UN Security Council unanimously adopts final extension of Judges’ mandates
The Tribunal welcomes the resolution of the United Nations Security Council extending the terms of office of ICTY Judges and the resolution’s recognition of the importance of staff retention in the Tribunal’s final year.
The UN Security Council unanimously adopted, on 19 December, resolution 2329 (2016) extending the final terms of office of all ICTY Judges until 30 November 2017 or until completion of their cases, if sooner. Additionally, the resolution extends the term of office of Judge Carmel Agius as President of the Tribunal until 31 December 2017 or until one month after the completion of the remaining ICTY cases.
In the same resolution, the Council noted the concern expressed by President Agius in relation to the challenge of staff attrition, and reaffirmed its position that staff retention is essential for the most expeditious completion of the ICTY’s work.
Furthermore the resolution underlines that States should cooperate fully with the ICTY.
The ICTY is entering into the final year of its mandate and proceedings are currently ongoing in two cases, one is the trial of Ratko Mladić and the other is the appeal case of Prlić et. al, involving 6 accused. Judgements in both cases are expected to be rendered in November 2017.
Since its establishment, the Tribunal has indicted 161 persons for serious violations of humanitarian law committed on the territory of the former Yugoslavia since 1991. Proceedings against 154 accused individuals have been concluded.
