§ Ian LucasTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy on the future of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. [43549]
§ Mr. MacShaneThe United Kingdom fully supports the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in fulfilling its mandate to bring to justice persons allegedly responsible for violations of international humanitarian law, to render justice to the victims, and to contribute to the restoration of peace by promoting reconciliation in the former Yugoslavia.
The Tribunal's Chief Prosecutor, Carla del Ponte, held discussions with the Foreign Secretary on 14 March about the Tribunal's future. Her stated aim is to complete the Tribunal's work by 2008. The UK supports her in this aim. However, this timetable is conditional upon states in the former Yugoslavia co-operating with the Tribunal and beginning to take responsibility for trying lower level war criminals in their jurisdiction. We continue to encourage the states in former Yugoslavia to take these necessary steps.