UN Should Create Top Post to Aid Khmer Rouge Tribunal
NEW YORK—Political interference, corruption, and funding shortfalls may cripple the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, states a report released today by the Open Society Justice Initiative. The organization calls for increased engagement from the United Nations and donor countries.
"The court has made substantial progress to date, but its future is uncertain," said Open Society Justice Initiative Executive Director James A. Goldston. "Appointing a permanent senior advisor at the UN assistant secretary-general level would provide critical leadership and oversight to help the court achieve its mission."
The report criticizes ongoing political interference with the judicial process, notes weaknesses in existing mechanisms to curb corruption, and calls attention to impending budget shortfalls. It recommends that senior officials of the Court, the UN, and the Cambodian government publicly reaffirm the importance of judicial independence, establish effective whistleblower and witness protection measures, and require periodic public progress reports from the independent counselor in charge of corruption complaints. It also calls on the US and the EU to increase funding.
"A court with secure and adequate funding is in a much stronger position to operate with independence and integrity," said Goldston. "Donors need to ensure that the tribunal has the funding it needs, while also maintaining pressure on the government of Cambodia to let justice run its course."
The court is currently seeking donor contributions to meet budget demands for 2010 and 2011. With Japan planning to decrease its funding levels, other countries will need to bridge the gap in order to cover basic operating costs, as well as to improve outreach programs and bolster anticorruption mechanisms.
Recent Developments at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia: March 2010 is the latest in a series of regular Justice Initiative publications offering news, analysis, and recommendations on the tribunal.