Young lawyers from BiH engage in dialogue with IRMCT President on the legacy of the ICTY

Today, the President of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT), Judge Graciela Gatti Santana, participated in a special discussion with young legal professionals at the Sarajevo Information Centre on the ICTY, organised by the Association ‘PRAVNIK’ with the support of the Mechanism Information Programme for Affected Communities (MIP).

The event, titled “Dialogue Days with Young Lawyers from Bosnia and Herzegovina on the Legacy of the Tribunal”, brought together 30 alumni of PRAVNIK’s transitional justice programmes for an interactive dialogue on the evolution and future of international criminal justice.

President Gatti Santana, the first woman to lead the IRMCT, spoke about the enduring legacy of the ICTY and its continued influence on justice processes both in the region and internationally. Drawing on more than three decades of experience in the Uruguayan judiciary and 13 years as a Judge of the Mechanism, the President addressed the complex challenges of safeguarding truth, securing accountability, and promoting reconciliation in the aftermath of a conflict.

Participants actively engaged in the discussion, raising thoughtful questions about the roles of the ICTY and the IRMCT, the relationship between international and domestic legal systems, and the importance of truth in an environment where genocide denial and glorification of war criminals persist.

This event was part of a wider series of engagements designed to strengthen critical reflection among emerging legal professionals and to promote the legacy of the ICTY and the IRMCTas a foundation for the rule of law in the region.

The initiative was made possible through the longstanding collaboration between MIP and PRAVNIK, a Sarajevo-based organisation known for its commitment to legal education and transitional justice. Over the years, MIP, PRAVNIK and the Sarajevo Information Centre on the ICTY have worked closely to provide a platform for learning and dialogue about international criminal justice and post-conflict accountability.

Participation in today’s event forms part of the MIP's ongoing efforts to support projects and events implemented by civil society organizations active in the field of transitional justice in the former Yugoslavia.

The aim of the MIP is to improve the knowledge and understanding of citizens and communities in the countries of the former Yugoslavia about the crimes committed during the conflicts of the 1990s, based on the jurisprudence of the ICTY and the Mechanism.

The MIP is funded by the European Union.