Security Council SC/7179
4393rd Meeting (PM) 19
October 2001
SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS FOR SIX MONTHS MANDATE OF SANCTIONS
MONITORING MECHANISM AGAINST ANGOLA REBEL GROUP
Resolution 1374 (2001), Adopted Unanimously, Seeks Plan,
Within 60 Days, for Action on UNITA Diamonds, Arms Violations,
Finances
The Security
Council this afternoon decided to extend the mandate of the monitoring
mechanism on sanctions against the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) for
six months, ending on 19 April 2002.
By a unanimous vote, the Council
adopted resolution 1374 (2001) in which it called on the Sanctions Committee
established by resolution 864 (1993) to review the reports of the monitoring
mechanism with a view to examining its recommendations and to offer guidance to
the monitoring mechanism on its future work.
The Council also requested the
monitoring mechanism to provide the Committee, within 60 days, with a detailed
action plan for its future work, in particular sanctions on UNITA diamonds,
violations of arms sanctions, and on UNITA finances.
Further, the Council requested the
Secretary-General to appoint four experts to serve on the monitoring mechanism
and to make necessary financial arrangements to support the work of the
mechanism.
The Council also requested the
monitoring mechanism to report periodically to the Committee and to provide an
additional report by 19 April 2002.
The meeting, which began at 5:45
p.m., was adjourned at 5:49 p.m.
Resolution
The full text of
resolution 1374 (2001), contained in document S/2001/985, reads as follows:
“The Security
Council,
“Reaffirming its resolution 864 (1993) of
15 September 1993 and all subsequent relevant resolutions, in particular
resolutions 1127 (1997) of 28 August 1997, 1173 (1998) of 12 June 1998,
1237 (1999) of 7 May 1999, 1295 (2000) of 18 April 2000, 1336 (2001) of 23
January 2001 and 1348 (2001) of 19 April 2001,
“Reaffirming also its commitment to
preserve the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Angola,
“Expressing once again its concern
regarding the humanitarian effects of the present situation on the civilian
population of Angola,
“Recognizing the importance attached,
inter alia, to the monitoring, for
as long as it is necessary, of the implementation of the provisions contained
in resolutions 864 (1993), 1127 (1997) and 1173 (1998),
“Determining that the situation in Angola
continues to constitute a threat to international peace and security in the
region,
“Acting under Chapter VII of the Charter
of the United Nations,
“1. Takes
note of the supplementary report (S/2001/966) of 12 October 2001
provided pursuant to paragraph 4 of resolution 1348 (2001);
“2. Expresses
its intention to give full consideration to this supplementary report;
“3. Decides
to extend the mandate of the monitoring mechanism for a further period of
six months, ending on 19 April 2002;
“4. Calls
upon the Committee established pursuant to resolution 864 (1993)
to undertake a review to be completed by 31 December 2001 of the
Final Report of the Monitoring Mechanism (S/2000/1225), the Addendum to the
Final Report (S/2001/363*), and the Supplementary Report (S/2001/966) with a
view to examining the recommendations contained in these reports and to offer
guidance to the monitoring mechanism on its future work;
“5. Requests
the monitoring mechanism to provide the Committee within 60 days of the
adoption of this resolution with a detailed action plan for its future work, in
particular, but not exclusively, on sanctions on UNITA diamonds, violations of
arms sanctions, and on UNITA finances;
“6. Requests
further the monitoring mechanism to report periodically to the Committee
and to provide an additional report by 19 April
2002;
“7. Requests
the Secretary-General, upon adoption of this resolution and acting in
consultation with the Committee, to appoint four experts to serve on the
monitoring mechanism and further requests
the Secretary-General to make the necessary financial arrangements to support
the work of the monitoring mechanism;
“8. Requests
the Chairman of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 864 (1993) to
submit the additional report to the Council by 19 April 2002;
“9. Calls
upon all States to cooperate fully with the monitoring mechanism in the
discharge of its mandate;
“10. Decides
to remain actively seized of the matter.”
Background
Before taking action on the
resolution this afternoon, the Council had considered a letter from the
President of the Council containing the supplementary report of the
Monitoring Mechanism on Sanctions against UNITA (S/2001/966). From 1993 to 1998 the Council has imposed a
series of sanctions on the Uni⭠Nacional para a Independ魣ia Total de Angola
(UNITA) ranging from arms embargoes to bans on the sale of diamonds and of
UNITA officials, to the closure of UNITA offices and the freezing of their
assets. Since its establishment, the
monitoring mechanism has been charged with the responsibility of collecting
information and investigating leads relating to violations of pertinent
sanctions resolutions "with a view to improving the implementation of the
measures imposed against UNITA".
