The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay on 31 March 2011 paid a one day official visit to the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

During her visit The High Commissioner, who had previously served as Judge and later President of the ICTR hailed the work and achievements of the ICTR and other similar tribunals in promoting international criminal justice. She also underscored the complementarity between Human Rights and International Criminal Justice.

Speaking to members of staff of the Tribunal, the High Commissioner explained that by conducting fair and effective trials of alleged perpetrators of serious international crimes, the ICTR and other international courts and tribunals have contributed to ending impunity for gross human rights violations and other international crimes.

“The ICTR and the ICTY have been crucial to the development of the rule of law, at both international and national levels, through their jurisprudence and their role as precursors to other international and hybrid tribunals, and the international criminal court,” she said.

The UN High Commissioner also held talks with senior officials of the Tribunal including the ICTR President Judge Charles Michael Dennis Byron, the ICTR Judges and the Prosecutor Justice Hassan Bubacar Jallow.