VOA标准英语10月-UN Rights Official Backs Kenya Tribunal

The United Nations' deputy high commissioner¹ for human rights has endorsed² the establishment of a tribunal in Kenya to try those responsible for violence that followed December's presidential elections. She made the remarks at the end of a four-day visit to Kenya. Derek Kilner reports from Nairobi.
　

A supporter of Kenya's opposition3 leader Raila Odinga taunts4 a Kenyan policeman during a demonstration5 in the street of Kisumu, Kenya, 16 Jan 2008

Kyung-wha Kang urged Kenya to adopt the findings of a commission set up to investigate the post-election violence, in which over 1,100 people were killed, and hundreds of thousands displaced.

"I've had short but good discussion with the prime minister with the justice minister with civil society actors with the U.N. country teams with the donor⁶ community on how it is very important for the commission report to be acted upon," she said.

The commission, led by Kenyan judge Philip Waki, recently released its findings in a 500-page report. The report calls for the establishment of an independent tribunal to try those suspected of the deepest responsibility for the violence. Waki has said this includes prominent political and business leaders, but no names have yet been released.

Kang said the commission's findings echoed those of a U.N. investigation⁸ carried out in February, and said her office would be ready to support the tribunal.

"We expressed our readiness to support the Kenyan endeavors in this regard," she said. "For example we can help in drafting the statute⁹ of the special tribunal. The commission recommends that the tribunal have an international component¹⁰ to that and we can certainly help in identifying the international expertise¹¹ that can be part of the exercise.

On Thursday, Kenya's parliament approved the creation of a Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation¹² Commission, consisting of nine Kenyan and international members, to investigate crimes stretching back to the country's independence in 1963.

The fate of the tribunal proposed by the Waki commission is less clear, with both parties in the country's grand coalition¹³ government appearing divided. Both President Mwai Kibaki, who heads the Party of National Unity⁷, and Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who led the Orange Democratic Movement in last year's elections, have endorsed the commission's findings. But key figures in both parties have also denounced the report.

Waki has said that if the tribunal is not established by the beginning of March, the names of suspects will be forwarded to the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

Kang made her remarks at the end of a four-day visit to Kenya, in which she attended the International Conference of National Human Rights Institutions, and visited a camp for refugees from Somalia in northern Kenya.

1 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

2 endorsed   

vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

4 taunts   

嘲弄的言语，嘲笑，奚落( taunt的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He had to endure the racist taunts of the crowd. 他不得不忍受那群人种族歧视的奚落。
• He had to endure the taunts of his successful rival. 他不得不忍受成功了的对手的讥笑。

5 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

6 donor   

n.捐献者；赠送人；(组织、器官等的)供体

参考例句：

• In these cases,the recipient usually takes care of the donor afterwards.在这类情况下，接受捐献者以后通常会照顾捐赠者。
• The Doctor transplanted the donor's heart to Mike's chest cavity.医生将捐赠者的心脏移植进麦克的胸腔。

7 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

8 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

9 statute   

n.成文法，法令，法规；章程，规则，条例

参考例句：

• Protection for the consumer is laid down by statute.保障消费者利益已在法令里作了规定。
• The next section will consider this environmental statute in detail.下一部分将详细论述环境法令的问题。

10 component   

n.组成部分，成分，元件；adj.组成的，合成的

参考例句：

• Each component is carefully checked before assembly.每个零件在装配前都经过仔细检查。
• Blade and handle are the component parts of a knife.刀身和刀柄是一把刀的组成部分。

11 expertise   

n.专门知识(或技能等)，专长

参考例句：

• We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
• You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。

12 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

13 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。