alleged ISIL perpetrators.”
2023-06-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9341 (2023) · source
“After five years of investigative work in Iraq, UNITAD has become a key facilitator for the global efforts to hold ISIL perpetrators accountable for international crimes. I also want to say that UNITAD has become an indispensable member of the international network created to fight impunity for ISIL crimes. My Team is currently supporting 17 third-State jurisdictions, conducting witness interviews and providing expert testimonies and technical analysis in criminal proceedings against alleged members and supporters of ISIL. UNITAD can also contribute usefully to solutions to the challenges of effectively repatriating Iraqi nationals from camps in neighbouring countries, including Al-Hol. UNITAD recognizes its role as an integrated part of the United Nations and its added value in supporting system-wide reconciliation efforts in Iraq.”
2023-06-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9341 (2023) · source
“Those case-building initiatives are designed to lead to a series of case files that contain information and evidence contributed by both sides, the Iraqi judiciary and UNITAD. The jointly developed cases will pilot the direct sharing of evidence and further strengthen the close and trusting cooperation between my investigators and our Iraqi counterparts. Ultimately, that will lead to a better understanding of the investigative needs and methods of the Iraqi judiciary and of UNITAD when it concerns the provision of jurisdictional support globally. As outlined in resolution 2379 (2017), UNITAD continues to complement investigations carried out by Iraqi authorities and, at their request, by third States.”
2023-06-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9341 (2023) · source
“Once appropriate domestic legislation on international criminal law has been enacted in Iraq, the way forward will be clearer. I remain hopeful that that will happen sooner rather than later. In parallel, UNITAD has already begun to contribute to the preparation of future trials. The Team has intensified concrete cooperation with counterparts in the Iraqi judiciary to jointly build cases against specific persons of interest and alleged perpetrators. We are now prioritizing persons of interest residing in other Member State countries. In doing so, UNITAD will be working jointly with its Iraqi counterparts on a daily basis, in addition to putting together information to achieve accountability for ISIL’s core international crimes, in line with the Team’s terms of reference.”
2023-06-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9341 (2023) · source
“The establishment of a joint working group in March 2023, with the Office of the Prime Minister, the National Permanent Committee for International Humanitarian Law, the Iraqi State Council and senior members of the judiciary, as well as key parliamentarians, is an important step forward in that regard. UNITAD remains at the disposal of the Iraqi authorities to provide technical support, leverage international expertise and share best practices. As I have mentioned, five years ago UNITAD began implementing its mandate and started promoting accountability for the international crimes committed by ISIL in Iraq. From the very first day, the legal foundation of UNITAD’s investigations has been, and still is, customary international law.”
2023-06-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9341 (2023) · source
“Moreover, it could be a milestone in founding a comprehensive e-justice system in Iraq that could be upheld as a leading example, not only in the region, but also globally. The third and most important element is the adoption of an appropriate domestic legal framework that allows for such trials to take place. That can be considered the main challenge that needs to be addressed to yield the desired results in Iraq. UNITAD remains committed to supporting the Iraq-led process for the implementation of a legal framework that enables the prosecution of ISIL criminal acts as international crimes, war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide before national courts.”
2023-06-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9341 (2023) · source
“The recognized result of that is the ease with which members of the Iraqi judiciary can now make use of their holdings. Senior Iraqi judges have informed me that their response time in relation to case files and requests for information have significantly improved, signalling lasting change due to those innovative efforts. As a next step, UNITAD is establishing a central archive, which will be the unified repository of all digitized evidence against ISIL. This will be located at the Supreme Judicial Council of Iraq. As recently agreed with the Chief Justice, my Team will begin to launch this archive in the coming days. In the future, the central repository will play a key role in supporting the prosecutions of ISIL perpetrators for their international crimes in Iraq.”
2023-06-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9341 (2023) · source
“And most important, how should the integral chain of custody for such evidence be maintained? What we aim to do is to ensure that the evidence is admissible before any competent court, whether in Iraq or in other States where prosecutions of ISIL members for international crimes are taking place. Let me be very clear: UNITAD is assisting the Iraqi judiciary to organize and access considerable quantities of ISIL records and battlefield evidence, notably via a megadigitization project. Led by my Team, digitization operations have been launched at five courts in Iraq, and two additional Courts will follow our lead in the coming months. As of now, an impressive amount of 8 million pages of ISIL documents from the holdings of the Iraqi authorities, including the Kurdish authorities, has been digitized.”
