GUIDANCE: SPECIAL TRIBUNAL FOR LEBANON MANAGEMENT

UNCLAS STATE 021098 SENSITIVE SIPDIS USUN FOR SIMONOFF AND SCHEDLBAUER HAGUE FOR MANNING E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PTER UNSC LE SUBJECT: GUIDANCE: SPECIAL TRIBUNAL FOR LEBANON MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE, MARCH 6 REF: HACKETT-SIMONOFF EMAIL OF 3/4/09 ¶1. (U) Department provides the following guidance for Agenda Item 3 of the 35th meeting of the Management Committee of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL): -------------- Tax Reimbursement -------------- ¶2. (SBU) USUN may support the proposal put forward to reimburse STL judges for taxes paid on salaries. Department understands that this proposal will only impact U.S. citizen judges, as the United States is the sole nation to impose taxes of the wages of its citizens when employed in recognized international organizations. Other delegations should be made aware that tax reimbursement for U.S. citizen judges will be charged against the USG contribution to the STL. -------------- Remuneration -------------- ¶3. (SBU) USUN should not/not support the proposal to increase the remuneration of STL judges based on increases applied to the "professional" of higher category salaries of UN employees. Department notes that pay increases for judges are done through the actions of the UNGA and that attempts to circumvent this system would create a dangerous precedent for other tribunals. Additional detail has been provided in REF ¶A. CLINTON