The article examines the work of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) over twenty years. It shows the internal conflicts of the ICTY relating to the different positions of countries which had influence on the judicial investigation of war crimes committed during the wars in the post-Yugoslav space.

Special role of the USA in creating financing and follow-up activities of the ICTY is noted. The attention is paid to the political importance of the ICTY. Attention is also paid to the political importance of the ICTY as a factor in preventing crime and the international community – ethnic cleansing and genocide in the future.

The ICTY’s activity in the context of search and punishment of the major war criminals of the Bosnian – Radovan Karadzic and Radco Mladic is discussed. The article also tells about the so-called "exit strategy” of the ICTY, that is the completion time of its activities.