The Tribunal’s President, Judge Theodor Meron, today addressed the United Nations Security Council to provide an update on the work and achievements of the Tribunal over the past six months. In his second address to the Security Council since becoming President in November 2011, President Meron reported on steps taken in the implementation of the Tribunal’s Completion Strategy, the transition to the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals and the positive impact of recent reforms on the pace of the Tribunal’s work.

Judges Ivo Nelson de Caires Batista Rosa (Portugal) and Graciela Susana Gatti Santana (Uruguay) were sworn in last Friday remotely by the Registrar John Hocking. The two Judges are the last of the 25 Judges who will serve the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals to be sworn in as Judges of the Mechanism.

The President of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, Judge Theodor Meron, presided here today over the official swearing-in of those Judges of the ICTR who have been elected Judges of the International Residual Mechanism. Judges Florence Arrey, Solomy B. Bossa, Vagn Prüsse Joensen, Gberdao G. Kam, Joseph C. Masanche, Lee Muthoga, Seon K. Park, Mparany M. R. Rajohnson, and William H. Sekule were each sworn in by Registrar of the International Residual Mechanism, Mr. John Hocking. 

Four judges of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, who are located outside of the Mechanism’s two branches in The Hague and Arusha were today sworn in remotely by Registrar John Hocking: Aydin Sefa Akay (Turkey), Jose Ricardo de Prada Solaesa (Spain), Ben Emmerson (UK), and Aminatta Lois Runeni N’gum (The Gambia).

Earlier this week nine Judges who are currently serving in the ICTY were sworn in during a ceremony at The Hague. 

The President of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, Judge Theodor Meron, presided today over the official swearing-in of those Judges of the ICTY who have been elected Judges of the International Residual Mechanism. Following the swearing in of the President, Judges Carmel Agius, Jean-Claude Antonetti, Christoph Flügge, Burton Hall, Liu Daqun, Bakone Justice Moloto, Prisca Matimba Nyambe, Alphons Orie, and Patrick Robinson were each sworn in by Registrar of the International Residual Mechanism, Mr. John Hocking.  

The United Nations Secretary-General has appointed Judge Theodor Meron as President of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals for a term of four years effective 1 March 2012. 

Judge Meron has been serving as the President of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia since November 2011, a position that he will continue to hold while performing his functions at the Residual Mechanism.

The Security Council, recalling its decision of 22 December 2010 to establish an International Residual Mechanism to “continue the functions” of the International Criminal Tribunals for the Former Yugoslavia and Rwanda in anticipation of completion of the courts’ work, this morning appointed the Prosecutor of the “Mechanism”, to begin his four-year term tomorrow, 1 March.

The United Nations Secretary-General has appointed Mr. John Hocking as the Registrar of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals.

Mr. Hocking has been serving as the Registrar of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia since May 2009, a position that he will continue to hold while performing his functions at the Residual Mechanism.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on 22 December adopted a Resolution to establish a new body to finish the remaining tasks of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) after the completion of their mandates. 

The Security Council decided this morning to establish the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals to finish the remaining tasks of the Tribunals for Rwanda and the Former Yugoslavia, and maintain their respective legacies.

Adopting resolution 1966 (2010) by a vote of 14 to none, with 1 abstention (Russian Federation), the Council decided that the Mechanism’s branch for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda would commence its operations on 1 July 2012 and that for the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia on 1 July 2013.