The Basic Fact about the United Nations - The Tribunal and Court withing the United Nations

 The Basic Fact about the United Nations

The Tribunal and Court withing the United Nations

ALKRTY -2021

Over the past few years, the Council has established, as subsidiary organs, two as hoc, territorially specific, international criminal tribunals to prosecute crimes against humanity in the former Yugoslavia and in Rwanda. There are also three, hybrid courts established by Cambodia, Lebanon, and Sierra Leone, respectively, with substantial help from the United Nations. These are not permanent and will cease to exist once their business draws to a close.

First: International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia - ICTY

Established by the Security Council in 1993, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia is mandated to prosecute person responsible for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the former Yugoslavia since 1991. Its organizational components are its Chambers, Registry, and the Office of the Prosecutor. It has 16 permanent judge, 12 ad litem judges of whom it can call upon to 12 at any given time, and a staff of 1,039 representing 83 nationalities. The Tribunal has indicted 161 accused of crimes committed against many thousands of victims during the conflicts in Croatia 1991-1995, Bosnia and Herzegovina 1992-1995, Kosovo 1998-199, and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 2001, by holding individuals accountable regardless of their position, the Tribunal has substantially contributed to further dismantling impunity for war crimes.

Second:  International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda ICTR

Created by the Security Council in 1994, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda has the mandate to prosecute person responsible for genocide and other serious violations of international humanitarian law committed in Rwanda during 1994, as well as Rwandan citizens responsible for such violations committed in the territory of neighboring states. Its three Trial Chambers and one Appeals Chamber are composed of 16 independent judges. No two of them may be nationals of the same state. Three judges sit in each of the Trial Chambers and five judges sit in the Appeals Chamber, which is shared with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. It also has a pool of 18 add litem judges, of whom it can call upon up to nine at any given time and 693 staffs posts for 2010, among which were represented some 77 nationalities. As of July 2010, the ICTR had completed 51 cases, while 23 cases were still in progress and three were awaiting trial. Those convicted include Jean Kambanda, Prime Minster of Rwanda during the genocide, the first head of government to be arrested and subsequently convicted for genocide.

Third: Special Court for Sierra Leone

The Special Court for Sierra Leone was set up jointly by Sierra Leone and the United Nations in 2002, as requested by the Security Council in 2000. It is mandated to try those who bear the greatest responsibility for serious violations of international humanitarian law and Sierra Leonean law committed in the territory of Sierra Leon since 30 November 1996. The Special Court consists of three organs, including the Chambers, Appeals Chamber, Trial Chamber 1 and Trail Chamber 2, the Registry including the Defense Office, and the Office if the Prosecutor, The Special Court is the first international criminal tribunal to be funded entirely from voluntary contributions from governments. As of 2010, it had received contribution from over 40 states in all world regions.   

Forth: Extraordinary Chambers in the Court of Cambodia – ECCC

The Extraordinary Chambers in the Court of Cambodia for the prosecution of Crimes committed during the period of Democratic Kampuchea, is a national court established in 2006 pursuant to an agreement between Cambodia and the United Nations to try senior members of the Khmer Rouge for serious violations of international humanitarian law and Cambodian law during the period between 17 April 1975 and 6 January 1979, including crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide. the Trail Chamber is composed of five judges, three of whom are Cambodian and one of these President. The Supreme Court Chamber has seven judges are appointed by the Cambodian Supreme Council of the Magistracy upon nomination by the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The United Nations assistance to the Khmer Rouge Trials UNAKRT, Provides technical assistance to the ECCC.

Fifth: Special Tribunal for Lebanon – STL

In 2005, the Lebanese government requested that the United Nations established an international tribunal to try persons alleged responsible for the attack if 14 February 2005 in Beirut that killed former Lebanese Prim Minster Rafiq Hariri and 22 other persons. Pursuant to a Security Council resolution, the United Nations and Lebanon negotiated and agreement on the Special Tribunal, established following a further Security Council resolution in 2007 and officially opened in 2009, sits in Leidschendam -Voorburg near the Hague, not in Lebanon, principally for reasons of security and fairness. The first indictments were announced by the Prosecutor in January 2001, the Chambers of the Special Tribunal consist of one international per-trail judge, a trial Chamber with three judges, one Lebanese and two internationals plus two alternate judges, one Lebanese and one international and an Appeals Chamber, five judges, two Lebanese and three internationals. The Secretary-General appointed the judges in consultation with the Lebanese government.   

Alkrty-2021