LEBANON TRIBUNAL: MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE CONTINUES

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000581 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/30/2018 TAGS: PREL PTER UNSC SY LE SUBJECT: LEBANON TRIBUNAL: MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE CONTINUES TO DISCUSS STAFFING REF: A. IO/USUN EMAIL (MORRISON/WILCOX)-06/25/08 ¶B. USUN 551 ¶C. USUN/IO EMAIL (WILCOX/MORRISON)-06/23/08 ¶D. USUN/IO EMAIL (WILCOX/REINEMEYER)-06/18/08 ¶E. USUN 468 Classified By: Minister Counselor Carolyn L. Willson, for reasons 1.4(b ) and (d). ¶1. (C) BEGIN SUMMARY: The Management Committee for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) continued to discuss the draft staffing proposal for the STL at its fourteenth meeting on June 26. While agreeing that the Committee should approve the staffing proposal as soon as possible, many members said that the proposed staffing for the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) included too many high-level positions. The Dutch reported that their lower House of Parliament had approved the Headquarters Agreement with the UN as well as the accompanying implementing legislation and that the upper house is expected to consider and take action upon the documents this summer. Finally, the UN announced that it had formed a working group of three international jurists, who would review the draft rules of procedure and evidence before they are provided to the STL's judges for consideration and adoption. END SUMMARY. COMMITTEE CONTINUES TO DISCUSS STAFFING -------------- ¶2. (C) The STL Management Committee continued to discuss the draft staffing proposal for the first year of the STL's operation, which STL Registrar Robin Vincent prepared with input from Bellemare. The request seeks 315 staff, at an estimated cost of USD 30 million. Committee members reiterated that the draft proposal for the OTP appeared to include too many high-level positions, and although they agreed to seek clarification from Bellemare, several members cautioned against approving senior positions simply so Bellemare could retain specific personnel now working for the UNIIIC. Instead, the Management Committee should determine what positions at what level are appropriate and then let the STL recruit personnel to fill those positions, they argued. ¶3. (SBU) Committee members then focused on areas in the proposal in which there appears to be duplication between staffing for the OTP and the Registry. In general, several members expressed concern about the proposal to have staff in the OTP and the Registry performing the same functions, arguing that it could lead to duplication and competition between the two organs and prompt the Head of the Defence Office to request comparable positions. For example, many members disagreed that the OTP should have a dedicated Outreach Officer (as Bellemare has proposed) and argued that all outreach functions should be centralized in the Registry. The Outreach Office's main function would be establishing links with civil society in Lebanon and its neighbors to demonstrate that the STL is fair, independent, and impartial. The Office could organize specific events at the request of the Prosecutor and any other organ of the STL, as the comparable Outreach Office in the Registry of the Special Court for Sierra Leone has done. Members agreed that security functions should rest in the Registry, and many supported Vincent's proposal to have a P-5 level security coordinator in the Registry, who would have overall responsibility for security issues. ¶4. (SBU) Members agreed with USUN that the OTP should have a dedicated Public Affairs Officer and will consider the appropriate grade level for that post pending clarification from Bellemare. Vincent commented that although he agreed the Prosecutor should have a spokesperson, he thought the STL should have a comprehensive media policy that all organs of the STL would agree to follow. ¶5. (SBU) Members also stressed the need to delay filling positions that would not be necessary in the first year. Vincent stressed his plan to phase in staff in as of January 1, saying that he planned to advertise incrementally for positions between July and December with the intention of filling posts no earlier than January 1. He explained that he would recruit competitively to fill positions, although internal UN candidates would receive preference, consistent with the STL's Staff Regulations and UN policy. ¶6. (SBU) Committee members also had a few questions on the staffing proposal for the Registry. Responding to members' comments, Vincent agreed to delete his request for a P-4 Political Officer, provided he could rely on OTP's Political Officer for guidance as needed. Vincent also said he might want to request two additional Legal Officers and agreed that the Deputy Registrar could be hired at a level lower than D-1. JURISTS REVIEW DRAFT RULES -------------- ¶7. (C) Assistant Secretary-General Larry Johnson announced that the UN had formed a working group of three international jurists to review the draft rules of evidence and procedure for the STL before the STL's judges consider them. The working group has proposed to meet in The Hague on October 6 and wants to include one of the Lebanese judges in its discussions. As a result, Johnson suggested that it might make sense to relocate all of the Lebanese judges at that time. (Note: On the margins of the meeting, Johnson told USUN that Antonio Cassese (former President of the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia),Judge Morrison (UK),and a Dutch judge are the members of the working group. End Note.) OTHER -------------- ¶8. (SBU) The UN Staff Pension Fund will consider the STL's application to join the Fund at its July 14-18 meeting in Rome. The Committee agreed that it would be useful to accept the Fund's invitation for a Committee representative to participate in that meeting. ¶9. (SBU) The Management Committee meets again on July 3 with the aim of agreeing upon staffing for the STL. It also will consider applications from Canada and Japan to join the Committee. Both Canada and Japan have contributed more than USD 1 million to the STL. Khalilzad