The Hague, 7 December 2000
LM/P.I.S./547-e

On behalf of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), the Registrar of Tribunal, Ms. Dorothee de Sampayo Garrido-Nijgh, expresses her deep appreciation to the European Union for awarding a grant of up to EUR 1,482,313 (around USD 1,300,000) to the ICTY Voluntary Fund.

The contribution is made in support of the ICTY Outreach Programme, the ICTY Library and a Project for Defence Counsel Training.

The Programme, which operates primarily in languages from the former Yugoslavia, aims to strengthen contacts between the Tribunal and communities in the region. To this end it has established regional ICTY Outreach offices in Sarajevo and Zagreb. It is hoped that, funding and circumstances permitting, additional ICTY Outreach offices will be opened in Belgrade and Prishtina during 2001.

The programme operates on the understanding that the Tribunal works as an agency of security and reconciliation in South East Europe, working in partnership with and for the benefit of citizens in the region to strengthen the rule of law.

The ICTY Outreach Programme is a United Nations Trust Fund and as such is entirely funded by voluntary contributions from States and institutions.

The Library intends to expand its research material and increase access to electronic databases of legal material.

The project has been established for defence counsel appearing before the Tribunal with training courses to assist their understanding of the rules and practices of the ICTY.

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