The UN will appoint a new spokeswoman for the Khmer Rouge tribunal, to replace Peter Foster, who resigned in December 2008, officials said Wednesday.
Yuko Maeda, 45, will be appointed July 24, according to a statement from the Japanese government. She will work closely with spokesman Reach Sambath, her counterpart on the Cambodian side of the court.
Maeda, who has worked as a journalist and is the founder of a nongovernmental organization called Women Against Silence, will provide information about the tribunal to the national and international media, as well as the Cambodian public, according to the statement.
Maeda was “competitively” recruited from an open process from among “nationals from all countries,” said Lars Olsen, legal officer for the UN-backed court.
Japan is a major donor to the court, giving so far $39.55 million to the UN side of the tribunal and $7.36 million to the Cambodian side.