ICC - Passing of Dr Medard Rwelamira
Press Release
Passing of Dr Medard Rwelamira
ICC-CPI-20060431-130
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It is with great sadness that the International Criminal Court informs you of the passing of Dr Medard Rwelamira, Director of the Permanent Secretariat of the Assembly of States Parties. Dr Rwelamira passed away in Pretoria, South Africa, on 3rd April, 2006.
“Many of us lose in Dr. Rwelamira a dear friend; all of us lose in him a highly professional and always friendly colleague. We will all remember Dr. Rwelamira as a warm and generous human being. Our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time,” said Judge Philippe Kirsch, President of the International Criminal Court.
The funeral of Dr. Medard Rwelamira has been arranged for Saturday 8 April in his hometown of Bukoba, United Republic of Tanzania. On behalf of the Court, Judge Akua Kuenyehia, First Vice-President, will attend the service.
In 2004, Dr Rwelamira was appointed Director of the Permanent Secretariat of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute. He participated in the process of the establishment of the International Criminal Court. Having obtained South African citizenship, from 1997 to 2001 he led the South African delegation to the Preparatory Commission and was Chief Legal Adviser to the South African Delegation to the 1998 Diplomatic Conference of Plenipotentiaries that adopted the Rome Statute. He also served as a Vice-President of the Commission on the establishment of the ICC and coordinated Part IV of the Statute on the “Composition and Administration of the Court.”
Before to his appointment as Director of the Permanent Secretariat of the ASP, Dr Rwelamira was Head of Policy Unit at the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development of South Africa (1994-2001), during this period he also chaired the Drafting Committee for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Legislation. From 2001 to 2004 he was Special Adviser to the South African Minister of Transport and between 2002 and 2003 he was Director-General of the Department of Transport.
Dr Rwelamira had a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Dar-es-Salaam, in Tanzania. He obtained his masters and doctorate degrees in law from Yale Law School in the United States. Between 1972 and 1994 he was a professor of law at a number of universities including the National University of Lesotho, University of the Western Cape, in Cape Town and University of Pretoria, South Africa.
He had written three books and many articles in professional journals on human rights, humanitarian and international law.
Dr Rwelamira is survived by his wife Juliana and his three daughters, Adeline, Adele and Anita.