Britannica Sources used in this answer

Why did the UN Security Council establish the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Railway tracks lead to the brick entrance building and guard tower of Auschwitz Birkenau concentration camp near Oswiecim, Poland. — Genocide Freight train tracks leading to Auschwitz-Birkenau, Nazi Germany's largest concentration camp, near Oświęcim, Poland.

The United Nations Security Council established the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in May 1993 for two primary reasons:

To prevent further atrocities: The tribunal was created as an attempt to stop ongoing acts of "ethnic cleansing" occurring during the conflicts between the states of the former Yugoslavia.1
To restore regional stability: The Security Council sought to restore and maintain peace and security within the Balkan region.1

By establishing this international body, the UN aimed to hold individuals accountable for serious violations of international humanitarian law, including genocide, crimes against humanity, and other war crimes committed since 1991. This action marked a significant return to formal international prosecution of war crimes, nearly 50 years after the conclusion of the Nürnburg and Tokyo trials.1