Letter from Kofi Annan to Hun Sen, reported publicly in Noon Daily Briefing by UN Spokesman Fred Eckhard:

The Secretary-General needs a clear mandate from either the General Assembly or the Security Council. It is the Secretary-General's view that it is

Letter from Kofi Annan to Hun Sen, reported publicly in Noon Daily Briefing by UN Spokesman Fred Eckhard:

The Secretary-General needs a clear mandate from either the General Assembly or the Security Council. It is the Secretary-General's view that it is now for Cambodia and interested Member States to pursue this matter in the General Assembly or the Security Council with a view to obtaining the appropriate mandate. If such a mandate were given, the Secretary-General would be prepared to engage in further talks with the Government in order to fulfil the mandate.

As a sovereign State, Cambodia has the responsibility for the trial while the international community, through the United Nations or otherwise, can help, provided that the Government demonstrates its preparedness to ensure the observance of international standards of justice.

Asked about the Secretary-General's request for a mandate, the Spokesman said that his position has not changed, and he has made clear what he feels would be necessary for international standards of justice to be met. In the past, he said, the United Nations had negotiated for years with the Cambodian Government, which had not met the Secretary-General's parameters for UN involvement in such trials.

Now, Eckhard said, the Secretary-General is looking for support from Member States, in the form of clear guidelines for what is acceptable for such trials to earn UN support.
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