List of short-term judges for Rwanda tribunal forwarded to General Assembly

The United Nations Security Council today forwarded to the General Assembly for final approval a list of 35 judges nominated for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR).

Contained in a unanimously adopted resolution 1477, the list is to be used for selection of a pool of 18 ad litem judges, which was established last year by the Council to help expedite the Tribunal's caseload towards completion by 2008.

The Council created the Tribunal, located in Arusha, Tanzania, in November 1994 to prosecute people responsible for genocide and other serious violations of international humanitarian law committed in the territory of Rwanda throughout that year.

The Tribunal is also empowered to deal with the prosecution of Rwandan citizens responsible for genocide and other such violations of international law committed in neighbouring States over the same period.