There is a large backlog of war crimes cases in the countries in the region and more justice is still urgently needed, chief prosecutor for the UN Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals Serge Brammertz said at a Conference in Zagreb.

Prosecutor Brammertz is taking part in a two-day conference in Zagreb entitled “Justice after The Hague”, where he participated in discussions which touched upon achievements and challenges of prosecution of war crimes, regional cooperation and dealing with the past in the former Yugoslavia.  

The conference was organised by the Serb National Council, Council of the Serb National Minority for the City of Zagreb, Documenta – Centre for Dealing with the Past and SENSE – Center for Transitional Justice. The conference brought together prosecutors, members of the civil society, victim’s organisations, journalists and scholars.  

Brammertz noted the importance of continuing to secure accountability for war crimes on the domestic level, underscoring the importance of regional cooperation in this regard.

He highlighted that “[I]n every country in the region, there is a large backlog of war crimes cases, and more justice is still urgently needed.”

the chief prosecutor also added: “Regional judicial cooperation today faces many challenges. But I also believe that […] we can find pragmatic solutions to many of the […] challenges that face us. We just need to remember that the purpose of the law is to achieve justice and punish those responsible for crimes, not to promote impunity.”

The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals is the the successor to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague.

Brammertz's address upon arrival to Zagreb can be found on this link.