For Immediate Release - July 10, 2009

Contact: Lauren Sucher, 202/429-3822

 

(Washington) - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on July 9, 2009 appointed U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) Senior Fellow David Tolbert as the next registrar of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL).  Tolbert, currently a senior fellow with USIP's Jennings Randolph fellowship program from Oct. 1, 2008 through July 31, 2009, will take up his new responsibilities on Aug. 26, 2009.

 

As an international criminal tribunal, the court is responsible for prosecuting criminal acts involving the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on Feb. 14, 2005.

 

Tolbert is the tribunal's second registrar since its inception in March 2006, succeeding Robin Vincent.

 

USIP Executive Vice President Tara Sonenshine applauded the news about Tolbert's appointment. 

 

"Tolbert's extensive knowledge and practice of international law, combined with his time as a USIP fellow, will strengthen the work of the United Nations.  We are very fortunate to have one of our fellows applying their expertise in the field to promote international conflict resolution," Sonenshine said.

 

At USIP, Tolbert studied what impact international tribunals have on the peace and security of the countries over which they have jurisdiction, and how well or poorly these courts have performed in terms of meeting the goals of providing a basis for reconciliation and peace in those societies.

 

Tolbert comes with an extensive experience in international law. He most recently served as U.N. assistant secretary-general and special adviser to the U.N. Assistance to the Khmer Rouge Trials. From 2004 through March 2008, he was the deputy prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).

 

Prior to his position as deputy prosecutor, Tolbert was the deputy registrar of the ICTY. He also served as executive director of the American Bar Association's Central European and Eurasian Law Initiative (ABA CEELI), which manages rule of law development programs throughout Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Prior to his work at ABA CEELI, Tolbert also served at the ICTY as chef de cabinet to the then president and as the senior legal Adviser to the Registry. He has held the position of chief, General Legal Division of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency in Vienna, Austria and Gaza. He has also taught international law and human rights at the post-graduate level in the United Kingdom and practiced law for many years in the United States.

 

Born in 1956, Tolbert holds a Master of Laws (LL.M), with distinction, in International Law from the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom; a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from the University of North Carolina; and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), magna cum laude, from Furman University, South Carolina, USA.  Tolbert has published extensively in the field of international criminal law.

 

When asked how his time at USIP has better prepared him for his upcoming challenge, Tolbert said, "My time at USIP gave me the opportunity to give some detailed attention to the Bosnia State Court, another hybrid court like the Special Tribunal for Lebanon."

 

"Moreover, I was able to visit Lebanon and get a better sense of the importance of the STL to the country and I had the benefit of discussing the STL and the situation in Lebanon with my colleague across the hall, Randa Slim, which were very helpful to me. Her advice had a significant impact on my decision to take the position."