Joint Statement by H.E. Deputy Prime Minister Sok An and Ms. Patricia O’Brien, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, The Legal Counsel

H.E. Deputy Prime Minister Sok An and Ms. Patricia O’Brien, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, The Legal Counsel, met this morning to further the excellent cooperation between the Royal Government of Cambodia and the United Nations on the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC). Both the Government and the United Nations are committed to ending impunity for the atrocities of the former Khmer Rouge regime, and fully support and respect the ECCC and its independent judicial process. 

The successful completion of the trial phase in Case 001 was widely welcomed both nationally and internationally. The ECCC has confirmed its ability to conduct complex international criminal trials to international standards, and is living up to the hope for it to be a model court. The proceedings have attracted unprecedented interest and support, as witnessed by the fact that over 30,000 Cambodians have attended court proceedings since its inception.

The Royal Government of Cambodia and the United Nations are committed to cooperating fully with the ECCC to ensure that it fulfills its mandate in bringing to trial senior leaders and those most responsible for the terrible crimes committed during the period of the former Khmer Rouge regime.

The Deputy Prime Minister and the Legal Counsel confirm their strong support for the ECCC and their intention to continue to work closely together in a spirit of mutual cooperation and understanding to ensure that the legacy of the Court is preserved.

The Deputy Prime Minister and the Legal Counsel express their concern about the financial situation, including the cash flow, of the ECCC, and now that the budget of the ECCC for 2010 to 2011 has been approved, call upon the international community to come forward with contributions and pledges to both the national and the international components of the Court.

Phnom Penh, 19 April 2010