04.06.09 - ICTR/GENOCIDE - DR FOMETE PROMOTED AS REGISTRAR OF NEWLY CREATED UN DISPUTE TRIBUNAL

4 June 2009 By

Arusha, 4 June, 2009 (FH)-A senior staff member of the Arusha-based International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), Dr Jean-Pele Fomete, has been appointed the Registrar of the newly established United Nations Dispute Tribunal in Nairobi, Kenya, reports Hirondelle Agency.

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The Cameroonian-born Dr Fomete was the programs Director at the ICTR before assuming his new role on 2 June.

The UNDT is part of the new system of internal justice established by the UN General Assembly in 2008.

Its formal component is a two-tier system with the UNDT as the court of first instance. It is a "global" tribunal competent across the system.

In a move to bring justice to the staff who are in the field in their majority, the UNDT is decentralized with an office in Nairobi for matters filed by staff serving in Africa; Geneva for Europe and New York for the Americas.

Dr Fomete has 20 years of experience and expertise in the fields of administration of justice, management of international bodies and diplomacy, backed by a strong academic background in international law and business administration.

He holds a Doctorate and a Masters in International Relations (with a specialization in International Law, obtained with distinction in 1990 and 1987 respectively), as well as a Bachelor's Degree in Law (1986, with distinction and Administrative Law as core topic). He also holds a Masters of Business Administration from the Maastricht School of Management and the Eastern & Southern African Management Institute.

For the past 13 years, Dr Fomete has directly contributed to the building and management of an international criminal judicial system within the United Nations. From the ICTY early days (1995-1996) to the ICTR, he has provided an array of executive, policy and strategic advisory services to the Registrars in all areas falling within their purview.

Prior to becoming an international civil servant, he served the foreign services of his country, as a career diplomat and taught law.

Early this year, the Deputy Registrar of International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), Everard O'Donell, stepped down after serving the UN Tribunal for about a decade.

The exit of senior staff members comes as the ICTR is approaching to close all first instance trials by end of this year as directed by the UN Security Council.

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