At a short, formal ceremony Mr. Adama Dieng of Senegal made the solemn declaration before the President of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) required by the Rules of Procedure and thus took up his duties as ICTR Registrar for the next four years.

After the swearing-in ceremony Mr. Dieng said that it was too soon to say what his priorities would be in his new post. He would first have to familiarise himself with the workings of the Tribunal which were extremely complex, but he would seek to ensure that the transition would not disrupt ongoing judicial proceedings. Thereafter he would aim to consolidate and build upon the considerable achievements of his predecessor, Mr. Agwu Okali, under whose tenure the Tribunal had become the effective organization which it is today.

According to the Rules of Procedure, the Registrar assists the Judges and the Prosecutor in the exercise of their duties and, under the authority of the President, he is responsible for the administration of the Tribunal and acts as its channel of communication.

Mr. Dieng was born on 22 May 1950. He began his career as Registrar of the Regional and Labour Courts in Senegal in 1973, and then served as Registrar of the Supreme Court of Senegal for six years. In 1982, he joined the International Commission of Jurists where he served successively as Legal Officer for Africa, Executive Secretary and, from October 1990 to May 2000 as Secretary-General. While holding that post, Mr. Dieng was appointed the United Nations Independent Expert for Haiti (1995).

Full Details of Mr Dieng’s career are available from the Press and Public Affairs Unit of the ICTR.