Mr. President,
I would like to thank President Gatti Santana and Prosecutor Brammertz for their reports and presentations. I would also like to welcome the participation of the representatives of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia and Rwanda at this meeting.
Mr. President,
This year we commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda and the 29th anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica. Today, all the cases relating to the main crimes have been concluded and, since May 15 of this year, all the fugitives indicted by the two tribunals have been accounted for. I would like to make three observations in the light of these milestones:
Firstly, we would like to reaffirm our support for the Mechanism and commend the efforts undertaken to implement its mandate. The significant progress made over the past six months illustrates the determination of the Prosecutor, the President and the Judges to bring the perpetrators of international crimes to justice and to combat impunity. We are pleased to note that there are no longer any fugitives from the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Nevertheless, the Mechanism continues to play an important role in combating impunity, preventing future crimes and promoting peace.
Secondly, the future of the Mechanism deserves our full attention. Having entered a purely residual phase, the Mechanism continues to perform core functions such as monitoring the implementation of sentences, assisting national authorities and preserving archives. We have taken note of the Framework of Operations to complement the Mechanism's functions. We support the reflections undertaken to optimize resources and strengthen the Mechanism's effectiveness in order to realize the vision of a small, efficient and temporary entity.
We would also like to stress the importance of preserving the legacy of the International Criminal Tribunals and the Mechanism. We welcome the Mechanism's efforts to help affected communities, particularly the younger generations, to better understand the facts of the crimes committed and to recognize their suffering. In this context, the negationist and revisionist tendencies and the glorification of criminals that have been reported to us on several occasions give rise to our deep concern.
Thirdly, an effective fight against international crimes requires sustained and strengthened cooperation. The Mechanism must be able to count on strong support from the Security Council and all member states. We call on all States to redouble their efforts to strengthen cooperation with the Mechanism, particularly with a view to arresting and handing over suspects. We also encourage States to strengthen their regional cooperation frameworks in criminal matters. Finally, we regret that the situation of the people who have been resettled in Niger for over two years, one of whom recently died, has still not been resolved, despite the considerable efforts made by the Mechanism in this regard.
Mr. President,
Switzerland reaffirms its commitment to international criminal justice, the fight against impunity and justice for all victims and survivors of atrocities. The Mechanism's important contribution to transitional justice, and consequently to the promotion of lasting peace, is beyond doubt, and this institution thus deserves our full support.
Thank you.