Delivered by: Rashed Azzam, Attache

Thank you, Mr. President,

I would first like to thank Judge Gatti Santana, President of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, and Mr. Serge Brammertz, Chief Prosecutor, for their valuable briefings. I also welcome the representatives from Croatia, Rwanda, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina to this session.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my delegation’s appreciation to the delegation of the Gabonese Republic for their efforts and successful chairmanship of the informal working group on criminal courts during the years 2022-2023.

Mr. President,

The UAE reiterates the critical role of the Mechanism in implementing the remaining tasks of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. We recognize the significant contributions of the Mechanism in achieving and ensuring justice, protecting the rights of victims of serious international crimes, and combating impunity. Additionally, we would like to take this opportunity to reiterate the need for the international community to address the root causes of such crimes, frequently incited by hate speech, discrimination, and racism.

We will continue to monitor the progress of the Mechanism in performing its essential functions, particularly in light of the developments related to the indefinite suspension of trial proceedings in the Kabuga case due to his health condition.

In this regard, we commend the continuation of the efforts made by the Mechanism to be more effective and efficient and to reduce the burden of its work. In light of this we encourage the Mechanism to focus its attention toward future plans, guided by the Security Council’s vision that the Mechanism remains temporary, effective, and gradually diminishes over time. Accordingly, we commend the progress achieved in the Mechanism’s work that has led the Mechanism to persist in executing its designated tasks, with a specific focus on overseeing its eventual transition to a Residual Mechanism in the exact manner for which it was designed. In this context, we urge them to continue performing assigned tasks and progressing, particularly regarding the supervision of the enforcement of sentences, providing assistance to National Jurisdictions, and protecting victims and witnesses.

We would like to emphasize that the primary responsibility for holding perpetrators of crimes accountable lies with States, while simultaneously highlighting the importance of the complementary role played by international agencies in investigating international justice. We also appreciate the efforts undertaken by the Mechanism, represented by the relevant judges and the Public Prosecution Office, in simplifying and completing the outstanding tasks.

The UAE calls upon all countries, especially those directly concerned, to fulfill their obligations, cooperate with the Mechanism, and to support it in accomplishing its tasks. Relying on accountability and achieving justice is the best way to honor the victims.

In the last meeting with the IRMCT during its Security Council tenure the UAE reaffirms that strengthening international justice and the rule of law, rooted in the principles of the United Nations Charter, is essential for the international community to achieve sustainable peace and security effectively.

Thank you, Mr. President.