§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action is being taken by the international community in respect of the termination of arrests for genocide in Rwanda as a result of prison overcrowding. [27329]
§ Mr. Douglas HoggBritain, together with the international community, strongly supports action against those responsible for genocide in Rwanda. At the same time, there is concern about overcrowded prison conditions resulting from delays in bringing cases to trial. Britain, and other donors, have responded with assistance to reconstruct the judicial system in Rwanda and to improve prison conditions.
§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries are financing the international genocide tribunal for Rwanda; what financial contribution each has made; and what steps are being taken to increase the number of contributors. [27328]
§ Mr. Douglas HoggThe International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda will be financed from member states' assessed contributions to the United Nations. In addition, a trust fund has been established for voluntary contributions. We have seconded three police officers to work for the prosecutor's office and have pledged £200,000 toward these and other costs. Official contributions to the trust fund have also been pledged by the following states:
- New Zealand: $31,860
- Switzerland: $75,757
- Chile: $1,000
- Norway: $50,000
- Ireland: $79,225
- USA: $500,000
- Israel: $7,500
- Egypt: $1,000
- Lebanon: $3,000
- Greece: $20,000
- The Holy See: $3,000
- Sweden: $65,000
A meeting of the Rwanda operational support group was held in Kigali on 19 May to discuss financing of the tribunal. We understand that the following contributions were pledged at this meeting:
- Belgium: $1,000,000
- USA: $4,600,000 = 10 investigators
- Netherlands: $3,000,000 = 21 investigators
- Germany: 1 investigator
- Norway: $100,000
- Spain: $150,000
- Sweden: $70,000
- Switzerland: $90,000 = 3 personnel
The UK continues to encourage other member states to contribute.