Statement by H.E. Sanita Pavļuta-Deslandes, Permanent Representative of Latvia to the UN at the UNSC Debate on the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals
12 June 2026
Thank you, Madam President.
I also thank President Gatti Santana and Chief Prosecutor Brammertz for their briefings and their significant efforts in supporting the Security Council during this review. And I welcome the participation ofhis Excellency Emmanuel Ugirashebuja, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Rwanda and other Member States to this meeting.
The ICTR, ICTY and IRMCT have left a lasting legacy in international criminal justice by demonstrating that individuals, including senior political and military leaders, can be held accountable for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The Tribunals have also played an important role in the prosecution of sexual and gender-based crimes, an area left largely undeveloped in the Nuremberg and Tokyo war crimes proceedings. Beyond prosecutions, these institutions gave victims a voice through thousands of witness testimonies, allowing survivors to have their experiences officially recognised and preserved in the historical record. The Tribunals established important legal precedents and strengthened the rule of law by establishing accountability for the gravest international crimes.
In the last two years, the IRMCT has worked hard on completing all the remaining core crimes cases. The archives, preserving all the documentation of the tried crimes; every single document, record and object has served the cause of delivering justice for the victims and survivors. The fight against impunity has been a collective effort of the international community over the last three decades and we have the results to prove it.
This is a legacy. A legacy we must respect, protect and preserve. That is why Latvia is engaging in the review with the following priorities:
First, to ensure a balance between efficiency and proportionality in completing and transferring the functions of the Mechanism. The IRMCT has always been temporary in nature and it is not our goal to prolong its existence arbitrarily. However, expediting the transfer of the remaining functions at this final stage risks undermining part of the hard work and accumulated legacy over the past decades. We must guard against this. We look forward to a zero draft that reflects the Strategic Plan proposed by the Mechanism as a good starting point for negotiations. The Council must make decisions that guarantee realistic timelines and the transfer of essential residual functions. We have a responsibility towards this legacy and the convicts are under the care of the UN.
Second, to secure the transfer of the archives to appropriate host countries, while ensuring broad accessibility for victims, survivors and diaspora communities affected by these crimes. This is essential, because these archives help individuals seek truth, recognition, and a better understanding of what happened. Ensuring access helps counter denial, distortion, and revisionism, while supporting education, memorialisation, and intergenerational remembrance. They stand as a precedent and symbol of accountability for crimes that continue to be committed in the ongoing conflicts and wars.
Third, to ensure that witnesses continue to enjoy adequate protection measures. The implementation of sentences must also be carried out in accordance with international human rights and security standards. The justice delivered for these crimes and due process must be safeguarded.
Madam President,
The international community has fought hard to reach the juncture of justice at which we now stand. In service of victims and survivors, we must now secure this justice through the proper transfer of residual functions so that the legacy of the tribunals continues to resonate for decades to come.
Thank you.