Hon. Ms. Patricia O’Brien, the Under-Secretary General for Legal Affairs of the United Nations visited the Tribunal from 24 to 26 March 2009, during which she held talks with ICTR senior officials over the execution of the Tribunal’s mandate and its completion strategy

. During the visit Ms. O’Brien met with the President of the Tribunal Judge Dennis Byron, the Prosecutor Mr. Hassan Bubacar Jallow and the Registrar Mr. Adama Dieng. She also met with all the Judges and held a town hall meeting with staff of the ICTR. In the meetings Ms. O’Brien was briefed on the progress of the trials, judgement drafting and related issues. Matters pertaining to the residual mechanism of the Tribunal were also discussed.

She also visited the Tribunal’s Detention Facilities, holding cells, Career Resource Centre, Staff Welfare facilities and attended a demonstration of Trim and Real Time Transcript. Speaking during the town hall meeting, Ms. O’Brien expressed her profound gratitude to the Tribunal staff and management for their unwavering commitment to the mission and mandate of the Tribunal. S

he also underscored the pivotal role they were playing in the promotion of international criminal justice. In her meeting with the the press Ms. O’Brien stated that the required cooperation of member states in witness relocation, enforcement of sentences and apprehension of fugitives, was of utmost importance to the success of the Tribunal.

She added that the remaining thirteen fugitives of the Tribunal will not be let off the hook at the end of the Tribunal’s mandate. Rather, they will be captured by the residual mechanism which will be put in place to address the matter.