On November 3, 2023, Judge Graciela Gatti Santana, the President of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism), inaugurated the fifth cycle of the Inter-University Video Lecture Programme in The Hague. During this event, she delivered an opening lecture about the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) to 120 postgraduate students from 14 law faculties and one political sciences faculty in the former Yugoslavian region.
President Gatti Santana stressed the importance of creating a regional network of students engaged with the ICTY’s legacy, educating them about ICTY jurisprudence, and equipping them with skills for utilizing and promoting the ICTY’s work. Her lecture covered the ICTY’s history, political context, mandate, and jurisdiction.
The program, titled “International Law and Facts Established before the ICTY,” consists of a series of video lectures presented by Mechanism speakers, former ICTY staff, and experts, spanning several months. It focuses on the region’s recent history, the ICTY’s role, contributions, and principles of international criminal and humanitarian law.
This year’s program involves participation from various universities and faculties, including Union University in Belgrade, the University of Donja Gorica, the University of Niš, the Haxhi Zeka University of Peja, the University of Podgorica, the University of Pristina, the University of Rijeka, the University of Sarajevo (Faculty of Law and Faculty of Political Sciences), Ss. Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje, the University of Split, the University of Tuzla, the University of Vitez, the University of Zagreb, and the University of Zenica.
This Program is a component of the Mechanism Information Programme for Affected Communities (MIP). Since 2019, MIP has established a unique regional network of law faculties in collaboration with the participating universities, allowing students from different countries to learn about and discuss the ICTY’s work and legacy. These video lectures enhance students’ understanding of international criminal law and humanitarian law and provide a platform for meaningful dialogue among law students from the former Yugoslavian region.
Launched in January 2019, MIP aims to increase awareness and knowledge among affected communities regarding the 1990s conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, with a focus on ICTY and Mechanism cases. Funding for MIP is provided by the European Union.
