Foreign Secretary announces funding of £1 million for Special Tribunal in Lebanon
Foreign Secretary William Hague said the UK is "committed to supporting the search for justice in Lebanon".
The Special Tribunal for Lebanon was established by a UN resolution in 2007 to bring justice to those involved in the political murders in Lebanon, notably the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri in 2005.
The Foreign Secretary said:
“The UK will contribute a further £1million to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in 2011. This underlines our support for the tribunal, which is working to end impunity for political assassinations in Lebanon. It is important that international justice be done and that we hold those guilty of serious crimes to account. As I said to Prime Minister Hariri during his recent visit to London, the UK is committed to supporting the search for justice within Lebanon. This is the only way to ensure long term stability in the country.
I encourage the other members of the international community to do the same, and welcome further contributions by other donor states.”
The Tribunal is funded by both the Lebanese Government and the international community. Including this new commitment, the UK has committed £2.3 million in support of the Tribunal over three years. The main contributor is the Government on Lebanon, other contributors include the US, the Netherlands and France.