Letter dated 21 November 2006 from the President of the Security Council addressed to the Secretary-General

United Nations S/2006/911
Security Council
Distr.: General
21 November 2006
Original: English
06-62578 (E) 211106
*0662578*

Letter dated 21 November 2006 from the President of the
Security Council addressed to the Secretary-General

The members of the Security Council have carefully considered your report on
the establishment of a special tribunal for Lebanon (S/2006/893), submitted
in
accordance with resolution 1664 (2006), as well as the presentation by your
Legal
Counsel (S/2006/893/Add.1).
They welcome the conclusion of the negotiation with the Government of
Lebanon, as requested in resolution 1664 (2006).
The members of the Security Council are satisfied with the Agreement
annexed to the report, including the Statute of the Special Tribunal.
With regard to the financing of the Special Tribunal, they support option 2,
as
set out in paragraph 49 of your report, and recommend therefore the
inclusion in the
Agreement of the corresponding article, which would read:
The expenses of the Special Tribunal shall be borne in the following
manner:
(a) Fifty-one per cent of the expenses of the Tribunal shall be borne by
voluntary contributions from States;
(b) Forty-nine per cent of the expenses of the Tribunal shall be borne
by the Government of Lebanon.
It is understood that the Secretary-General will commence the process of
establishing the Tribunal when he has sufficient contributions in hand to
finance the establishment of the Tribunal and twelve months of its
operations,
plus pledges equal to the anticipated expenses of the following twenty-four
months of the Tribunal's operation. Should voluntary contributions be
insufficient for the Tribunal to implement its mandate, the
Secretary-General
and the Security Council shall explore alternate means of financing the
Tribunal.
The members of the Security Council invite you to proceed, together with the
Government of Lebanon, in conformity with the Constitution of Lebanon, with
the
final steps for the conclusion of the Agreement.
They look forward to being kept informed of developments regarding the
establishment of the Special Tribunal.

(Signed) Jorge Voto-Bernales
President of the Security Council