It is my belief that the Sierra Leone special court will have both the power and the necessary financial, staffing and other resources to deal with the most serious violations of international humanitarian law dating back to 30 November 1996, the agreed date of commencement of its temporal jurisdiction. The UN Secretary General, the Sierra Leone Government and interested UN member states, including Ireland, have invested considerable effort and resources ensuring that the Sierra Leone special court will be able to carry out its mandate effectively.
In a letter to the President of the UN Security Council dated 26 December 2001, the UN Secretary General authorised the commencement of the operation of the special court for Sierra Leone, despite a shortfall in funding. Ireland attaches great importance to the special court, which is intended to ensure that there is no impunity for those most responsible for violations of international humanitarian law in Sierra Leone. We have pledged a total of €635,000 towards the costs of the special court over a three year period.