Despite a request from the Australian government, the UN Development Program said Monday it has declined to unfreeze funding for the Cambodian side of the Khmer Rouge tribunal as allegations of corruption have yet to be resolved.
Australia, which in April 2008 donated $456,000 to the court’s Cambodian By Douglas Gillison
the cambodia daily
Despite a request from the Australian government, the UN Development Program said Monday it has declined to unfreeze funding for the Cambodian side of the Khmer Rouge tribunal as allegations of corruption have yet to be resolved.
Australia, which in April 2008 donated $456,000 to the court’s Cambodian side, said last week that due to “broad progress” in preventing corruption at the court, it had authorized the release of UNDP-managed funds frozen last year after Cambodian court staff reported kickback allegations to UN personnel.
Australia’s announcement immediately followed the failure of April 8 negotiations between the UN and the government to establish a new anticorruption program at the tribunal.
In a response to questions submitted Monday, UNDP said it could not yet agree to release the Australian funding as the kickbacks matter had yet to be sufficiently addressed.
“UNDP has received a request from the Australian government to release their funds to the ECCC. UNDP’s position has been that there must be a resolution of the allegations,” UNDP said in a statement.
“After careful internal review of the latest developments, and in accordance with the accountability framework that governs UNDP/[government] projects, UNDP is not in a position to release the funds at this time.”
Discussions concerning how and whether to the release the funds are ongoing, the statement said.
“UNDP continues to engage with its partners to seek a way forward to ensure the smooth operation of the ECCC at this critical time.”
Helen Jarvis, the tribunal’s chief of public affairs, said Monday that the court was still expecting to receive the Australian money.
“We’ve received a formal letter from the Australian government to release the funds and that’s what we’re expecting to happen,” she said, declining to comment further.
The Australian Embassy said it was in talks on how to proceed.
“We’ve requested that the funds be released and we’re consulting with the UN on the modalities of that request,” an embassy spokeswoman said.
According to UNDP, about $750,000, of which $428,000 was contributed by Australia, remains of funds managed by UNDP for the Khmer Rouge tribunal. The payroll for the court’s 251 Cambodian staff is about $300,000 per month.
The Cambodian side of the tribunal is again facing insolvency this month after a one-time infusion of $200,000 from Japan last month allowed it to issue March paychecks to Cambodian staffers.
Following the failure of the corruption negotiations earlier this month, the Cambodian government said it had received expressions of support from donor countries who encouraged the UN to accept a Cambodian proposal for an anticorruption program.
The UN has insisted that Cambodian staff be able to lodge complaints with UN personnel, and not just Cambodian officials.
The French Embassy said Monday it had no comment on the possibility of unfreezing its funds. France last year donated $250,000 to the court’s Cambodian side.
Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan said Monday he was unaware of any other discussions with donors about unfreezing UN-managed funds.
Questions submitted last week to the European Commission and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the remaining foreign donors to the Cambodian side, have not been answered.
side, said last week that due to “broad progress” in preventing corruption at the court, it had authorized the release of UNDP-managed funds frozen last year after Cambodian court staff reported kickback allegations to UN personnel.
Australia’s announcement immediately followed the failure of April 8 negotiations between the UN and the government to establish a new anticorruption program at the tribunal.
In a response to questions submitted Monday, UNDP said it could not yet agree to release the Australian funding as the kickbacks matter had yet to be sufficiently addressed.
“UNDP has received a request from the Australian government to release their funds to the ECCC. UNDP’s position has been that there must be a resolution of the allegations,” UNDP said in a statement.
“After careful internal review of the latest developments, and in accordance with the accountability framework that governs UNDP/[government] projects, UNDP is not in a position to release the funds at this time.”
Discussions concerning how and whether to the release the funds are ongoing, the statement said.
“UNDP continues to engage with its partners to seek a way forward to ensure the smooth operation of the ECCC at this critical time.”
Helen Jarvis, the tribunal’s chief of public affairs, said Monday that the court was still expecting to receive the Australian money.
“We’ve received a formal letter from the Australian government to release the funds and that’s what we’re expecting to happen,” she said, declining to comment further.
The Australian Embassy said it was in talks on how to proceed.
“We’ve requested that the funds be released and we’re consulting with the UN on the modalities of that request,” an embassy spokeswoman said.
According to UNDP, about $750,000, of which $428,000 was contributed by Australia, remains of funds managed by UNDP for the Khmer Rouge tribunal. The payroll for the court’s 251 Cambodian staff is about $300,000 per month.
The Cambodian side of the tribunal is again facing insolvency this month after a one-time infusion of $200,000 from Japan last month allowed it to issue March paychecks to Cambodian staffers.
Following the failure of the corruption negotiations earlier this month, the Cambodian government said it had received expressions of support from donor countries who encouraged the UN to accept a Cambodian proposal for an anticorruption program.
The UN has insisted that Cambodian staff be able to lodge complaints with UN personnel, and not just Cambodian officials.
The French Embassy said Monday it had no comment on the possibility of unfreezing its funds. France last year donated $250,000 to the court’s Cambodian side.
Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan said Monday he was unaware of any other discussions with donors about unfreezing UN-managed funds.
Questions submitted last week to the European Commission and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the remaining foreign donors to the Cambodian side, have not been answered.
