[JURIST] UN and Dutch government representatives have signed an agreement under which the Netherlands will host the new international tribunal investigating the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri [JURIST news archive]. UN Assistant Secretary-General for Legal Affairs Larry D. Johnson and Dutch Ambassador Frank Majoor inked the Headquarters Agreement Friday in New York. The agreement is expected to the ratified by the Dutch parliament. UN International Independent Investigation Commission (IIIC) [authorizing resolution; UN materials] head Serge Brammertz [ICC profile; JURIST news archive] has said that the commission has made progress in identifying unspecified "persons of interest" to be tried for crimes in front of the tribunal. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is expected to select judges [JURIST report] to serve on the tribunal in 2008.

The UN Security Council unilaterally established the tribunal [JURIST report; UN News report] in May after a divided Lebanese government failed to agree on a proposal. The tribunal will also investigate [JURIST report] and possibly try suspects in 17 other attempted and successful political assassinations in Lebanon. From Beirut, the Daily Star has more.