Is the recently donated by Japan amount of $3 million a tough blow or a welcome addendum to the core funding that has yet to be announced?

by Stan Starygin

Similiarly to Australia's donation of roughly half a million dollars, Japan recently made a $3 million donation to the Office of Administration of the ECCC. It was not made clear whether this must be perceived as a bridge funding effort in anticipation of the decisions of all states-funders of the tribunal on a more comprehensive funding effort or this is the extent to which Japan is willing to up its original and sizable -- in fact largest to date -- contribution to the tribunal. If this is a bridge funding effort, this means Japan is considering large-scale funding of the tribunal and its officials have little or nothing to worry about when it comes to the funds available to carry on with the process. If, however, this is the extent to which Japan is willing to commit itself to the further funding of the process, the rainy season is likely to be even more rainy for the court this year, as other states are extremely unlikely to cover the shortfall, whatever it might be at this point now that the tribunal's new budget has been revised, without the Japanese monies.