United Nations Security Council Resolution 1688

Last updated
UN Security Council
Resolution 1688
UNsierraleone.PNG
Sierra Leone
Date16 June 2006
Meeting no.5,467
CodeS/RES/1688 (Document)
SubjectThe situation in Sierra Leone
Voting summary
  • 15 voted for
  • None voted against
  • None abstained
ResultAdopted
Security Council composition
Permanent members
Non-permanent members
  1687 Lists of resolutions 1689  

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1688, adopted unanimously on June 16, 2006, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation in Liberia, Sierra Leone and West Africa, including resolutions 1470 (2003), 1508 (2003), 1537 (2004) and 1638 (2005), the Council approved the transfer of former Liberian President Charles Taylor to the Special Court for Sierra Leone which was moved to The Hague in the Netherlands, due to security concerns. [1]

Contents

The Netherlands agreed to host the trial only if Charles Taylor was imprisoned in a third country. [2]

Resolution

Observations

In the preamble of the resolution, the Council recalled the establishment of the Special Court by Resolution 1315 (2000) and that it may meet away from its seat if necessary. Furthermore, the Council expressed its will to end impunity, establish the rule of law, promote human rights and maintain international peace and security. [3] It also appreciated that Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo had requested and facilitated the transfer of Charles Taylor to the Special Court, respectively.

Meanwhile, the Security Council recognised that proceedings at the Special Court would contribute to truth and reconciliation in Liberia and the subregion, and the rule of law in Sierra Leone. It noted that the trial could not take place in the Sierra Leonean capital of Freetown due to security concerns, nor at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda as it was engaged with other tasks, and that no other tribunal existed in Africa. [4] The resolution determined that the continued presence of Charles Taylor in West Africa constituted a threat to peace and security in the region. [5]

Acts

Under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, the Council noted that a trial chamber would be established in the Netherlands to exercise its functions away from the seat of the Special Court. It welcomed the Dutch government's decision to host the trial and the International Criminal Court's intention to use its premises to detain and try Charles Taylor. In this context, co-operation from all states was required and for the Secretary-General Kofi Annan to assist in the arrangements. [6]

Meanwhile, the Special Court was requested to make the proceedings accessible publicly through video link, as it was given exclusive jurisdiction over Charles Taylor during the detention and trial process. The Dutch government was to facilitate the trial by: [7]

(a) allowing the detention and trial of Charles Taylor;
(b) facilitating the transport of Charles Taylor while in the Netherlands;
(c) enabling the appearance of witnesses, experts and others at the trial in the same way as at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

The resolution exempted Charles Taylor from the provisions of Resolution 1521 (2003) for the purposes of travel within the Netherlands, and noted that costs were to be borne by the Special Court that was funded via contributions from states.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia</span> 1993–2017 Netherlands-based United Nations ad hoc court

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) was a body of the United Nations that was established to prosecute the war crimes that had been committed during the Yugoslav Wars and to try their perpetrators. The tribunal was an ad hoc court located in The Hague, Netherlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Taylor (Liberian politician)</span> President of Liberia from 1997 to 2003

Charles McArthur Ghankay Taylor is a Liberian former politician and convicted war criminal who served as the 22nd president of Liberia from 2 August 1997 until his resignation on 11 August 2003 as a result of the Second Liberian Civil War and growing international pressure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International criminal law</span> Public international law

International criminal law (ICL) is a body of public international law designed to prohibit certain categories of conduct commonly viewed as serious atrocities and to make perpetrators of such conduct criminally accountable for their perpetration. The core crimes under international law are genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Special Court for Sierra Leone</span> Judicial body

The Special Court for Sierra Leone, or the "Special Court" (SCSL), also called the Sierra Leone Tribunal, was a judicial body set up by the government of Sierra Leone and the United Nations to "prosecute persons who bear the greatest responsibility for serious violations of international humanitarian law and Sierra Leonean law" committed in Sierra Leone after 30 November 1996 and during the Sierra Leone Civil War. The court's working language was English. The court listed offices in Freetown, The Hague, and New York City.

George Gelaga King was a judge in Sierra Leone, West Africa, and recently a justice of the Special Court for Sierra Leone.

A new civil war began in 1999 when a rebel group backed by the government of neighboring Guinea, the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), emerged in northern Liberia. By the spring of 2001, they were posing a major threat to the Taylor government. Liberia was now engaged in a complex three-way conflict with Sierra Leone and the Guinea Republic. By the beginning of 2002, both of these countries were supporting the latest addition to the lexicon of Liberian guerrilla outfits – Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), while Taylor was supporting various opposition factions in both countries. By supporting Sierra Leonean rebels, Taylor also drew the enmity of the British and Americans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belgisch Park</span> Neighbourhood in The Hague, Netherlands

Belgisch Park is a neighbourhood in the Scheveningen district of The Hague, Netherlands. The area has around 7,900 residents and contains many trees and the adjoining “Nieuwe Scheveningse Bosjes” and “Oostduinen”. The buildings date from the period 1870–1940. Many of the houses are expensive private residences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">People detained by the International Criminal Court</span>

