As Rolf Ekeus, the Executive Chairman of United Nations Special Commission
charged with eliminating Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, embarked on a visit
to Baghdad, the Security Council this morning demanded once again that the
Commission's inspection teams be given immediate, unconditional and unrestricted
access to all areas, equipment, facilities, records and means of transportation
which they might wish to inspect and to Iraqi officials they might want to
interview.
In a statement on its behalf by its President, Tono Eitel (Germany), the
Council stated that Iraq's repeated denials of such access and its attempts to
impose conditions on the interviewing of Iraqi officials by the Commission
constitutes a gross violation of resolutions 687 (1991), 707 (1991) and 715
(1991). It expressed grave concern at Iraqi's failure to comply fully with
resolution 1060 (1996) of 12 June and other resolutions on the Commission.
Noting that such actions contradicted the Government's commitments in its
22 June joint statement with the Commission, the Council urged Iraq to respect
those commitments. It requested Mr. Ekeus to report on the results of his visit,
adding that it would continue considering how best to ensure Iraq's full
compliance.
The Council strongly reaffirmed its full support for the Commission's
inspections and underlined the important role of the inspection teams.
One of the three Commissions created under resolution 687 (1991), which
established cease-fire terms between Iraq, Kuwait and other States, the United
Nations Special Commission implements the internationally supervised elimination
of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, long-range ballistic missile capabilities
and the monitoring of Iraq's compliance with relevant resolutions.
The Council meeting, begun at 10:48 a.m., was adjourned at 10:52 a.m.
Security Council - 2 - Press Release SC/6259
3691st Meeting (AM) 23 August 1996
Presidential Statement
The full text of the statement, to be issued as document S/PRST/1996/36,
reads as follows:
The Security Council, on the eve of the planned visit to Baghdad by the
Executive Chairman of the Special Commission, strongly reaffirms its full support
for the Special Commission in the conduct of its inspections and the other tasks
entrusted to it by the Council. The Security Council reiterates the importance
it attaches to full compliance by Iraq with the relevant resolutions of the
Council. It underlines the important role of the Special Commission's inspection
teams and demands once again that they be given immediate, unconditional and
unrestricted access to any and all areas, facilities, equipment, records and
means of transportation which they wish to inspect, and Iraqi officials whom they
wish to interview, so that the Special Commission may fully discharge its
mandate.
In this context, the Security Council remains gravely concerned at the
failure by Iraq to comply fully with its resolution 1060 (1996) of 12 June 1996
and with other resolutions of the Council dealing with the Special Commission.
The denial by Iraq, on repeated occasions, of immediate, unconditional and
unrestricted access to sites which they wished to inspect and the attempts made
by the Government of Iraq to impose conditions on the conduct of interviews with
Iraqi officials by the Special Commission constitute a gross violation of its
obligations under resolutions 687 (1991), 707 (1991) and 715 (1991). The Council
notes that these actions also contradict commitments made by the Government of
Iraq in its Joint Statement of 22 June 1996 with the Special Commission, and
urges the Government of Iraq to respect these commitments. The Council reminds
the Government of Iraq that only full compliance with its obligations under the
relevant resolutions will enable the Executive Chairman of the Special Commission
to present his report in accordance with Section C of resolution 687 (1991). The
Council will continue to consider how best to ensure Iraq's full compliance.
The Security Council requests the Executive Chairman to report to it on the
results of his visit.
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