SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS DEADLINE FOR NOMINATION OF JUDGES TO INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL TRIBUNAL FOR RWANDA

15 July 1998

Press Release
SC/6550

SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS DEADLINE FOR NOMINATION OF JUDGES TO INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL TRIBUNAL FOR RWANDA

19980715 Security Council Postpones Deadline To 4 August, by Endorsing Secretary-General's Proposal

The Security Council this afternoon endorsed the Secretary-General's proposal that the Council extend the deadline for nominations of judges to the Trial Chambers of the International Tribunal for Rwanda until 4 August 1998. The Council agreed that the President of the Council should send a letter to the Secretary-General expressing its approval of the proposal.

The meeting, which began at 1:14 p.m., was adjourned at 1:15 p.m.

President's Letter

The text of the letter, which will be issued as document S/1998/646, reads as follows:

"Dear Mr. Secretary-General.

"I have the honour to inform you that your letter dated 8 July 1998 concerning the list of candidates to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and suggestion to extend the deadline for nominations to the Tribunal until 4 August 1998 has been brought to the attention of the Security Council. The Council noted the information contained in the letter and agreed with the proposal contained therein.

"Please accept, Mr. Secretary-General, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Sergey V. Lavrov President of the Council"

Council Work Programme

The Council met this afternoon to consider a letter from the Secretary- General in which he reviews the resolutions pertaining to the establishment of the International Tribunal for Rwanda, as well as articles of the statute of the International Tribunal for Rwanda relating to qualification and election

Security Council - 2 - Press Release SC/6550 3908th Meeting (PM) 15 July 1998

of judges (document S/1998/640). He calls attention to article 12 of the statute which states that the judges of the International Tribunal are to serve on a full-time basis and so may not engage in any other occupation of a professional nature during their terms of office. Once elected to the Tribunal, they are expected to take up residence at its seat in Arusha.

Member States and non-Member States maintaining permanent observer mission at Headquarters were invited in a letter dated 4 June, to submit nominations for the nine judges of the three Trial Chambers of the International Tribunal for Rwanda within 30 days.

After forwarding the names of the five nominations which have been received from Member States within the 30-day period specified in the statute, the Secretary-General notes that the list is short of the minimum number of 18 which is required by the statute. He suggests that the Council extend the deadline for nominations until 4 August 1998, a deadline which would also coincide with the deadline for nominations for judges of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.

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