The trials aren’t finished. Little justice has been delivered. But 12 years and $1 billion after it was tasked with prosecuting those responsible for the 2005 Beirut bombing that killed then Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri and 21 others, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) announced that it will close its doors by the end of this month. The reason? A lack of money. There may be good reasons for the STL to wrap things up. By not funding the STL to its conclusion, however, states risk undermining international justice efforts more broadly – which might cost them even more.
Set up in 2009, the STL is among the first generation of so-called hybrid courts established to address mass atrocities. Hybrid tribunals mix and match international and national elements. For example, they typically blend together international and local staff and laws. Due to political tensions and security risks, hybrids are often located outside of the country where their investigations are focused. This is true of the STL, which is based in The Hague.
Funding for courts such as the STL can come from "assessed contributions", whereby involved states are required to give a tribunal an earmarked amount of funding every year. Alternatively, tribunals can be funded by “voluntary contributions”, where states voluntarily provide funds to the institution. Assessed contributions are always preferable because they are stable and better protect the tribunal’s independence. Voluntary funding, by contrast, gives states greater control of a court by conditioning funding on its decision-making, including who to target for prosecution. It also forces court staff to divert significant time and energy to fundraising as opposed to the work of achieving accountability.
The STL combines these funding models: 51 per cent of the budget is funded by voluntary contributions and 49 per cent by the Lebanese government. But with Lebanon embroiled in economic and political crises, the country announced in June that it could no longer afford paying its dues. Despite pleas to the international community from Beirut and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, no one is prepared to pick up the slack.
This is not the first time that a hybrid court has faced a dire funding situation.
In 2009, the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) was running so low on cash that the trial of former Liberian president Charles Taylor looked like it might be halted without conclusion. A last-minute infusion of funding from the US saved the SCSL. Taylor was ultimately convicted of aiding and abetting war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sierra Leone, following which he was sentenced to 50 years in prison.
The STL's achievements pale in comparison to those of the SCSL, which prosecuted numerous high-profile perpetrators and contributed significantly to the legal elaboration of international crimes such as sexual slavery and forced marriage. By contrast, only one person – Hezbollah member Salim Jamil Ayyash – has ever been convicted of Hariri’s death, and not a single suspect has been prosecuted by the court in-person. Instead, the STL has held its core proceedings in absentia.
While the work of staff at the STL has been valiant and their commitment, despite the odds, has received well-earned kudos, it is not obvious that the STL has had any positive effects on the ground in Lebanon. The tribunal is certainly not among the courts generally celebrated by proponents of international justice. Few states appear eager to contribute more money to an institution that has so little to show for itself. And few Lebanese colleagues I have spoken to about the STL would be particularly fussed if they didn’t.
But states should wade carefully, lest the collapse of a tribunal due to funding set a precedent. This is particularly true now, during the coronavirus pandemic. States have poured trillions of dollars into protecting their countries and citizens from Covid-19 and its severe economic fallout. Massive deficits will have to be covered by spending cuts. The UK has announced a cut from 0.7 to 0.5 per cent of its global national income dedicated to foreign aid, while Canadian diplomats – who already press the International Criminal Court (ICC) to trim its budget – have said that there will be downward pressure on ICC funding.
A popular misconception is that international criminal justice is an expensive venture. For what it is trying to achieve, it is anything but. For example, the ICC, which is funded by assessed contributions from its member-states, had a budget of about $175 million in 2020. The New York Yankees baseball team's payroll this year is just over $200m. A study by Brown University’s Costs of War Project found that the US spent more than $2 trillion over 16 years on the war in Iraq. That would mean that the ICC’s entire yearly budget is barely half the cost of a single day of US military expenditures during that time.
States risk undermining international justice efforts
The Court’s mandate is vast, namely to address international crimes committed in situations across the globe. Yet states are often eager to nickel and dime the institution, exerting pressure on the Court to deliver meaningful justice but with limited financial resources to do it. Making matters worse, when the UN Security Council has referred situations to the ICC – as it did in Darfur in 2005 and Libya in 2011 – the Council has denied the allocation of any UN funds for the Court’s subsequent investigations. Some states, it seems, are happy to force work upon international courts but baulk at backing it up with financial commitments.
To say that a tribunal doesn’t cost much in relative terms does not mean that every tribunal expenditure is worth it. As bureaucracies, tribunals often pay far too much to staff who contribute too little. It is likewise legitimate to worry about how much courts achieve in terms of accountability with the budgets that they do have. But undercutting the resources of tribunals can leave them impotent to address international crimes and political violence, a situation which may cost states more in the long run.
If the STL goes out of business because states won’t pony up the resources it needs to complete its work, it won’t just be the STL that suffers. It could give states even greater permission to control and crush tribunals by contracting and cutting their purse strings.
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Christopher Robin
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Haley Atwell, Jim Cummings, Peter Capaldi
Three stars
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Your Guide to the Home
- Level 1 has a valet service if you choose not to park in the basement level. This level houses all the kitchenware, including covetable brand French Bull, along with a wide array of outdoor furnishings, lamps and lighting solutions, textiles like curtains, towels, cushions and bedding, and plenty of other home accessories.
- Level 2 features curated inspiration zones and solutions for bedrooms, living rooms and dining spaces. This is also where you’d go to customise your sofas and beds, and pick and choose from more than a dozen mattress options.
- Level 3 features The Home’s “man cave” set-up and a display of industrial and rustic furnishings. This level also has a mother’s room, a play area for children with staff to watch over the kids, furniture for nurseries and children’s rooms, and the store’s design studio.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Ronaldo's record at Man Utd
Seasons 2003/04 - 2008/09
Appearances 230
Goals 115
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old
- Max Dowman (Arsenal)
15 years, 235 days old
- Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old
- Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
16 years, 30 days old
- Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
16 years, 68 days old
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E77kWh%202%20motors%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E178bhp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E410Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERange%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E402km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDh%2C150%2C000%20(estimate)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETBC%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
The Cairo Statement
1: Commit to countering all types of terrorism and extremism in all their manifestations
2: Denounce violence and the rhetoric of hatred
3: Adhere to the full compliance with the Riyadh accord of 2014 and the subsequent meeting and executive procedures approved in 2014 by the GCC
4: Comply with all recommendations of the Summit between the US and Muslim countries held in May 2017 in Saudi Arabia.
5: Refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries and of supporting rogue entities.
6: Carry out the responsibility of all the countries with the international community to counter all manifestations of extremism and terrorism that threaten international peace and security
THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
How tumultuous protests grew
- A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
- Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved
- Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
- At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
- Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars
- Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
- An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital
How to help or find other cats to adopt
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
Sri Lanka squad
Dinesh Chandimal, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Lahiru Thirimanne, Niroshan Dickwella, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Rangana Herath, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Lakshan Sandakan, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Jeffrey Vandersay, Milinda Siriwardana, Roshen Silva, Akila Dananjaya, Charith Asalanka, Shaminda Eranga and Dhammika Prasad.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
