VZCZCXRO7429
OO RUEHBZ RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUCNDT #0021/01 0122247
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 122247Z JAN 07
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1121
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 0858
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE PRIORITY 8863

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000021 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL UNSC KJUS KDEM PGOV SL XA
SUBJECT: UN/SIERRA LEONE SPECIAL COURT: MANAGEMENT 
COMMITTEE FACES KEY DECISIONS AFFECTING COURT FUNDING AND 
COMPLETION OF ITS WORK 
 
REF: A. 12/20/06 USUN-IO-S/WCI-L E-MAIL 
 
     ¶B. 12/18/06 USUN-IO-S/WCI-L E-MAIL 
     ¶C. 12/12/06 USUN-IO-S/WCI-L E-MAIL 
 
¶1.  This is a guidance request - see para 7. 
 
¶2.  SUMMARY: In the coming weeks, the Sierra Leone Special 
Court Management Committee will convene a series of meetings, 
including a day-long discussion to be hosted by the UK 
Mission on January 17, to consider a series of issues that 
will impact the Court's ongoing work, including whether to 
approve a proposed Court budget of $33.3 million for 2007; 
whether to endorse a revised completion strategy dated 
December 14, 2006 submitted to the Committee by Court 
Registrar Lovemore Munlo; how best to ensure that adequate 
preparations are underway in The Hague for the trial of 
former Liberian President Charles Taylor; and, whether to 
support the recommendations contained in the December 12, 
2006 report prepared by independent judicial expert Judge 
Antonio Cassese.  The Management Committee also will have to 
decide whether to renew Court Registrar Munlo's contract, 
which expires in February.  Identifying adequate sources of 
voluntary contributions to sustain the Court's work, and 
determining how best to maximize Court efficiency will remain 
the foremost challenges facing the Committee in the coming 
months.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2007 A CRITICAL YEAR 
FOR SPECIAL COURT 
-------------------- 
 
¶3.  The Sierra Leone Special Court has entered a critical 
phase as preparations continue in The Hague for the 
commencement of the trial of former Liberian President 
Charles Taylor, currently scheduled to begin April 2; as two 
trials in Freetown (AFRC, CDF) move to the judgment phase, 
with appeals to follow; and, as the Defense Office prepares 
to present its arguments in the RUF case beginning May 2. 
How these events unfold likely will determine whether the 
Special Court is deemed a success or failure, a point 
underscored by independent judicial expert Judge Cassese 
during his December 12, 2006 telephone conference with 
Management Committee members (ref a).  In particular, Cassese 
noted that the handling of the Taylor trial, given its 
anticipated high visibility and likely extensive press 
coverage, will inevitably impact public perceptions of the 
Court for years to come. 
 
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE 
ASSESSMENT OF THE 
CASSESE RECOMMENDATIONS 
----------------------- 
 
¶4.  Before addressing such pressing issues as the Court's 
proposed budget for 2007 and the latest version of the 
Court's Completion Strategy, the Management Committee first 
plans to review in depth the conclusions and recommendations 
contained in the December 12, 2006 report prepared by 
independent judicial expert Judge Antonio Cassese (ref c). 
The UK, a member of the Management Committee, will host an 
all-day Committee discussion at their Mission on January 17 
to determine which key proposals Committee Members might wish 
to support.  Based on that determination, the Committee then 
will consider whether to request a three-year budget and 
completion strategy from the Court, as Cassese advocated, 
thereby abandoning the year-to-year approach that has been 
used since the Court's start-up in 2002. 
 
¶5.  The UK Mission has prepared (and already privately shared 
with USUN - ref b) a chart of the principal recommendations 
contained in the Cassese report which will be used when 
Committee members meet January 17 for detailed consideration 
of the Cassese proposals.  During his December 12 discussion 
with Committee members, Cassese identified three priority 
areas requiring immediate Committee attention: a) securing 
firm financial commitments from Member States to fund the 
Court's remaining work; b) promoting strong judicial 
leadership; and, c) maximizing the efficiency of the 
proceedings.  The UK, the Netherlands and Canada all 
expressed support for Cassese's suggestion that the Committee 
consider and adopt a final three-year budget, based on a 
revised Completion Strategy that sets benchmark 
accomplishments for finalizing the Court's work.  USUN M/R 
agreed on the need for expedited completion of the three 
cases now before the Court in Freetown and the timely 
commencement of the Taylor trial in The Hague, while 
indicating that the various recommendations contained in the 
Cassese report were being carefully reviewed in Washington. 
 
USUN NEW Y 00000021  002 OF 002 
 
 
Committee representatives from Nigeria and Sierra Leone did 
not commit to the approach advocated by Cassese. 
 
UPCOMING VISIT OF COURT 
OFFICIALS TO NEW YORK, 
WASHINGTON 
----------------------- 
 
¶6.  Special Court President Judge George Galaga King (Sierra 
Leone), recently appointed Court Chief Prosecutor Stephen 
Rapp (U.S.), and Court Deputy Registrar Hermann von Hebel 
(Netherlands) are scheduled to visit New York January 22 for 
a meeting with the Management Committee and with UN 
officials.  They will then travel to Washington January 23 
and 24 for meetings in the Department and on Capitol Hill. 
 
NEXT STEPS 
---------- 
 
¶7.  GUIDANCE REQUEST:  Having agreed December 19 to grant the 
Court commitment/spending authority only through March 31, 
2007, Committee members will soon have to decide whether to 
request that the Court now submit a three-year budget and 
accompanying revised Completion Strategy identifying specific 
target dates by which key objectives are to be accomplished. 
Committee members also will have to decide whether to support 
extension of Court Registrar Munlo's contract, now set to 
expire in February.  USUN welcomes Department views on these 
and related matters in anticipation of the Management 
Committee day-long meeting scheduled for January 17, and 
subsequent Committee discussions. 
 
 
WOLFF