Ambassador Lagumdžija Highlights Crucial Milestones in International Justice at UN Security Council Debate

During the debate of the UN Security Council on the work of the Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, which was held on December 12, the Permanent Representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the UN, Ambassador Dr. Zlatko Lagumdžija, reminded of several milestones that are being marked this year related to the international criminal justice – the 75th anniversary of the Genocide Convention, 30 years since this body decided to establish the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), and 10 years since the Mechanism took over the remaining functions of these tribunals.

He pointed out that these intrinsically related milestones, along with the significant verdicts pronounced for the crime of genocide, were of consequential importance not only for international criminal justice but also for Bosnia and Herzegovina. While we, for our part, use every opportunity to recall the failures in Bosnia and Herzegovina, today, more than ever, we do so for the sake of the lessons that we urgently need to learn and stop repeating. The work of these pioneering institutions is vital to both the past and the future, contributing to an indisputable historical record, a key element in the fight against denial and revisionism. Commitment to the pursuit of justice and the fight against impunity are our most valuable tools in preventing future crimes, emphasized Ambassador Lagumdžija.

Full presentation below.

Statement by dr Zlatko Lagumdzija