During the current mandate period, the mechanism pursued allegations of
sanctions violations and has continued to examine the role of criminal elements
instrumental to the capacity of UNITA to sustain its guerrilla war. In addition, the mechanism has been able to
expand its base of inquiry by drawing on the expertise of professional asset
tracers to try to identify the financial resources held by UNITA.
The report gives an overview of
UNITA, including an examination of the leadership, military structures,
internal security and control, and presence in refugee camps. It also provides a review of violations of
the arms sanctions, drawing attention to the petroleum and petroleum product
component of the sanctions regime imposed against UNITA.
With regard to the sanctions
against diamonds mined in Angola, the mechanism has established that the
sanctions continue to be violated.
Between $1 million and $1.2 million of embargoed diamonds leave Angola
each day. The report states that given
the large size of this trade, which of necessity involves many players in many
countries, it is not possible in the course of a single mandate or a single
report to evaluate every sector of the rough diamond trade that could be
considered to be involved. The single
largest problem in the diamond sector is no longer the diamonds produced by
UNITA, but illicit diamonds being smuggled on a larger scale by other players
as mining areas previously held by UNITA are being recaptured.
In the
circumstances, the primary responsibility for intercepting diamonds mined in
defiance of the embargo lies with States.
To date, however, not a single parcel of illicit Angolan gems are being
intercepted anywhere. No diamond dealer
has claimed to have witnessed Angolan gems being traded on any diamond
bourse. The diamonds seem to vanish
into thin air. Given the magnitude of the trade, how is this possible? the
report asks.
The report emphasizes that the task
of the monitoring mechanism has not yet been completed, since not only are
investigations still pending but monitoring and deterrence cannot be ended
until such time as peace in Angola is achieved. The report states that a systematic outreach to the countries of
the region, aimed at winning their support for isolating UNITA and depriving it
of its nearest support bases, is the most effective diplomatic means of forcing
its leaders to see reason and return to the peace process. It warns that the international community,
which has invested so much of its resources and efforts in the search for
peace, cannot drop its guard and send an equivocal signal to the rebel movement,
which continues its pursuit of power through armed struggle.
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To be credible, the report says,
UNITA’s appeals for dialogue must be accompanied by positive steps to renounce
violence and by a tangible expression of a genuine desire for peace. Regrettably, earlier experiences are still fresh
in the mind, and the review of the sanctions can be considered only when the
process towards a peaceful settlement of the conflict becomes
irreversible. Until that happens, the
international community must remain vigilant to ensure strict compliance with
the sanctions and make a concerted effort to close all possible loopholes which
UNITA may seek to exploit in order to expand its diminished military capacity
and retain a presence abroad.
It is also
important to maintain contacts with those regional and international
organizations that are already acquainted with the situation and which have
provided valuable cooperation, within the limits of their capabilities, to the
work of the mechanism. Concerted action
on all fronts will therefore be crucial to realizing the common aspiration of
peace and reconciliation in Angola, in what is hoped will be the not
too-distant-future
Looking to the future, the report
states that there is a need for establishing a permanent capability of the
Security Council to ensure ongoing monitoring of targeted sanctions regimes and
illicit trafficking in high-value commodities in armed conflicts. Such a new unified facility would be
cost-effective and would avoid duplication of tasks and overlapping of
investigations and ensure the preservation of a comprehensive database as well
as its systematic and continuing processing.
In the case of Angola, a monitoring
capacity has been in place since July 2000. Any gap in the monitoring process would afford a respite to
sanctions violators, and would be detrimental to the effectiveness of
sanctions. The monitoring of illicit
trafficking in high-value commodities involved in armed conflicts of which the
Security Council is seized is intrinsically related to the question of sanctions
monitoring.
The lack of enforcement of
sanctions and embargoes and the perpetuation of illicit trafficking have the
same negative impact on the perpetuation of conflicts. Sanctions violations and illicit trafficking
involve the same patterns of illegal activities and similar criminal networks.
The report goes on to say that a
permanent monitoring capability will also strengthen the enforcement of
sanctions, because it will act as a deterrent to potential violations. That also sets the ground for obtaining the
cooperation of States in complying with the sanctions.
Finally, the report says, another
important issue is the status of the mechanism’s recommendations presented in
December 2000. The consideration and
further implementation of those recommendations by the Security Council will
enable the Member States to take appropriate action to address the situation,
for the better enforcement of the sanctions.
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