US Backs Wind-Down of UN Criminal Tribunal Mechanism Mandates, Seeks Clarity on Retained Judicial Functions
NEW YORK, June 15, 2026 — The United States has voiced support for winding down key mandates of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism), while requesting additional information regarding the potential retention of certain judicial functions.
In remarks delivered to a UN Security Council briefing on June 12, U.S. Representative for U.N. Management and Reform, Ambassador Jeffrey Bartos, stated that the U.S. supports the conclusion of the Mechanism’s mandates to investigate, indict, and prosecute core crimes, contempt, and false testimony crimes at this time. The U.S. position was delivered as the Council works toward a constructive conclusion of the Mechanism’s Sixth Review period, paving the way for an “expeditious conclusion” of its work.
Ambassador Bartos commended the Mechanism for submitting a unified vision and strategic plan, which will facilitate the necessary Council decisions to effectuate the termination and transfer of functions.
The U.S. also concurred with several proposals aimed at streamlining operations and preserving the legacy of the Mechanism and its predecessor tribunals:
- Transfer of Functions: Concurrence with the recommendation to transfer the Prosecutor’s national assistance functions, which support domestic jurisdictions addressing atrocity crimes, to the Secretariat.
- Archives: Appreciation for States that have offered to host the Archives, supported by the Secretariat, to facilitate digital access and preserve the Mechanism’s legacy.
- Sentencing Enforcement: Support for transferring the day-to-day supervision of sentences to enforcement states, and specifically endorsing the enforcement of International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) sentences in Rwanda. The U.S. urged the Mechanism and the Secretariat to make arrangements to transfer these functions as quickly as possible.
Furthermore, the U.S. expressed pleasure that the proposals would result in a major reduction in staffing, as well as the consolidation of limited remaining judicial functions to a single location with outsourced support services. These measures are expected to achieve “significant cost savings and accelerate winddown”.
However, the U.S. has not yet determined whether it concurs with all recommendations concerning the retention of limited judicial functions, particularly due to the potentially indefinite nature of these functions. The U.S. requested additional information on why these functions could not be executed at the national level, transferred, or terminated. Bartos indicated it would be helpful to receive additional information on the expected timelines, staffing, and budget for all potentially retained judicial functions.
The U.S. remains committed to actively working to address these and other outstanding issues as the Council completes the Review.
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