Regional Prosecutors meet to discuss cooperation in war crimes cases

A regional prosecutors' meeting hosted by the Office of the Serbian War Crimes Prosecutor as part of the UNDP Regional War Crimes Project started in Belgrade earlier today.

The Office of the War Crimes Prosecutor initiated the conference with a view to strengthening regional cooperation, as a sequel to the Palić Process, which has been recognised by the international community as a mechanism for boosting cooperation of countries in the region in the prosecution of war crimes.

The conference is being attended by Mr Serge Brammertz, the Chief Prosecutor of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT), as well as by the officials of the following: BH Prosecutor's Office; Prosecution Services of the BH Federation, Republic of Srpska and Brčko District; Office of the Croatian Chief State Prosecutor; County State Prosecution Services; Special State Prosecution Service of Montenegro; and UNDP.

Keynote speeches were delivered by the following:

Мaja Popović, Serbian Justice Minister;

Zagorka Dolovac, Republic of Serbia's Public Prosecutor;

Snežana Stanojković, Serbian War Crimes Prosecutor;

Serge Brammertz, IRMCT Chief Prosecutor;

Francine Pickup, UNDP Resident Representative in Serbia;

Sian MacLeod, UK Ambassador to Serbia;

Ambassador Emanuele Giaufret, Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia; and

Ambassador Jan Braathu, Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia.