UN/SIERRA LEONE SPECIAL COURT: MANAGEMENT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 001093 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL UNSC KJUS KDEM PGOV SL XA SUBJECT: UN/SIERRA LEONE SPECIAL COURT: MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE DISCUSSES DRAFT 2006-07 BUDGET, TAYLOR TRIAL, COMPLETION STRATEGY WITH COURT OFFICIALS VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE ¶1. SUMMARY: Members of the Sierra Leone Special Court Management Committee communicated May 25 via videoconference with Court Registrar Lovemore Munlo and other Court officials to discuss the proposed $26.8 million budget projected for July 2006-June 2007, progress in the three trials now underway in Sierra Leone, and initial preparations to prosecute Charles Taylor. USUN and the UK representatives stressed that the patience of the international community should not be taken for granted, and that every effort should be made to expedite completion of the CDF, AFRC, and RUF trials. After a two-hour exchange of views with Court Registrar Munlo and other Court officials, Management Committee members decided the best way forward would be to focus on a six-month Court budget, covering the period July 1, 2006 to December 31, 2006, and then to assess the situation at year's end before approving additional spending. Munlo predicted that the trial phase of the CDF and AFRC proceedings would both be completed by December 2006, with appeals carrying into 2007. Although the prosecution phase of the RUF trial was scheduled to finish by mid-August, the RUF defense case likely would lapse into 2007 as well, followed by appeals. Initial preparations for the trial of former Liberia President Charles Taylor already were underway, pending a final decision on the trial's venue. Court Prosecutor Desmond da Silva is scheduled to meet with Management Committee members in New York on June 6. END SUMMARY. PROPOSED 2006-2007 COURT BUDGET MAY EXCEED AVAILABLE RESOURCES -------------- ¶2. Special Court Registrar Munlo, assisted by the Chief of the Court's Financial Section Paul Peckham, began the May 25 videoconference with members of the Court's Management Committee, including USUN Management Reform (MR) officer, by presenting an overview of the proposed $26.8 million budget projected for July 2006-June 2007. Munlo said the resources requested were needed to complete the three trials now underway. Court Finance Chief Peckham estimated Court expenses for the first six months of the new fiscal year (i.e., July 2006 - December 2006) to be $16,895,900. In addition, approximately $3.5 million would be needed to cover the costs associated with preparations for the trial of former Liberian President Charles Taylor. ¶3. USUN MR officer noted the proposed 2006-2007 budget of $26.8 million, coupled with the cost of prosecuting Taylor, which Court officials already have estimated to be $20-25 million, likely will exceed $50 million. Taking into account the fact that voluntary contributions to support the Court's first four years of operation have totaled approximately $75 million, the international community may be hard pressed to provide the total amount required to complete the CDF, AFRC and RUF trials and to try Taylor. For this reason alone, it was imperative that Court officials do everything possible to complete the three trials currently underway in Freetown to maximize the use of resources already provided, including the $5.9 million recently contributed by the United States. USUN MR Off said court efficiency was critical, since expenses were continuing to accrue daily, whether or not the trial chambers were in session. ¶4. The UK representative also stressed the importance of Court efficiency and the need for an effective completion strategy that identified realistic and achievable timeframes to conclude the current trials. There remains a great danger that in the absence of meaningful progress in the trials now underway, Court expenses may exceed the international community's ability and willingness to pay. The people of Sierra Leone deserve justice, but at a price the international community can afford. CDF AND AFRC TRIALS TO END IN 2006; RUF TRIAL INTO 2007 -------------- ¶5. Court Registrar Munlo reported that the defense case in the CDF trial already had begun, and defense attorneys were prepared to begin their presentation in the AFRC trial on June 5. The trial phase in both proceedings should be completed by December 2006. The RUF trial, by comparison, was still in the prosecutorial phase. The Prosecutor will not have completed presentation of his case until mid-August. This will be followed by the defense portion of the trial. Consequently, the trial phase of the RUF proceedings will continue into 2007. Appeals in all three cases could last 4 USUN NEW Y 00001093 002 OF 002 to 6 months, or longer, since the judges have decided that they only will entertain one appeal (i.e., CDF, AFRC, RUF) at a time, rather than several concurrently. Management Committee members questioned why more than one appeal could not be heard at the same time. They underscored that a maximum of six-months per appeal should be amply sufficient. $3.5 MILLION SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET TO PREPARE FOR TAYLOR TRIAL -------------- ¶6. In addition to the $26.8 million requested to continue Court operations, Munlo and Peckham said an additional $3,442,000 was needed to cover costs associated with preparations for the trial of Charles Taylor. This amount covered security, Taylor's ongoing detention, interviewing potential witnesses, preparation of the prosecution's case, and likely transfer to the Hague, if/when a final decision was reached on the trial's venue. These estimated costs covered the period July 1, 2006 through December 31, 2006, at which time additional resources would be needed to pay for the trial which likely would begin in January 2007. SIX-MONTH BUDGET FOR NOW, RE-ASSESSMENT AT YEAR'S END -------------- ¶7. USUN MR officer joined other Management Committee members to consider a six-month Court budget, covering the period July 1 through December 31 (vice a one-year budget),at which time the Committee could evaluate progress achieved in completion of the three trials in Freetown, and review more precise costs linked to the Taylor trial. Committee members will reconvene June 6 for further discussions of the Court's proposed six-month, $16.895 million budget, and to hear from Court Prosecutor Desmond da Silva, who will be visiting New York prior to his resignation from the Court in late June. BOLTON