Notes for Remarks and Toast by His
Excellency Sok An
Luncheon for the UN Delegation at the conclusion of the negotiations
Hotel Le Royal, 17 March 2003
1. We have traveled a long road--
- almost 4 years of negotiations (since August 1999)
- 6 years since the Cambodian request for UN assistance (June 1997)
- today is 17 March - just 1 month short of 28 years since the Khmer Rouge came
to power and we citizens of Phnom Penh were evacuated
2. We have been helping to write the history of international humanitarian law
-atrocities of 20th century and attempts to prevent and punish
- Nuremberg, Tokyo, ICT in Yugoslavia and Rwanda
- Sierra Leone, East Timor - and Cambodia all created after the crimes were
committed
ICC -- Your Excellency played an important part in negotiating the Statute of Rome. Cambodia proud to be among 60 founding states parties of the ICC inaugurated last week - HC came directly from The Hague to this final round of negotiations in Phnom Penh
3. Cambodian experience
- since 1979 rebuilding our society from zero
- seeking to achieve truth, justice and reconciliation
4. the Cambodian model -'the Corell - Sok An formula'
- at times difficult over an extended period - sailing in uncharted waters
- sovereign state inviting the international community to participate
- within the national court system but with international assistance and
participation - every step will be a joint effort
- adhering to international standards of justice
- today we concluded our responsibilities at the technical level by initiating
the text of the Draft Agreement to be ratified by Cambodia and approved by the
UNGA
- as a result of our common effort, and with the important support of the Member
States, we have achieved a model that we believe can be -
-a contribution to the
development of international humanitarian law, and
-a contribution to legal and
judicial reform in Cambodia