ICC Judge Resigns
The International Criminal Court announced today the resignation of Judge Karl T. Hudson-Phillips for personal reasons. The Assembly of States Parties will elect a judge to fill the resulting vacancy.
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Chiquita Pleads Guilty to Funding Terrorist Organization
The United States Department of Justice announced today that Chiquita Brands International has pled guilty to one count of transacting business with a designated global terrorist, Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia. Among other terms of the plea agreement, Chiquita is to pay a $25 million fine.
The DOJ’s press release is here:Â http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2007/March/07_nsd_161.html
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Sudan Suspends Cooperation with ICC
Responding to accusations by the International Criminal Court’s top prosecutor that Sudanese officials were connected to war crimes in Darfur, the Sudanese government has announced that it is suspending all cooperation with the court.
The International Herald Tribune covers the story here:
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/03/18/africa/AF-GEN-Sudan-ICC.php
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IDB Forgives Latin American, Caribbean Debt
The Inter-American Development Bank announced on Friday its approval of a US$ 3.4 billion debt relief package for Bolivia, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, and Nicaragua that will free up resources for health care, education, and infrastructure in the region’s most underdeveloped countries. The measure, which passed with wide support, will cancel 100 percent of loans outstanding in the five countries as of Dec. 31, 2004. In addition to the $3.4 billion in principal payments, the IDB will further forgive $1 billion in interest for a total of $4.4 billion in debt relief.
See:
http://www.falkland-malvinas.com/vernoticia.do?id=10083&formato=HTML and
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/16/AR2007031602376.html
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RDC to Submit CAFTA Claims Against Guatemala for Arbitration
On March 13, Railroad Development Corporation (RDC) filed its Notice of Intent to Submit Claims to international arbitration against the Republic of Guatemala under the Central America-Dominican Republic-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). RDC’s press release noted that this action would be the first use of investor-state dispute resolution under Chapter 10 of CAFTA.
RDC’s press release can be found here.
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UN Advisors Group on Inclusive Financial Sectors Releases "Key Messages"
The United Nations Advisors Group on Inclusive Financial Sectors, established by the United Nations for a two-year term following the 2005 International Year of Microcredit to advise the UN system and member states on global issues relating to inclusive finance, has released “Five Key Messages for Four Key Audiences.” The statements of best practices for expanding access to finance for the poor are addressed to four key stakeholder audiences: governments, regulators, development partners and the private sector. The Executive Secretary of the United Nations Capital Development Fund stressed that the Advisors, fully engaged in advocacy, will bring these messages to the target audiences “to underscore the constructive role each of those groups can play in broadening access to financial sectors.”
Text of the “Key Messages” and further information on their announcement is available here.
More information regarding the UN Advisors Group on Inclusive Financial Sectors is available here.