The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) yesterday celebrated the 62nd Anniversary of the United Nations in the presence of nine European Union (EU) diplomats from Kigali, Rwanda, Tanzanian Authorities and students from the Arusha Region.
During the celebration, the ICTR Officials namely President, Sir Dennis Byron; Vice President Judge Khalida Rachid Khan; Prosecutor Hassan Bubacar Jallow; Registrar Adama Dieng and the President of the Staff Association, Mr. Optatus Nchimbi, called upon the staff and the participants to work harder for a better world, a world of justice and a world of peace. They all invited the staff and the gathering to rededicate themselves to the pursuit of the noble ideals of the United Nations. They also acknowledged and shared the message of the Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, which focused on multilateralism, conflict prevention, peace making, peacekeeping, peace building, disarmament, arms non-proliferation, climate change and the collective effort that is needed to fulfill the Millennium Development goals, particularly in Africa.
The Delegation of the EU diplomats led by H. E. Jeremy Macadie, Ambassador of the United Kingdom in Kigali, Rwanda had been visiting the Tribunal from 22 to 24 October 2007. During their visit, the Ambassadors held fruitful meetings with the Tribunal senior officials including, the President, the Prosecutor, the Registrar and their close collaborators. Among the issues discussed were the ICTR’s Completion Strategy, the arrest of fugitives, the cooperation and judicial assistance from member states, the ICTR’s effort in the judicial capacity building including implementation of outreach activities in Rwanda, the legacy/residual mechanism issues.
The Kigali EU Delegation was composed of Mr. Jeremy Macadie, Ambassador of the United Kingdom; Mr. David MacRae, Ambassador, Head of European Commission in Rwanda; Mr. Peter Schönherr, Ambassador of The Netherlands; Mr. François Roux, Ambassador of Belgium; Mr. Christian Clages, Ambassador of Germany; Mrs. Gabriele WinaiStröm and Ms. Jenny Ohlsson from the Embassy of Sweden.