Judge Antonio Cassese was one of those most responsible for the success and challenges that the ICTY (International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia) overcame. He was an insightful jurist, committed to justice and performed his duties with integrity. By extension and frequently directly his efforts and insight influenced the rapid development of international criminal justice during the last most formative and dynamic two decades. He was a friend of Bosnia & Herzegovina and the region as a whole who understood that the future was in European institutional integration and that the rule of law was essential to such development. Although we knew each other on more professional basis, he was one I considered a friend. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon paid tribute to Judge Antonio Cassese as a “a giant of international law” and a loyal friend to the United Nations. Judge Cassese, or “Nino” as he was known to friends, also taught international law to generations of students around the world. He passed away at his home in the Italian city of Florence at the age of 74 on October 21, 2001. He had a long and distinguished career, during which he assisted the UN in a number of capacities. He was the first President of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the first President of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. He stepped down from the latter post recently due to illness. Also, as independent expert he reviewed the judicial efficiency of the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL), and led the International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur. “In these and many other functions Antonio Cassese (PHOTO with former UNSG Kofi Annan) shaped the development of international criminal justice and made a major contribution to fighting impunity and bringing about an age of accountability,” Mr. Ban said in a statement. “The United Nations will fondly remember Antonio Cassese as a giant of international law, as a loyal friend who was always there when the Organization needed his wise counsel and dedicated services, and mostly as an exceptionally charming and warm human being who courageously stood up for justice, for human rights and for humanity.” By Ambassador Muhamed Sacirbey Facebook Become a Fan at “Diplomatically Incorrect” Twitter – Follow at DiplomaticallyX