Statement Attributable to the Spokesperson for United Nations Assistance to the Khmer Rouge Trials on a loan for payment of national salaries at the ECCC

The United Nations has successfully worked with a group of major donors to secure their authorisation to make a further loan to the national component of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) for the payment of arrears of national salaries. The loan is being made on a strictly reimbursable basis.

The United Nations continues to work with major donors to try to identify additional funding to meet the salaries of national staff for the remainder of 2013. We hope that the national staff of the ECCC will now be able to return to work on this basis.

The United Nations underlines that the only sustainable solution to the lack of funding for the salaries of national staff is for the Royal Government of Cambodia to meet its obligation to pay them. Any further strikes could risk delaying the judicial proceedings and jeopardise the Court’s ability to function.

 Phnom Penh, 18 September 2013
Lars Olsen