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Viewing cable 08USUNNEWYORK998, UNGA: WHAT NEXT FOR WAR CRIMES TRIBUNALS?

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08USUNNEWYORK998 2008-10-31 23:04 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED USUN New York
VZCZCXRO0773
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHTRO RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUCNDT #0998/01 3052304
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 312304Z OCT 08
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5234
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE PRIORITY 0008
RUEHLGB/AMEMBASSY KIGALI PRIORITY 0291
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000998 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR IO/UNP, S/WCI, EUR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL AORC KWCI RW YI XG RS NO
SUBJECT: UNGA: WHAT NEXT FOR WAR CRIMES TRIBUNALS? 
 
1.  Summary:  At the annual reports of the International 
Criminal Tribunals (ICTs), Western delegations praised the 
courts' principles and practices, while the Russians called 
for ending the ICTs turning their jurisdiction back over to 
national governments.  All parties were concerned with the 
impending expiration of the ICTs' mandates.  Discussing next 
steps after the expiration, the quote of the day came from 
New Zealand PermRep Rosemary Banks, "Impunity is not an 
option."  End Summary. 
 
2.  Presidents Dennis Byron of the International Criminal 
Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and Fausto Pocar of the 
International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons 
Responsible for Serious Violations of International 
Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former 
Yugoslavia (ICTY) presented their reports (A/63/209 and 
A/63/210, respectively) to the General Assembly in plenary 
session on October 13.  The ICTR report covers the period 
from July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008.  The ICTY report covers 
August 1, 2007 to July 31, 2008. 
 
3.  Time is running out:  Byron celebrated the peace and 
ongoing national reconciliation in Rwanda, and vaunted ICTR's 
legacy of factual and impartial judgments.  His main worries 
were staff retention, continued flight of the remaining 
fugitives, and the short time left under the existing UNSC 
mandate.  Pocar expressed parallel same concerns about losing 
staff and fugitives still at large.  He commended Serbia for 
its cooperation in the arrests of Stojan Zupljanin and 
Radovan Kardzic, and called for the immediate arrest of Ratko 
Mladic and Goran Hadzic.  Pocar expressed concern that the 
ICTY will run out of time before the two fugitives are 
brought to trial. 
 
4.  Europeans leaning toward mandate extension:  With the 
exception of Russia, all speakers celebrated the arrests of 
Zupljanin and Karadzic and praised the achievements of the 
tribunals.  Norway and Russia were at polar opposites on the 
principle of ICTs, with all other speakers closer to Norway's 
enthusiasm.  French PermRep Jean-Maurice Ripert, on behalf of 
the EU, lauded the quantity of work in both tribunals, and 
most speakers expressed appreciation for international 
cooperation.  While the ICT presidents asked for more time to 
fulfill their mandates, national speakers (except Norway) 
spoke of the need to conclude the tribunals' business.  There 
was a widespread sense of urgency for the arrest of the 
remaining fugitives.  The Russians, in particular want to 
close the ICTY, but out of opposition to the Tribunal itself, 
which they do not support. 
 
5.  Ripert recounted the courts' "extremely positive" record, 
and their message that "International criminal justice does 
exist and it will prevail sooner or later".  He commended 
Serbia's cooperation, and urged all states to improve their 
cooperation with the ICTs.  Norway appealed for 
follow-through on financial support to the ICTs and 
international agreements on sentencing.  Rwanda expressed 
appreciation for continued EU support. 
 
6.  Serbia called for international witness protection, 
citing the ICTY report's conclusion that intimidation is 
reducing witnesses willingness to testify. 
 
7.  Ripert called for the immediate arrest of Mladic, Hadzic, 
and Rwandan fugitive Felicien Kabunga.  Croatia and all other 
speakers (again with the exception of Russia) echoed this 
call.  Banks, also on behalf of Canada and Australia, called 
their arrest "crucial" to concluding the work of the ICTs. 
 
8.  Ripert called attention to the ad hoc nature of the ICTs, 
which "were not intended to be permanent and will cease to 
exist when the Security Council deems...the job... 
accomplished."  Banks added, "A key focus for both Tribunals 
now is the implementation of their completion strategies" and 
concluded, "CANZ urges both tribunals to continue to identify 
further reforms that will enable them to complete their work 
as efficiently and promptly as possible." 
 
9.  A fork in the road:  The question remains on 
post-tribunal justice.  Ripert proposed putting the ICTs into 
storage once their mandates have expired, "...if there are 
still high-ranking fugitives at large upon completion of the 
Tribunals, a mechanism must be set up which can rebuild the 
capacity to try them once they are arrested."  Banks 
identified the two main options as transfer to national 
jurisdictions or extension of the ICT mandates.  "The view of 
CANZ is clear - a strategy needs to be devised to ensure that 
impunity is not an option".  The Rwandan PermRep said his 
 
USUN NEW Y 00000998  002 OF 002 
 
 
countrymen do not want the conclusion of the ICTR to become 
an amnesty. 
 
10.  Russia wants to shut down ICTY:  The Russian delegation 
expressed the only contrarian views,  "...the Tribunals were 
established by the Security Council in certain historical 
circumstances as a temporary measure with the aim of...peace 
in the region as well as fight against impunity in a 
situation of the failure of the legal systems of appropriate 
states....there is a material change in the aforementioned 
circumstances and the term set forth for these organs is 
elapsing...(the ICTY's) leadership loses sight of the 
prescribed parameters of the work of the Tribunal."  The 
Russians criticized the ICTY report for absence of steps 
toward terminating its operations.  "More over the point is 
maid (sic) that all ICTY indictees should be tried by this 
organ and not referred to national jurisdictions.  This 
policy, in our view, means the demonstration of mistrust to 
the national judicial systems of the Balkan States and 
contradicts SC resolutions 1503 and 1534...International 
criminal courts have only a complementary role, since they 
are not capable of replacing national judicial 
systems....deadlines set forth by the Completion strategy are 
approaching fast." 
Khalilzad