Patrick Robinson, the president of the Hague tribunal, on Oct. 8 in the U.N. General Assembly in New York, called for the arrest of fugitives Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic, and also for reparations to be paid to war crime victims in the former Yugoslavia.

"If they [Mladic and Hadzic] are not brought to justice, a stain will be left on the United Nations' historical contribution to the building of peace in the former Yugoslavia. I call on all member states to do everything they can to ensure the immediate arrest of those fugitives," underlined Judge Robinson in his speech to the U.N. General Assembly as he presented the annual report on the work of the Hague tribunal.

He appealed to the highest U.N. body to also support the creation of a commission which would consider demands for the payment of reparations to victims of war crimes committed during the wars in the former Yugoslavia.

"I must agree that the international community has forgotten the victims. Currently, there is no efficient mechanism through which victims can seek damages for their injuries, despite the fact that their right to compensation is deeply ingrained in international law," Robinson pointed out.

Saying that the issue was "of critical importance," Robinson underlined that compensation for victims was "in line with the efforts of the tribunal to contribute to long-term peace and stability in the region."

"Justice does not only mean punishing the perpetrators of crimes but also restoring the dignity of the victims, so that specific resources will be secured for them to rebuild their lives," said Robinson.