Successful Conclusion of the Fifth Cycle of the Mechanism’s Inter-University Video Lecture Programme
The fifth cycle of the Mechanism's Inter-University Video Lecture Programme (Programme) concluded today with a lecture by the Coordinator of the Mechanism Information Programme for Affected Communities (MIP) – Ms. Rada Pejić-Sremac. She discussed the role and work of the outreach programmes of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT).
The lecture series, entitled “International Law and Facts Established before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY)”, organised by the MIP, brought together postgraduate students from 14 law faculties and 1 faculty of political science across the region of the former Yugoslavia. The aim of the Programme is not only to introduce students to the judicial legacy of the ICTY and enhance their knowledge of the 1990s conflict and related judicially established facts but also to foster discussion among students.
This fifth cycle comprised 14 lectures held over the last four months. Legal experts, including current Principals, Judges, and staff members of the Mechanism, provided insights into the ICTY’s legacy and jurisprudence.
The President of the Mechanism, Judge Graciela Gatti Santana, launched this year’s cycle in November 2023, providing insights into the creation of the ICTY and its jurisdiction. Current Mechanism Judge and former ICTY Judge Alphons Orie also delivered a lecture in the series, during which he spoke about the contributions of the ICTY and Mechanism to the international accountability system.
The Registrar of the Mechanism, Mr. Abubacarr Tambadou, also participated in the lecture series, delivering a lecture on the role and functions of the Mechanism.
In addition, the following Mechanism staff members took part in the lecture series:
- Laurel Baig, Senior Appeals Counsel in the Office of the Prosecutor, who gave a lecture on the work and mandate of the Office of the Prosecutor;
- Emiliya Viktorova, Senior Legal Officer in the Chambers Legal Support Section, who introduced the students to role of the judges at the ICTY and Mechanism;
- Christopher Lentz, Legal Officer in the Office of the President, who gave a lecture on the notion of joint criminal enterprise in the ICTY's jurisprudence;
- Sarah Melikian, Legal Officer in the Office of the Prosecutor, who delivered a lecture on the destruction of cultural heritage;
- Evangelia Sarikaki, Legal Officer in the Office of the President, who spoke about the crime of genocide in the jurisprudence of the ad hoc tribunals;
- Witness Support and Protection Unit (WISP) representatives who spoke about the types of support and assistance provided to victims and witnesses appearing before the ICTY and the Mechanism; and
- Nemanja Stjepanović, MIP Researcher, who spoke about the role and usage of the ICTY and Mechanism archives and explained how to access and use the Mechanism's court records database and resource materials.
Lectures in the fifth cycle were also delivered by:
- Marie O'Leary, President of the Executive Committee of the Association of Defence Counsel to the International Criminal Tribunals, who gave a lecture on safeguarding the rights of the accused and the right to self-representation;
- Gregory Townsend, Senior lecturer in international law and former ICTY staff member, who spoke about the prosecution of wartime sexual violence at the ICTY; and
- Ivan Jovanović, legal expert at the United Nations Development Programme, who spoke about the role of the ICTY and the Mechanism in processing war crimes cases before national judiciaries in the former Yugoslavia.
The Inter-University Video Lectures Programme is part of the wider MIP, which is funded by the European Union.
The aim of the MIP is to improve the knowledge and understanding of citizens and communities in the countries of the former Yugoslavia about the crimes committed during the conflicts of the 1990s, based on the jurisprudence of the ICTY and Mechanism.