2023-06-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9341 (2023) · source
“As I explained earlier, my Team already works closely with competent investigative judges in Iraq, who fully support our investigations. In turn, UNITAD is enhancing their capacities and ensuring that Iraqi courts are ready to hold ISIL perpetrators accountable for their international crimes when the time comes. Secondly, with regard to admissible and reliable evidence, there is a lot of discussion on the evidence pertaining to ISIL crimes. I can assure the Council that there is no shortage of evidence of ISIL crimes in Iraq, as ISIL was a large-scale bureaucracy that documented and maintained a State-like administrative system. The main challenge is: what should be done with that evidence? How can the significant volume of documents and the sheer amount of information be dealt with?”
2023-06-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9341 (2023) · source
“For us, it is absolutely clear that only if we work side by side with Iraqi authorities, in particular with our counterparts in the Iraqi judiciary, will UNITAD be successful. I think that a legitimate question is: what constitutes success? As a prosecutor leading an investigative team, I see the purpose of UNITAD’s work in Iraq as not simply to establish a record for ISIL crimes, but to hold ISIL members who committed such heinous international crimes accountable through evidence-based trials and before competent courts. But what do we need in order to achieve that? I believe three elements are required: competent courts, admissible and reliable evidence and an appropriate legal framework. First, competent courts is the easiest element of the three.”
2023-06-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9341 (2023) · source
“That includes progress in our case-assessment reports on gender-based crimes, crimes against children and crimes committed against the Sunni population in Al-Anbar and against the Christian communities in Nineveh. Our investigations into ISIL attacks against the Yazidi and the Shia communities continue. Case briefs have also been enhanced with additional evidence and analyses. The investigation on the destruction of Iraqis’ rich cultural heritage is another example of how UNITAD has shed light upon the full range of international crimes committed by ruthless perpetrators motivated by a criminal ideology. It has been five years since UNITAD commenced its work on the ground in Iraq.”
2023-06-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9341 (2023) · source
“Significant volumes of battlefield evidence, including ISIL payroll records and correspondence, were discovered, enabling the Team to identify persons of interest and establish links to possible senior ISIL members. UNITAD has produced a case assessment on the development and use of chemical weapons by ISIL, which will be further detailed during a special event organized here at Headquarters, tomorrow, 8 June, to be co-hosted by UNITAD, the Permanent Mission of Iraq and the Permanent Mission of India. As Council members will have read in the tenth report (see S/2023/367), my Team has continued to advance its investigative work covering ISIL crimes against all affected communities and producing the full picture to expose the breadth of those crimes.”
2023-06-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9341 (2023) · source
“I saw that first-hand when I visited Taza Khurmatu earlier this year, while the town marked the anniversary of the not-so-widely-known ISIL chemical attack against the population residing there and their agricultural land. On 8 March 2016, ISIL weaponized several chemical agents and deployed them in chemical rockets and mortars, as well as improvised explosive devices, in the vicinity of Taza Khurmatu. Over the past months, I have prioritized and intensified that line of inquiry into ISIL crimes. My Team’s ongoing investigation has provided its specialized insight and analysis on the munitions, remnants and materials that were recovered.”
2023-06-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9341 (2023) · source
“I have personally continued to engage with religious and tribal leaders, representatives of affected communities and survivors of ISIL crimes. And I have been impressed by the support given to my Team by the affected communities, especially the ones I recently visited in Taza Khurmatu, Hit and Ramadi. I am also grateful that UNITAD is able to work closely with all affected communities and that my Team’s work is founded on openness and trust. While in Najaf, I was deeply touched by the wise words of His Eminence Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Al-Sistani, who said that all ISIL victims matter equally, with no hierarchy. That same principle is the foundation of UNITAD’s work. We must not forget that the survivors of ISIL international crimes are still deeply affected.”
2023-06-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9341 (2023) · source
“UNITAD is committed to supporting the efforts of our Iraqi counterparts towards achieving the common goal of holding ISIL perpetrators accountable through evidence-based trials, which deal with their brutal attacks against all communities in Iraq, its people and the country itself for international crimes, not just for their membership in a terrorist organization. In perpetrating their crimes in Iraq, ISIL members focused on their victims, and the justice process should do the same. Over the past reporting period, my Team has continued to expand and develop, through professional investigative work, pioneering criminal knowledge about ISIL and addressing the concerns and considerations of each victim group in Iraqi society.”