People detained by the International Criminal Court (ICC) are held in the ICC's detention centre, which is located within a Dutch prison in Scheveningen, The Hague. The ICC was established in 2002 as a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression. As of June 2018, it has issued public arrest warrants for 42 individuals, six of whom are currently in custody of the court.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hague Penitentiary Institution</span> Dutch prison

The Hague Penitentiary Institution is a Dutch prison that is part of the Judicial Institutions Department of the Ministry of Justice. It can accommodate more than 1,000 detainees and consists of two locations, at Zoetermeer and Scheveningen. The Zoetermeer location is for Systematic offenders and the Scheveningen location serves as a Penitentiary Psychiatric Center, the 'open design' Limited Secured Installation and Judicial Medical Center. A special independent unit in the Scheveningen location serves as a United Nations Detention Unit (UNDU) for international offenders where they remain in pre-trial detention under the responsibility of the United Nations like suspects of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brenda Hollis</span> American lawyer

Brenda J. Hollis is an American lawyer. She was appointed by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as Prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone in February 2010, replacing Stephen Rapp. Hollis was the Chief Prosecutor at the Special Court and served as the lead prosecutor in the trial and appeal of the case against Charles Taylor, the former President of Liberia. Hollis previously served as the Prosecutor of the Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone, which replaced the Special Court in December 2013; currently James Johnson, an adjunct professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Law, serves as the Chief Prosecutor for the Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone. She also serves as the Reserve International Co-Prosecutor for the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, and works as a consultant in international criminal law and procedure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council Resolution 1343</span> United Nations resolution adopted in 2001

United Nations Security Council resolution 1343, adopted unanimously on 7 March 2001, after recalling resolutions on Sierra Leone and the region, including resolutions 1132 (1997), 1171 (1998) and 1306 (2000), the Council demanded that Liberia end its support for rebels in Sierra Leone and threatened the imposition of wide-ranging sanctions unless the country complied with the Security Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council Resolution 1436</span> United Nations resolution adopted in 2002

United Nations Security Council resolution 1436, adopted unanimously on 24 September 2002, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation in Sierra Leone, the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) for a further six months beginning on 30 September 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council Resolution 1470</span> United Nations resolution adopted in 2003

United Nations Security Council resolution 1470, adopted unanimously on 28 March 2003, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation in Sierra Leone, the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) for six months until 30 September 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council Resolution 1497</span> United Nations resolution adopted in 2003

United Nations Security Council resolution 1497, adopted on 1 August 2003, after expressing concern at the situation in Liberia, the Council authorised a multinational force to intervene in the civil war to support the implementation of a ceasefire agreement using "all necessary measures".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council Resolution 1508</span> United Nations resolution adopted in 2003

United Nations Security Council resolution 1508, adopted unanimously on 19 September 2003, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation in Sierra Leone, the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) for six months until 31 March 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council Resolution 1941</span> United Nations resolution adopted in 2010

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1941, adopted unanimously on September 29, 2010, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation in Sierra Leone, particularly Resolution 1886 (2009), the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL) until September 15, 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council Resolution 1638</span> United Nations resolution adopted in 2005

United Nations Security Council resolution 1638, adopted unanimously on 11 November 2005, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation in Liberia, Sierra Leone and West Africa, the Council included the apprehension, detention and transfer to the Special Court for Sierra Leone of former Liberian President Charles Taylor in the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council Resolution 1667</span> United Nations resolution adopted in 2006

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1667, adopted unanimously on March 31, 2006, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situations in Liberia and the subregion, particularly resolutions 1626 (2005) and 1638 (2005), the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) until September 30, 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council Resolution 1689</span> United Nations resolution adopted in 2006

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1689, adopted unanimously on June 20, 2006, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation in Liberia and West Africa, the Council decided to continue sanctions against the import of diamonds from the country for six months, though similar restrictions relating to timber imports were lifted.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Detention Unit</span> UN-administered prison in the Netherlands

The United Nations Detention Unit (UNDU) is a UN-administered jail. It is part of the Hague Penitentiary Institution's Scheveningen location, more popularly known as Scheveningen Prison, in The Hague, Netherlands. The UNDU was established in 1993 as part of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and currently houses detainees whose cases have been taken over by the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT).

References

  1. "Security Council approves trial transfer of former Liberian President Charles Taylor to Netherlands". United Nations. June 16, 2006.
  2. Roy-Macaulay, Clarence (20 June 2006). "Tribunal endorses transfer for Taylor". Independent Online (South Africa).
  3. Orakhelashvili, Alexander (2011). Collective Security. Oxford University Press. p. 171. ISBN   978-0-19-957984-6.
  4. Moghalu, Kingsley Chiedu (2006). Global justice: the politics of war crimes trials. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 124. ISBN   978-0-275-99297-2.
  5. Anders, Gerhard (2007). "Follow the trial". Anthropology Today. 23 (3): 23–26. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8322.2007.00516.x.
  6. "UN votes to send Taylor to the Hague". Philippine Daily Inquirer . 18 June 2006.
  7. Kamara, Sayoh (19 June 2006). "Special Court for Sierra Leone backs Taylor trial in The Hague". Awareness Times .