Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06USUNNEWYORK514
2006-03-16 14:31:00
UNCLASSIFIED
USUN New York
Cable title:
UN/SIERRA LEONE SPECIAL COURT: MANAGEMENT
how-toVZCZCXRO1395 OO RUEHPA DE RUCNDT #0514 0751431 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 161431Z MAR 06 FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8332 INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 0732 RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE PRIORITY 8761
UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000514
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL UNSC KJUS KDEM PGOV SL XA
SUBJECT: UN/SIERRA LEONE SPECIAL COURT: MANAGEMENT
COMMITTEE PLANS MARCH 27-31 VISIT TO FREETOWN TO PRESS FOR
GREATER COURT EFFICIENCY IN LIGHT OF DWINDLING RESOURCES
UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000514
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL UNSC KJUS KDEM PGOV SL XA
SUBJECT: UN/SIERRA LEONE SPECIAL COURT: MANAGEMENT
COMMITTEE PLANS MARCH 27-31 VISIT TO FREETOWN TO PRESS FOR
GREATER COURT EFFICIENCY IN LIGHT OF DWINDLING RESOURCES
1. USUN management-reform (M/R) officer joined other Sierra
Leone Special Court Management Committee members in a formal
meeting March 13 to discuss the Committee's upcoming trip to
Freetown, the Court's precarious financial future, and the
need to prod the Court's judges to increase judicial
efficiency and bring the three ongoing trials to a close,
ideally by the end of 2006/early 2007, without compromising
judicial independence and integrity.
2. Prodded by USUN M/R officer, Committee members carefully
considered the Court's current financial situation. The
Court has sufficient funds ($6.2 million in bank accounts,
plus $3.3 million in pledged funds - expected shortly) to
continue operating through the end of July 2006. If, as
Special Court liaison officer Georgia Tortora suggested, the
USG were to contribute $5-6 million, as was hoped, the Court
would be able to continue functioning until late
September/early October. Additional contributions from other
Member States would prolong the Court's work even further.
Committee members agreed that the SYG should prepare a new
letter to Member States soliciting additional voluntary
contributions. Equally importantly, Committee members agreed
that they needed to deliver a strong message to Court
personnel -- particularly to the judges -- during the
Committee's March 27-31 visit to Freetown, stressing the
importance of greater judicial efficiencies to expedite
completion of the Court's work.
3. Committee members also discussed the January 30, 2006
version of the Court's Completion Strategy prepared by Court
Registrar Lovemove Munlo. USUN M/R officer said the target
completion dates of mid to late 2007 identified in the report
were unrealistic in light of the Court's present financial
situation. It was misleading to suggest there would be
sufficient voluntarily-contributed funds to cover Court costs
through both calendar years 2006 and 2007. USUN M/R officer
noted that it would be irresponsible for the Committee to
endorse or approve this latest Completion Strategy that
envisioned the Court functioning well into 2007 without first
ensuring there would be adequate funding sources. Key Court
personnel, including the judges, needed to confront this
reality and consider alternate strategies that might expedite
completion by the end of 2006 of at least the trial phases of
the three cases now underway, and perhaps the appeals phase
in the AFRC and CDF cases. Otherwise, there was a real
danger the Court would run out of funding before the three
ongoing cases were completed. The judges were responsible
for ensuring judicial fairness and the proper administration
of justice, but they also bore responsibility for
guaranteeing judicial efficiency as well.
4. UN Office of Legal Affairs representative Stadler
Trengove informed Committee members that the vacancy
announcement for the position of Deputy Registrar to date had
generated five applications. Trengove said the closing date
for the announcement was March 27. USUN M/R officer
requested that the names and CVs of the prospective
candidates be circulated to all Committee members as soon as
possible so that the Committee, in coordination with Court
Registrar Munlo, could select the best qualified candidate.
Unlike in previous conversations on this issue, Sierra Leone
Deputy PermRep Kanu and Nigerian Minister Ndekhedehe did not
contest the Committee's role in the Deputy Registrar
selection process.
