Arusha, February 8, 2005- (FH) - All the four Registrars of International Criminal Tribunals and Courts are from Tuesday attending a two day meeting at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in Arusha to exchange views about managing the tribunals and to identify the best practices in the administration of international criminal justice based on their experiences.

The spokesperson of the ICTR, Roland Amoussouga, informed Hirondelle News Agency that those attending the meeting include the Registrar of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Bruno Cathala, the Registrar of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), Hans Holthuis, the Registrar of the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCLC), Robin Vincent and the Registrar of the ICTR, Adama Dieng.

Similar meetings have been taking place since 2003 with the funding of the European Union and are intended to foster close cooperation between the tribunals.

According to the spokesperson, the areas of cooperation to be discussed this year will include the best practices in public information and outreach, the status of acquitted people, defence counsels and detention facility management, enforcement of sentences, handling situations of acquitted people, the legacy of the completion strategy and the post completion strategy.

Last year in March, the Registrars met in Sierra Leone where they selected co-operation in various areas, including matters concerning witness protection, legal aid and court management.

The ICTY and ICTR as ad hoc institutions are about to face the completion of their mandates in 2008.

SV/GF/FH (RE''' 0208e)