UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 7 (UPI) -- The United Nations has signed an agreement with Lebanon to establish a special tribunal to prosecute the suspected killers of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Through his spokeswoman, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Tuesday renewed hopes the nation will ratify it in line with the country's "constitutional requirements."
"The accord was earlier signed in Beirut by the director-general of the Ministry of Justice on behalf of the Lebanese Republic. The secretary-general designated Nicolas Michel, undersecretary-general for legal affairs, the (U.N.) legal counsel, to sign on behalf of the United Nations," the chief U.N. spokeswoman said.
"It is up to the competent Lebanese authorities to take the steps necessary under the Lebanese Constitution for the approval and ratification of the agreement, to allow it to enter into force," she said in a statement. "The tribunal could then be made operational with the full support of the United Nations."
Ban told reporters, "We hope that the Lebanese government will take the necessary measures to be able to ratify this process, in accordance with their constitutional requirements."
A senior U.N. official said signing of the agreement is not the end of the process but is only one part of it, emphasizing Lebanon's constitutional process needs to continue while also acknowledging difficulties that lie ahead because of the country's extremely sensitive political situation.
"The main stumbling block for now seems to be the establishment of a framework for dialogue that would produce the expected results," the official said. "So that is why we are encouraging as much as we can the parties to find a way of exchanging their views, of having a substantial dialogue, and that is really why we encourage the mediation efforts."
