After Freeing of Croatian Generals, Russia Questions ICTY & Resolution

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

 

UNITED NATIONS, December 13 -- Decisions, even on apeal, have consequences.

  The recent reversal of the convictions of former Croatian general Ante Gotovina and security chief Mladen Markac for their roles in Operation Storm in 1995 now impacts on the pending resolution on the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, sources exclusively tell Inner City Press.

  The resolution had been scheduled for adoption on December 12, but did not happen. Inner City Press looked into it and has been informed that Russia has proposed a number of amendments, including on the terms of judges and how to oversee the ICTY's remaining work.

  Some members view this as the politicization of international justice -- if so, not unlike the rejected request to Palestine to agree not to take cases to the International Criminal Court in exchange for votes for State observer status at the UN.

  It's worth revisiting what Gotovina told Croatian leader Franjo Tudman: "A large number of civilians are already evacuating Knin and heading towards Banja Luka and Belgrade. That means that if we continue this pressure, probably for some time to come, there won’t be so many civilians just those who have to stay, who have no possibility of leaving." See here, page 5.

   Serbs committed war crimes, for sure, for example in Vukovar as simply one example. But what is this Gotovina to Tudman quote, if not a Joint Criminal Enterprise?

  General Assembly President Vuk Jeremic has set up and tweeted about a debate on the topic in April, it's said with the intent to bring in some who fled in 1995. In a December 5 speech, the Serbian representative asked again and again, "Who killed these people?"

 
  And now, some over-dramatically say, who will kill the ICTY or the mandates of its judges? We will cover this and the April UNGA session, and the run-up. Watch this site.

For PGA, Jeremic $7 M Might Beat Kerim's $1 M, But Qatar Hides Ball

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 6 -- That the highest position in the UN system, President of the General Assembly, is essentially privately funded creates unfairness against small countries and possibly conflicts of interest.

  In the past, Inner City Press has reported on Switzerland paying for the housing of PGA Joseph Deiss (despite the oath nearly ubiquitous in the Organization to serve the UN and not one's country), and has inquired into thefundraising of Srgjan Kerim (beyond the $1 million from his government.)

  Now incoming PGA Vuk Jeremic of Serbia, whose election Inner City Press predicted with 97 votes (he got 99) is under some fire at home, for a reported $7 million request.

  Jeremic's rival in the Democratic Party (DS), Belgrade Mayor Dragan Dilas, has put the figure at $7.5 million and called it disgraceful. For now, it's said that only $2.9 million have been approved, prior to the vote for PGA, but running only throw December.

In order to asses Jeremic's reported estimate, Inner City Press asked the office of the current Qatari PGA:

"This is a press request to know the budget of the current President of the General Assembly for his year in office, both from UN and non-UN sources.

"To explain, there is now a controversy in the press in Serbia about the incoming president's proposed budget from his country... in this context, and generally for UN transparency, I am asking you for the total PGA budget for his year, broken down as much as are willing to."

 The answer that came back did not have the number from Qatar, only from the UN:

"Dear Matthew, The Office of the PGA receives $250,000 for each presidency from the regular UN budget. This amount has been set in 1998 by Member States. The national government of the PGA may contribute to the funding of the operations and activities of the PGA/OPGA.

"There is also the Trust Fund established in support of the Office and used to cover the costs of PGA initiatives such as specific thematic debates. Member States can make voluntary contributions to this Fund - but during this session the Fund received no contributions."

There is another wrinkle, raised to Inner City Press by another UN source: beyond the now-outdated $250,000, the UN pays for some of the PGA Office's posts, and others are seconded by other countries. Still, it has become harder and harder for poor countries to be PGA: witness Nepal losing out to Qatar. Now there is Serbia. Inner City Press has reiterated its request for the actual Qatari number. Watch this site.