President visits war crimes tribunal in The Hague

THE President, Mrs Robinson, yesterday received a warm welcome from judges and prosecutors at the International War Crimes Tribunal at The Hague. It was the first visit by a head of state to the court. The President was continuing her State visit to the Netherlands - later she visited the van Gogh museum in Amsterdam before flying home last night.

The visit to the court had added significance in the light of the President's expressed wish to be involved in work on human rights, if possible as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, at the end of her term of office, The Government decided yesterday to formally nominate the President for that position.

Sources close to Mrs Robinson stressed, however, that she was interested in a "hands on" role rather than appointment to a official position in either The Hague or the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

The President held private discussions with the president of the tribunal responsible for former Yugoslavia, Judge Antonio Cassese, and five other members of the 11 member court. The group included the former chairman of the Brooke Northern Ireland talks, Judge Ninian Stephens.

Mrs Robinson also met the chief prosecutor, Mrs Louise Arbour, also responsible for Rwanda, and a group of legal advisers to the prosecution, service.

The President's advisers are understood to be delighted with the warmth of the reception given to her speech in Utrecht on Tuesday night in which she spoke of the need to give the European Union's citizens a new sense of identity. She later attended a dinner hosted by the Dutch Prime Minister, Mr Wim Kok.