United Nations Security Council Resolution 978
Encyclopedia
United Nations
Security Council Resolution
978, adopted unanimously on February 27, 1995, after recalling all previous resolutions on Rwanda
, including 935
(1994) and 955
(1994), the Council instructed Member States on the arrest and detention of persons responsible for acts during the Rwandan Genocide
, within the jurisdiction
of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
(ICTR).
The Security Council expressed its concern about reports of genocide
and systematic violations of international humanitarian law
committed in Rwanda. Such reports were confirmed by the Commission of Experts pursuant to Resolution 935. There was also concern regarding attacks against refugee
s who voluntarily wish to return to Rwanda and the situation in the refugee camp
s. It was asserted that those responsible for the acts would be brought to justice.
Addressing Member States, the Council called for the arrest of persons in their territory for whom there was sufficient evidence that they were responsible for acts carried out within the jurisdiction of the ICTR. Countries that arrested suspects were to inform the Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali
and the Prosecutor
Richard Goldstone
at the ICTR of relevant details concerning their identity, the cause for their detention and evidence against them. The relevant countries were also asked to co-operate with representatives from the International Committee of the Red Cross
and investigators at the ICTR.
All attacks on people at the refugee camps on the borders of Rwanda were strongly condemned and the Council called for the prevention of such acts. States in which territory the attacks took place in were urged to take action in accordance with the national and international law
and to detain and gather evidence against those responsible.
Resolution 978 was non-binding on Member States, as Chapter VII
was not invoked.
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Security Council Resolution
United Nations Security Council Resolution
A United Nations Security Council resolution is a UN resolution adopted by the fifteen members of the Security Council; the UN body charged with "primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security"....
978, adopted unanimously on February 27, 1995, after recalling all previous resolutions on Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
, including 935
United Nations Security Council Resolution 935
United Nations Security Council Resolution 935, adopted unanimously on July 1, 1994, after recalling all resolutions on Rwanda, particularly 918 and 925 , the Council requested the Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali to establish a Commission of Experts to investigate violations of...
(1994) and 955
United Nations Security Council Resolution 955
United Nations Security Council Resolution 955, adopted on November 8, 1994, after recalling all resolutions on Rwanda, the Council noted that serious violations of international humanitarian law had taken place in the country and, acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, established...
(1994), the Council instructed Member States on the arrest and detention of persons responsible for acts during the Rwandan Genocide
Rwandan Genocide
The Rwandan Genocide was the 1994 mass murder of an estimated 800,000 people in the small East African nation of Rwanda. Over the course of approximately 100 days through mid-July, over 500,000 people were killed, according to a Human Rights Watch estimate...
, within the jurisdiction
Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area of responsibility...
of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda is an international court established in November 1994 by the United Nations Security Council in Resolution 955 in order to judge people responsible for the Rwandan Genocide and other serious violations of international law in Rwanda, or by Rwandan...
(ICTR).
The Security Council expressed its concern about reports of genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
and systematic violations of international humanitarian law
International humanitarian law
International humanitarian law , often referred to as the laws of war, the laws and customs of war or the law of armed conflict, is the legal corpus that comprises "the Geneva Conventions and the Hague Conventions, as well as subsequent treaties, case law, and customary international law." It...
committed in Rwanda. Such reports were confirmed by the Commission of Experts pursuant to Resolution 935. There was also concern regarding attacks against refugee
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
s who voluntarily wish to return to Rwanda and the situation in the refugee camp
Refugee camp
A refugee camp is a temporary settlement built to receive refugees. Hundreds of thousands of people may live in any one single camp. Usually they are built and run by a government, the United Nations, or international organizations, or NGOs.Refugee camps are generally set up in an impromptu...
s. It was asserted that those responsible for the acts would be brought to justice.
Addressing Member States, the Council called for the arrest of persons in their territory for whom there was sufficient evidence that they were responsible for acts carried out within the jurisdiction of the ICTR. Countries that arrested suspects were to inform the Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali
Boutros Boutros-Ghali
Boutros Boutros-Ghali is an Egyptian politician and diplomat who was the sixth Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1992 to December 1996...
and the Prosecutor
Prosecutor
The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the common law adversarial system, or the civil law inquisitorial system...
Richard Goldstone
Richard Goldstone
Richard Joseph Goldstone is a South African former judge. After working for 17 years as a commercial lawyer, he was appointed by the South African government to serve on the Transvaal Supreme Court from 1980 to 1989 and the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of South Africa from 1990 to 1994...
at the ICTR of relevant details concerning their identity, the cause for their detention and evidence against them. The relevant countries were also asked to co-operate with representatives from the International Committee of the Red Cross
International Committee of the Red Cross
The International Committee of the Red Cross is a private humanitarian institution based in Geneva, Switzerland. States parties to the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977 and 2005, have given the ICRC a mandate to protect the victims of international and...
and investigators at the ICTR.
All attacks on people at the refugee camps on the borders of Rwanda were strongly condemned and the Council called for the prevention of such acts. States in which territory the attacks took place in were urged to take action in accordance with the national and international law
International law
Public international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...
and to detain and gather evidence against those responsible.
Resolution 978 was non-binding on Member States, as Chapter VII
Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter
Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter sets out the UN Security Council's powers to maintain peace. It allows the Council to "determine the existence of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression" and to take military and nonmilitary action to "restore international peace...
was not invoked.
See also
- List of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 901 to 1000 (1994 – 1995)
- Rwandan Civil WarRwandan Civil WarThe Rwandan Civil War was a conflict within the Central African nation of Rwanda between the government of President Juvénal Habyarimana and the rebel Rwandan Patriotic Front...
- Rwandan GenocideRwandan GenocideThe Rwandan Genocide was the 1994 mass murder of an estimated 800,000 people in the small East African nation of Rwanda. Over the course of approximately 100 days through mid-July, over 500,000 people were killed, according to a Human Rights Watch estimate...
- United Nations Observer Mission Uganda–Rwanda