Mr. Saod Al Mazrouei, Alternate Political Coordinator

UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATION

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Mr. President,

The UAE would like to thank Judge Carmel Agius, President of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, and Mr. Serge Brammertz, Prosecutor, for their briefings. We also express our appreciation to Judge Agius for his tireless efforts as President of the Mechanism since 2019 and wish him well as he prepares to step down from the role. I welcome the presence of Her Excellency Ms. Maja Popović, Minister of Justice of Serbia, and the representatives of Croatia, Rwanda, and Bosnia and Herzegovina in this meeting.

Mr. President,

The International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and Rwanda (ICTR) played a prominent and significant role in the procedures for achieving international justice and law enforcement. Today, the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals is playing an essential role in completing the final tasks of their work and closing all its files.

In this context, the UAE fully supports the mandate of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals and welcomes its 20th progress report. The Mechanism plays a critical role in fighting impunity for serious violations of international law in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia as well as in delivering justice for victims and survivors of these crimes. The UAE would like to highlight the following three points:

First: The UAE would like to commend the Mechanism for the progress it has made in performing its main functions. In relation to the core crimes cases, the UAE takes note that the Felicien Kabuga case is expected to be the final trial undertaken by the Mechanism, which is expected to commence following the judicial decision on his capacity to stand trial. We appreciate the efforts made by the judges concerned, as well as the prosecution, to find ways to streamline the issue and to reduce the anticipated duration of the trial. We cannot fail to refer to the official notice of the death of two fugitives and commend the prosecution’s efforts to track the remaining four fugitives.

Second, the UAE expresses its concern about the unresolved situation of the eight acquitted and released persons. We urge the Mechanism to continue to work with all relevant parties to find an appropriate solution to the current situation.

Thirdly and finally, we commend the work of the Mechanism to implement the recommendations of the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS). We further encourage the Mechanism to implement the remaining OIOS recommendations and further streamline its operations, in accordance with resolution 1966 (2010).

Mr. President,

In conclusion, the UAE reiterates its support for the Mechanism and its work. We support the extension of the Mechanism’s mandate for a further two years and we remain committed to assisting it with the completion of its remaining tasks. Justice is a collective endeavor, and we call upon all Member States to fulfill their obligations to cooperate with the Mechanism in order to turn the page on these dark chapters of the international community’s history.

Thank you.