5. Committee members will reconvene the week of March 20 for
a briefing by a representative of Human Rights Watch, and to
finalize talking points to be conveyed to Court personnel
when the Committee visits Freetown March 27-31. USUN M/R
officer will continue to underscore the urgency of completing
the Court's work as quickly as possible, given the lack of
adequate funding to sustain the Court even to the end of 2006.
BOLTON
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL UNSC KJUS KDEM PGOV SL XA
SUBJECT: UN/SIERRA LEONE SPECIAL COURT: MANAGEMENT
COMMITTEE PLANS MARCH 27-31 VISIT TO FREETOWN TO PRESS FOR
GREATER COURT EFFICIENCY IN LIGHT OF DWINDLING RESOURCES
1. USUN management-reform (M/R) officer joined other Sierra
Leone Special Court Management Committee members in a formal
meeting March 13 to discuss the Committee's upcoming trip to
Freetown, the Court's precarious financial future, and the
need to prod the Court's judges to increase judicial
efficiency and bring the three ongoing trials to a close,
ideally by the end of 2006/early 2007, without compromising
judicial independence and integrity.
2. Prodded by USUN M/R officer, Committee members carefully
considered the Court's current financial situation. The
Court has sufficient funds ($6.2 million in bank accounts,
plus $3.3 million in pledged funds - expected shortly) to
continue operating through the end of July 2006. If, as
Special Court liaison officer Georgia Tortora suggested, the
USG were to contribute $5-6 million, as was hoped, the Court
would be able to continue functioning until late
September/early October. Additional contributions from other
Member States would prolong the Court's work even further.
Committee members agreed that the SYG should prepare a new
letter to Member States soliciting additional voluntary
contributions. Equally importantly, Committee members agreed
that they needed to deliver a strong message to Court
personnel -- particularly to the judges -- during the
Committee's March 27-31 visit to Freetown, stressing the
importance of greater judicial efficiencies to expedite
completion of the Court's work.
3. Committee members also discussed the January 30, 2006
version of the Court's Completion Strategy prepared by Court
Registrar Lovemove Munlo. USUN M/R officer said the target
completion dates of mid to late 2007 identified in the report
were unrealistic in light of the Court's present financial
situation. It was misleading to suggest there would be
sufficient voluntarily-contributed funds to cover Court costs
through both calendar years 2006 and 2007. USUN M/R officer
noted that it would be irresponsible for the Committee to
endorse or approve this latest Completion Strategy that
envisioned the Court functioning well into 2007 without first
ensuring there would be adequate funding sources. Key Court
personnel, including the judges, needed to confront this
reality and consider alternate strategies that might expedite
completion by the end of 2006 of at least the trial phases of
the three cases now underway, and perhaps the appeals phase
in the AFRC and CDF cases. Otherwise, there was a real
danger the Court would run out of funding before the three
ongoing cases were completed. The judges were responsible
for ensuring judicial fairness and the proper administration
of justice, but they also bore responsibility for
guaranteeing judicial efficiency as well.
4. UN Office of Legal Affairs representative Stadler
Trengove informed Committee members that the vacancy
announcement for the position of Deputy Registrar to date had
generated five applications. Trengove said the closing date
for the announcement was March 27. USUN M/R officer
requested that the names and CVs of the prospective
candidates be circulated to all Committee members as soon as
possible so that the Committee, in coordination with Court
Registrar Munlo, could select the best qualified candidate.
Unlike in previous conversations on this issue, Sierra Leone
Deputy PermRep Kanu and Nigerian Minister Ndekhedehe did not
contest the Committee's role in the Deputy Registrar
selection process.
5. Committee members will reconvene the week of March 20 for
a briefing by a representative of Human Rights Watch, and to
finalize talking points to be conveyed to Court personnel
when the Committee visits Freetown March 27-31. USUN M/R
officer will continue to underscore the urgency of completing
the Court's work as quickly as possible, given the lack of
adequate funding to sustain the Court even to the end of 2006.
BOLTON