SUPPLEMENTARY MEMORANDUM SUBMITTED BY
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
UNSCR SC/6775 IRAQ MONITORING COMMISSION
1. UNSCR 1284 was adopted on 17 December
1999. As well as creating a new disarmament body (UNMOVIC—see
2 below) to succeed and continue the work of UNSCOM, it also provided
for the implementation of a range of humanitarian measures. These
include:
— the immediate abolition of the ceiling
on the amount of oil Iraq is permitted to export under the "oil
for food" arrangements;
— a direction to the UN Sanctions Committee
to approve humanitarian contracts within a target of two working
days;
— a direction to the Sanctions Committee
to draw up a list of humanitarian goods the export of which do
not require the Committee's approval;
— a request to the UN Secretary-General
(UNSG) to submit arrangements, for the Security Council's approval,
to allow use of oil-for-food funds for the purchase of locally
produced goods and the payment of services and training;
— the exemption of Hajj pilgrimage
flights provided they are notified in advance to the Sanctions
Committee;
— reiteration of the requirement on
Iraq to play its part in improving the humanitarian programme
in Iraq;
None of these humanitarian measures are conditional
on Iraq accepting or co-operating with the resolution.
Resolution 1284 also provides for the appointment
of a UN co-ordinator on Kuwaiti issues.
2. Resolution 1284 establishes a new disarmament
body UNMOVIC (the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission),
as a subsidiary body of the UN Security Council. UNMOVIC retains
the mandate, rights, privileges, facilities and immunities of
UNSCOM.
UNMOVIC assumes UNSCOM's duty under SCR 687
to supervise the destruction of all Iraq's chemical and biological
weapons, long-range ballistic missiles, and associated research,
development, and manufacturing facilities; and to ensure through
monitoring that Iraq does not develop such weapons in the future.
Resolution 1284 requests UNSG to appoint an
Executive Chairman of UNMOVIC, after consultation with and subject
to the approval of the Security Council. Forty-five days after
his appointment, the Executive Chairman should submit to the Security
Council an organisational plan for UNMOVIC, in consultation with
and through the UNSG.
Sixty days after they have both started work
in Iraq, UNMOVIC and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
should draw up, for approval by the Security Council, a work programme
for the discharge of their mandates, including a reinforced system
of ongoing monitoring and verification (OMV) and the key remaining
disarmament tasks to be completed by Iraq pursuant to its obligations
to comply with the disarmament requirements of resolution 687
and other related resolutions.
Resolutions 1284 imposes no new disarmament
obligations on Iraq. Iraq is obliged to co-operate in all respects
with both UNMOVIC and the IAEA. If it does not, it rules out any
progress on sanctions.
3. If Iraq co-operates fully with UNMOVIC
and the IAEA and makes progress on key disarmament tasks, resolution
1284 provides for the suspension of sanctions, provided controls
to prevent Iraq acquiring prohibited items are in place. Under
suspension Iraq would be allowed to import and export a wide range
of civilian goods. If Iraq continued to co-operate fully with
UNMOVIC and the IAEA, suspension would be renewed by a positive
Security Council vote for successive periods of 120 days. Suspension
would lapse automatically if Iraq ceased to co-operate in all
respects with UNMOVIC and the IAEA. The criteria for lifting of
sanctions remain as specified in resolution 687.
| 
