Security Council extends term of Brammertz as UN tribunal prosecutor

UNITED NATIONS, June 22 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Wednesday adopted a resolution to extend the term of Serge Brammertz of Belgium as prosecutor of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals for another two years, till June 30, 2024.

Resolution 2637 was adopted 14-0 with one abstention.

The mechanism was created by the Security Council in 2010 to perform the remaining functions of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) following the completion of those tribunals' respective mandates.

The resolution asks states to fully cooperate with the mechanism. It urges all states, especially those where fugitives are suspected to be at large, to intensify their cooperation with and render all necessary assistance to the mechanism, in particular, to achieve the arrest and surrender of all remaining fugitives indicted by the ICTR as soon as possible. It asks states to cooperate to enforce sentences pronounced by the ICTR, the ICTY, and the mechanism.

It notes with concern that the mechanism continues to face problems in the relocation of acquitted persons and convicted persons who have completed serving their sentence, and emphasizes the importance of finding expeditious and durable solutions to these problems.

Brammertz has been the chief prosecutor of the mechanism since March 2016.