United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Judge Mahandrisoa Edmond Randrianirina of Madagascar to the judicial roster of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism), effective 28 January 2019.

The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism) has launched an exhibition of selected material from the archives of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR).

The Registrar of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism), Mr. Olufemi Elias, will be on an official visit to Belgrade, Serbia, from 29 to 31 January 2019.

As part of the visit, Registrar Elias will hold meetings with Serbian Minister of Justice, Ms. Nela Kuburović, to discuss the ongoing cooperation between the Mechanism and the Serbian authorities, as well as the possible establishment of an information centre on the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in Belgrade.

Mechanism Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz is visiting Podgorica from 28 to 30 January 2019.

On Monday, 28 January 2019, the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism) received a visit from the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain to the United Republic of Tanzania, Her Excellency Ms. Francisca Pedrós Carretero, at the premises of the Mechanism’s Arusha branch.

The Representatives from the Mechanism’s three organs warmly welcomed Ambassador Pedrós Carretero, providing her with an overview of the functions and structure of the Mechanism, and thanking the Government of the Kingdom of Spain for its continued support to the Mechanism and its work.

On Friday, 25 January 2019, the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism) received a visit from the Ambassador of the Republic of Italy to the United Republic of Tanzania, His Excellency Ambassador Roberto Mengoni, at the premises of the Mechanism’s Arusha branch.

Representatives from the Mechanism’s three organs warmly welcomed Ambassador Mengoni, providing him with an overview of the functions and structure of the Mechanism, and thanking the Government of Italy for its continued support to the Mechanism and its work.

On 19 January 2019, Judge Carmel Agius, of Malta, assumed office as President of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism), following his appointment by the United Nations Secretary-General on 30 June 2018 to a term expiring on 30 June 2020.

Dear Colleagues,

As I prepare to step down from my role as President of the Mechanism, I wanted to take a moment to express to you my sincere appreciation for all your hard work and contributions to the Mechanism.

On Tuesday, 15 January 2019, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) elected Judge Mustapha El Baaj of Morocco to the judicial roster of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism).

Judge El Baaj is currently serving as a Counsellor at the Court of Cassation in Rabat, Morocco. Judge El Baaj has also served as Deputy Crown Prosecutor-General of Morocco since 2008, a visiting Professor at the Law Faculty of Meknés, Morocco, since 2004 and as First Deputy Crown Prosecutor in The Court of First Instance in Meknés since 1996. 

The President of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism), Judge Theodor Meron, concluded his final visit to the United Republic of Tanzania (Tanzania) on 9 January 2019. During his visit, President Meron met with Dr. Damas Ndumbaro, Tanzanian's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, and with the “Friends of the Mechanism”, a group of foreign diplomats in Dar es Salaam who closely follow and support the work of the Mechanism, to discuss matters related to the work of the Mechanism.