Today, Tuesday 15 April 1997, the Italian Ambassador to the Netherlands, His Excellency Mr. Ranieri Tallarigo, accompanied by Mr. Francesco Cottafavi, Counsellor at the Italian Embassy, met with the Registrar of the International Tribunal, Ms Dorothee de Sampayo Garrido-Nijgh. In the presence of the President of the International Tribunal, Judge Antonio Cassese, the Ambassador and the Registrar signed an agreement between the United Nations and the Government of Italy for the secondment of personnel to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
This agreement was concluded to provide support to the International Tribunal in accordance with resolution 827 (1993) of the UN Security Council.
The President and the Registrar of the International Tribunal thanked the Ambassador for the current secondment of two senior prosecutors to the International Tribunal and for the prospective contribution of two investigators, all four of which will be assigned to work for the Office of the Prosecutor.
The President and the Registrar of the International Tribunal asked the Ambassador to convey to the Italian Government the gratitude of the International Tribunal and to formally inquire whether the Italian authorities would be willing to second further personnel to the International Tribunal.
Background on Secondment
Currently, a total of 57 seconded personnel are assigned to the Tribunal, contributed by a total of 10 Governments1 and 5 non-governmental organizations2 . It is anticipated that these numbers may increase in the course of 1997 as further states are currently contemplating the contribution of personnel to the Tribunal.
The secondment of personnel has been in response to resolution 827 (1993) of 25 May 1993, in which the UN Security Council established the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and urged "States and intergovernmental and non-governmental organization to contribute funds, equipment and services to the International Tribunal, including the offer of expert personnel".
Under a secondment arrangement, expert personnel is provided at no cost to the Tribunal for a period of one year or two years. For these purposes, a memorandum of agreement is concluded between the donor and the United Nations. Seconded personnel generally provide expertise in criminal investigation and prosecution, two non-traditional fields of work for which human resources are not readily available within the United Nations system.
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International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
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