Statement by the Press Secretary/Director-General for Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the Appointment of Ms. Yuko Maeda as Public Affairs Officer of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia

July 21, 2009
Japanese

Japan heartily welcomes the United Nation’s appointment of Ms. Yuko Maeda (former Public Information Officer in the UN Mission in Liberia [UNMIL]) as Public Affairs Officer to the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) on July 24, 2009.
The Public Affairs Officer plays an important role as spokesperson of the ECCC and provides information about the ECCC to the national and international media, in addition to addressing public outreach needs and advising on UN-related media and public affairs issues, etc. Japan expects that Ms. Maeda will fulfill her duties with great success.
Japan considers the Khmer Rouge trials to be an important step towards the conclusion of the entire peace process in Cambodia and believes that they will contribute to delivering justice to the Cambodian people and to strengthening the rule of law. Japan has also been playing a leading role in the international community to provide assistance to the trials.

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Khmer Rouge trials
The Khmer Rouge regime committed massacres presumably of one million to two million people during its ruling period of the latter part of 1970s, which was one of the most serious crimes against humanity that occurred in the 20th Century. The trials, which aim to bring senior leaders of the KR regime to justice, are conducted as part of the domestic court in cooperation with the United Nations. Under the Agreement between the UN and the Government of Cambodia, the Extraordinary Chambers that consist of both national and international judges and prosecutors will bring to trial senior leaders of the KR regime in accordance with Cambodian penal law and international law. The first trial started in February 2009.
Profile of Ms. Yuko Maeda
Ms. Maeda obtained Master’s degrees from the University of Bradford (UK) in 2008 and Michigan State University (USA) in 1997 in the fields of African Peace and Conflict Studies and Journalism, respectively, after she received a Bachelor’s degree from Nihon University (Japan) in the field of Journalism in 1988. Ms. Maeda recently served as Public Information Officer of the United Nations Mission in Liberia. She has extensive experience in the field of journalism in a multi-cultural environment, as she worked as associate and business editor of the Cambodia Daily newspaper (Cambodia), reporter of the Cadillac Evening News (USA), and reporter and assistant editor of Kobe Shimbun newspaper (Japan). With regard to Cambodia, Ms. Maeda founded and represented the NGO “Women Against Silence” to help rape survivors by implementing empowerment activities, in addition to her work with the Cambodia Daily newspaper.
Japanese contribution to the Khmer Rouge Trials
(1) Financial contribution
Contribution to the UN side of the budget: approximately 39.55 million USD.
Contribution to the Cambodian side of the budget: approximately 7.36 million USD. (Counterpart fund of the Japanese Non-Project Grant aid)
(2) Human resources
Following a proposal from Japan and subsequent nomination by the United Nations Secretary General, Mr. Motoo Noguchi, Professor (Senior Prosecutor) of the United Nations Asia and Far East Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, and Senior Attorney of the International Legal Affairs Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was appointed by the Supreme Council of the Magistracy International Judge of the Supreme Court Chamber of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia.

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