LEBANON TRIBUNAL: PROGRESS CONTINUES

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000525 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PTER UNSC SY LE SUBJECT: LEBANON TRIBUNAL: PROGRESS CONTINUES REF: A. USUN/IO EMAIL (WILCOX/REINEMEYER)-06/13/08 ¶B. IO/USUN EMAIL (HACKETT/WILCOX)-06/12/08 ¶C. USUN 468 ¶D. USUN 435 ¶E. USUN/IO EMAIL (WILCOX/REINEMEYER)-05/27/08 ¶F. USUN 171 ¶G. STATE 1170 (2007) ¶H. USUN 1185 (2007) ¶I. USUN 384 ¶1. (SBU) BEGIN SUMMARY: Work to set up the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) continues to progress, with the Management Committee's adoption of financial regulations and rules for the STL and the conclusion of the lease agreement for the building in The Hague that will house the STL. With new contributions from Belgium and the UK, the STL now has USD 42.7 million in hand, in addition to another USD 15 million in pledges (ref A). On June 19, STL Prosecutor-Designate Daniel Bellemare, who heads the UN International Independent Investigative Commission (UNIIIC),will brief the Committee on his requests for staffing the STL's Office of the Prosecutor. Three members of the STL Registrar's advance team leave New York for The Hague in the next two weeks, and the Management Committee is close to completing its consideration of draft staff regulations for the STL. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) At its tenth meeting on June 12, the Management Committee for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) focused on staffing-related issues, including the draft staff regulations for the STL. Per ref B, USUN suggested revisions to bring the financial disclosure provisions of the draft staff regulations into line with the UN's policies on financial disclosure. No other Committee members objected, and the draft will be revised accordingly for the Committee to adopt soon. USUN also proposed that the STL Registrar designate an appropriate senior staff member to review completed financial disclosure statements and serve the function of an ethics officer. The Committee agreed that STL Registrar Robin Vincent would develop procedures for reviewing the disclosure statements and report to the Committee, and on the margins of the meeting Vincent told USUN that one of the senior legal officers would likely be able to assume that function. ¶3. (SBU) In response to USUN, Vincent also clarified a draft provision of the regulations that would require the STL to reimburse its staff members for any income taxes they pay. Vincent said such reimbursements would be funded out of the STL's general operating expenses. The Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) has used the same mechanism to reimburse its staff members' income tax payments. Because most states worldwide exempt their nationals from paying taxes on income they earn while working for the UN and organizations like the SCSL, Vincent said the cost to the SCSL of paying such reimbursements has been low. Vincent expected the same for the STL. ¶4. (SBU) Finally, Vincent said two members of his advance team would arrive in The Hague on June 16 and 18, with a third arriving on June 23. Vincent will remain in New York until the Management Committee has approved the staffing proposal for the STL and has not yet confirmed his departure date for The Hague. Vincent said he has posted a job announcement for a temporary liaison officer, who would be based in New York and coordinate with the advance team in The Hague. ¶5. (SBU) The Committee will meet on June 19 to discuss proposed staffing levels for the STL. Vincent has agreed to provide Committee members with a detailed narrative justifying proposed staffing levels for the STL on June 16. Khalilzad