LEBANON: SWISS REVIEWING WHETHER TO CONTRIBUTE TO

UNCLAS BERN 000937 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR IO/UNP (A.REINEMEYER) AND EUR/AGS (Y.SAINT-ANDRE) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: UNSC PTER LE SZ SUBJECT: LEBANON: SWISS REVIEWING WHETHER TO CONTRIBUTE TO UN SPECIAL TRIBUNAL REF: STATE 129919 ¶1. (SBU) Poloff met September 21 with Tim Enderlin, Chief of UNSC Affairs for the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (EDA),and delivered the reftel message encouraging the Swiss government to make a contribution to the UN Special Tribunal for Lebanon. Enderlin responded by emphasizing Switzerland's abiding, strong support for international law and rule of law institutions. In this context, he said that the International Criminal Court (ICC) is Switzerland's "top priority." Enderlin further noted that, aside from the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Tribunal for Rawanda, which are funded directly by the UN, Switzerland has not provided funding to tribunals, specifically not to such "hybrid" tribunals as the Special Court for Sierra Leone or the Special Tribunal for Cambodia. Enderlin mentioned, however, that Switzerland has seconded personnel to the Special Court for Sierra Leone, and might do so in the case of the Special Tribunal for Cambodia. Taking note of the USG's intention to make a "significant" contribution to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Enderlin concluded by saying that the GOS needs to discuss the matter further, and he "cannot exclude" that Switzerland will make a contribution, but also could not commit that it would do so. ¶3. (SBU) Prior to the meeting with Enderlin, poloff briefed the Dutch Embassy DCM on our plans to demarche the GOS to encourage a Swiss contribution to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. Poloff subsequently provided the Dutch DCM a readout of Enderlin's comments. The Dutch DCM said she would coordinate with The Hague regarding whether the Dutch Embassy here might conduct a follow-up demarche, in a further effort to persuade the Swiss government to make a contribution. CONEWAY