Cablegate: Lebanon: Swiss Reviewing Whether to Contribute To

VZCZCXYZ0006
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSW #0937 2641457
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 211457Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY BERN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4524
INFO RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT PRIORITY 0048
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE PRIORITY 4087
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 2767
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0148

UNCLAS BERN 000937

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR IO/UNP (A.REINEMEYER) AND EUR/AGS (Y.SAINT-ANDRE)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: UNSC PTER LE SZ
SUBJECT: LEBANON: SWISS REVIEWING WHETHER TO CONTRIBUTE TO
UN SPECIAL TRIBUNAL

REF: STATE 129919

1. (SBU) Poloff met September 21 with Tim Enderlin, Chief of
UNSC Affairs for the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign
Affairs (EDA), and delivered the reftel message encouraging
the Swiss government to make a contribution to the UN Special
Tribunal for Lebanon. Enderlin responded by emphasizing
Switzerland's abiding, strong support for international law
and rule of law institutions. In this context, he said that
the International Criminal Court (ICC) is Switzerland's "top
priority." Enderlin further noted that, aside from the
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
(ICTY) and the International Tribunal for Rawanda, which are
funded directly by the UN, Switzerland has not provided
funding to tribunals, specifically not to such "hybrid"
tribunals as the Special Court for Sierra Leone or the
Special Tribunal for Cambodia. Enderlin mentioned, however,
that Switzerland has seconded personnel to the Special Court
for Sierra Leone, and might do so in the case of the Special
Tribunal for Cambodia. Taking note of the USG's intention to
make a "significant" contribution to the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon, Enderlin concluded by saying that the GOS needs to
discuss the matter further, and he "cannot exclude" that
Switzerland will make a contribution, but also could not
commit that it would do so.

3. (SBU) Prior to the meeting with Enderlin, poloff briefed
the Dutch Embassy DCM on our plans to demarche the GOS to
encourage a Swiss contribution to the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon. Poloff subsequently provided the Dutch DCM a
readout of Enderlin's comments. The Dutch DCM said she would
coordinate with The Hague regarding whether the Dutch Embassy
here might conduct a follow-up demarche, in a further effort
to persuade the Swiss government to make a contribution.
CONEWAY

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