Cambodia, UN to Continue Supporting ECCC

Cambodia and the United Nations have expressed their appreciation for the progress made by the Extraordinary Chamber in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) as well as their support for the ECCC’s important judicial work and for the residual work to be delivered thereafter.
H.E. Bin Chhin, Standing Deputy Prime Minister, Minister in charge of the Office of the Council of Ministers, and Chairman of the Royal Government Task Force on the ECCC Proceedings, and visiting Mr. Stephen Mathias, Assistant Secretary-General for Legal Affairs of the United Nations, made the remarks in their meeting here this morning.
According to a Joint Statement released by the Office of the Council of Ministers after the meeting, the Standing Deputy Prime Minister and the Assistant Secretary-General welcomed the substantive progress made by the ECCC. They furthermore discussed the residual functions to be performed by the ECCC following completion of its judicial proceedings. One of the main purposes of the residual functions is to preserve the legacy of the ECCC, including by providing broad public access to the information contained in the archives of the ECCC and to disseminate information on the ECCC’s work.
“On behalf of the Royal Government and the United Nations, we express our continuing support for the important judicial work of the Extraordinary Chambers and for the residual work to be delivered thereafter.”
The Standing Deputy Prime Minister confirmed the Royal Government’s financial commitment to the Extraordinary Chambers and conveyed his sincere appreciation for the long-standing support of the United Nations and donors to the ECCC, without which the ECCC’s work would not have been possible. He urged donor states to uphold their support to allow the broadest possible dissemination of information to the Cambodian public, particularly to victims of the Khmer Rouge and Cambodia’s younger generations, to support historical knowledge and prevent recurrence of past atrocities.
The Assistant Secretary-General for Legal Affairs expressed his pleasure to be visiting the ECCC at this milestone moment. The work of the Extraordinary Chambers reflects the shared commitment of the Royal Government, the United Nations and the international community to ensure accountability for the crimes committed during the Khmer Rouge regime as well as justice for the victims. He also confirmed the United Nations’ commitment to continue to support the ECCC during the residual phase and stressed the importance of preserving the legacy of the ECCC for the people of Cambodia.
Since its establishment in 2006, the ECCC has received evidence from over 10,300 victims, rendered more than 1,345 decisions and contributed some three million pages to Cambodia’s judicial and historical records. It is projected to complete its judicial caseload by the end of this year. As agreed by the Royal Government of Cambodia and the United Nations, the Extraordinary Chambers will thereafter perform its residual functions for an initial period of three years, commencing in 2023.
The Standing Deputy Prime Minister and the Assistant Secretary-General will together attend the pronouncement of the appeal judgement in the last case before the ECCC against Head of State of former Democratic Kampuchea, Khieu Samphan, scheduled for Sept. 22, 2022, and subsequently make their public statements at the ECCC premises.

Source: Agency Kampuchea Press