Security Council

4621^st Meeting* (AM)

SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS DEADLINE FOR NOMINATION OF JUDGES

FOR RWANDA TRIBUNAL UNTIL 15 NOVEMBER

The Security Council this morning decided to extend the deadline for nomination of judges for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda until 15 November 2002.

That decision was expressed through a letter sent to the Secretary-General (document S/2002/1131), in which the Council replied to the Secretary-General’s letter of 26 September 2002.

In that letter, the Secretary-General noted that the number of candidates whose nominations he had received was short of the minimum number of 22 that should appear in the list that the Council was mandated to create for transmission to the General Assembly.

The Council had decided on 14 August, via resolution 1431 (2002), to establish such a list within a 60-day period following that meeting.  Those 60 days would have expired on 14 October, and by today’s action have been extended to 90 days. 

The meeting, which began at 10:15 a.m., adjourned at 10:21 p.m. 

Background

When the Security Council met this morning to consider the International Criminal Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Genocide and Other Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of Rwanda and Rwandan Citizens Responsible for Genocide and Other Such Violations Committed in the Territory of Neighbouring States, between 1 January 1994 and 31 December 1994 (the “International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda”), it had before it a letter from the Secretary-General dated 26 September addressed to the President of the Security Council (document S/2002/1106).

In that letter, regarding nomination for judges to the Tribunal, as amended, the Secretary-General listed 17 nominations he had received from Member States within the prescribed 60-day period (according to paragraph 1 (c) of article 12 of the Tribunal’s Statute) after a letter dated 25 July inviting Member States to submit nominations.  The Secretary-General noted that the number of candidates whose nominations he had received was short of the minimum number of 22 which, as stipulated in the aforementioned paragraph, should appear in the list which the Council is to establish for transmission to the General Assembly.

On 14 August, the Council, acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, unanimously adopted resolution 1431 (2001), which amended articles 11, 12 and 13 of the Statute in order to establish a pool of ad litem judges in the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda to enable it to expedite the conclusion of its work as early as possible.  [See Press Release SC/7482 of 14 August.]

The Council created the Rwanda Tribunal, located in Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania, in November 1994, to prosecute people responsible for genocide and other serious violations of international humanitarian law committed in the territory of Rwanda between 1 January 1994 and 31 December 1994.  It may also deal with the prosecution of Rwandan citizens responsible for genocide and other such violations of international law committed in neighbouring States over the same period.

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*      Meeting Nos. 4619 and 4620 were closed.