2023-06-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9341 (2023) · source
“UNITAD now has eight specialized investigative units, has established a witness-protection and -support system, has set up a state-of-the-art forensic laboratory, has established a specialized unit to assist with the mass- grave exhumation campaigns and in the identification of human remains and has built up a team that supports the digitization of millions of documents, which are now in the possession of the Iraqi judiciary. UNITAD has constantly been developing and readjusting strategies to improve its investigative work and the collection of evidence, which is necessary to hold perpetrators accountable for the most heinous crimes codified under international criminal law.”
2023-06-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9341 (2023) · source
“Today the commitment of the Iraqi Government, in partnership with UNITAD, to advance the fight against impunity, seek justice on behalf of victims and survivors, most of whom are Iraqis, and address the remaining threat posed by ISIL is stronger than ever. Not long after the Council unanimously adopted resolution 2379 (2017), a small Team made up of fewer than 10 people started working to advance the UNITAD mandate. That small Team has grown to about 150 United Nations staff members, together with approximately 60 contractors and consultants, all working with dedication and professionalism to achieve the goals of the Team.”
2023-06-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9341 (2023) · source
“Mr. Ritscher: I am honoured to present the tenth report (see S/2023/367) of the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (UNITAD) and to inform the Council about the activities of the Investigative Team. I am presenting the tenth report while also highlighting the fact that it has been five years since UNITAD, established at the request of Iraq, began its work. As an international team with a unique mandate to investigate the horrific crimes of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), UNITAD works in cooperation with national authorities while promoting accountability for the crimes committed by ISIL throughout the world. Today we should pause for a moment and take stock of the progressive implementation of UNITAD’s mandate.”
2023-06-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9341 (2023) · source
“My Team is ready to support any discussion, sharing of expertise, capacities or analytical products that can serve accountability processes for the core international crimes committed by ISIL. My Team is now moving at an even more rapid pace to assist justice opportunities for alleged ISIL members if and when they present themselves and regardless of where the perpetrators may reside. UNITAD will not stop ensuring that justice is delivered for the thousands of victims and survivors who have been impatiently waiting to see their day in court. IthanktheSecurityCouncilforits continuous support.”
2022-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9206 (2022) · source
“The mandate of UNITAD is not geared towards creating a widely unknown archive behind closed doors, containing the history of ISIL. UNITAD was established by the Council to ensure that the perpetrators of the most heinous crimes committed by ISIL in Iraq are held responsible in courts of law and that justice is served. To promote accountability means to raise awareness among all States Members of the United Nations of UNITAD’s work and to be in regular contact for exchanges with all the competent authorities in Iraq and abroad. Within the coming months, the Team will further improve its capabilities to cooperate with the investigative and judicial authorities in that regard. My Team remains at the disposal of the Iraqi judiciary and any national jurisdiction committed to indicting ISIL perpetrators for alleged mass atrocity crimes.”
2022-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9206 (2022) · source
“Cooperation with survivors in the investigative daily work, as well as in the well-established format of the UNITAD-NGO Dialogue Forum, continues to be placed at the centre of the Team’s work to ensure that the interests of the affected communities in achieving accountability for ISIL crimes are fully realized and recognized. At this pivotal stage of our mandate, allow me to state that my Team has now reached the next level on the path to holding ISIL perpetrators accountable for the core international crimes that they committed. While maintaining the same dedication to our investigative lines and capacity-enhancement activities, UNITAD will also shift towards a stronger and systematic support of individual accountability proceedings of alleged members of ISIL for international crimes before the competent courts.”
2022-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9206 (2022) · source
“While carrying out the work, the Team takes all necessary measures to minimize the potential retraumatization of witnesses, in line with our commitment to a victim-centred approach. My Team consistently engages with a wide range of stakeholders, including the national authorities, religious actors, survivor groups and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), to promote accountability for crimes committed by ISIL, both in Iraq and globally. In November, UNITAD co-hosted, with the Embassy of Iraq to Egypt and the League of Arab States, a special event entitled “Command Responsibility, Identifying Leaders and the Role of ISIL Foreign Fighters” in Cairo, the first event of its kind in the region.”
2022-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9206 (2022) · source
“Furthermore, the Team continues to assist the Joint Investigation Team, currently consisting of the national prosecutorial authorities of Sweden, France and Belgium. The goal of the Joint Investigation Team is to adjudicate core international crimes committed by ISIL members against the Yazidi community in 2015. UNITAD supports that effort through focused interviews with Yazidi witnesses, both in Iraq and abroad, as well as the collection of battlefield evidence related to Yazidi enslavement networks and specific searches against evidence in our holdings. That work is key to ensuring that wherever they are, the ISIL perpetrators who have committed such heinous international crimes are held accountable before competent courts.”
2022-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9206 (2022) · source