S/PV.2247 Security Council

I appreciate the opportunity to make a brief statement to the Council, summarizing developments at the United Nations in the last few days as regards the conflict between Iran and Iraq. 1. Adoption of the agenda 2. The situation between Iran and Iraq The meeting was called to-order at 7.25 p.m. 6. Ever since the first clashes, I have followed the developments with deep concern. On Monday, 22 September, I appealed to the parties to put an end to the fighting and+&’ ,make every possible effort to settle their differences by negotiation. On the same day, through the representatives of the two Governments at the United Nations, I offered my good offices, should the parties feel that this might be of use in settling their differences. Adoption of the agenda 3 The agenda was adopted. . ‘. The situation betwken Iran and Iraq

I should like to inform the members of the Council that I have received a letter from the representative of Iraq, in which he requests to be invited to participate in the discussion of the item on the Council’s agenda. In accordance with the usual practice I propose, with the consent of the Council, to invite that representative to participate in the discussion, without the right to vote, in conformity with the relevant provisions of the Charter and rule 37 of the provisional rules of procedure. 7. On the following day, 23 September, I asked the President of the Security Council to arrange for consultations of the Council at the earliest possible time in view of the escalation of the conflict [S/14196]. In consultations on the evening of 23 September, the Council agreed that you, Mr. President, should issue’ a statement expressing the concern of members of the Council, stating that the members of the Council welcomed and fully supported my appeal and the offer of my good offices, and appealing to the Governments of Iran and Iraq, as a first step towards a solution of the conflict, to desist from all armed activity and all acts that might worsen the present dangerous situation and to settle their dispute by peaceful means.’ -. At the invitation of the President, Mr. Kittani (Iraq) took a place at the Council table.

The Council is meeting today in response to a letter dated 26 September from the representatives of Mexico and Norway to the President of the Security Council. That letter is contained in document S/14198. a*- 8. On 24 September I addressed a written message [S/14193] to the Presidents of Iran and Iraq reiterating my previous appeal. I also attempted to contact them directly with a view to ascertaining the positions of both Governments with regard to the appeals which had been made to them. A special emissary of the Government of Iraq arrived in New York late on 24 September, and I have discussed the situation with him on several occasions since that time. I have also kept in touch with the Charge d’affaires of Iran as well as contacting the office of the President of Iran by -: .^A 3. I should like to draw the attention of the members of the Council to the following documents: S/14191 and S/14192, containing the texts of letters dated 22 and 24 September, from the Charge d’affaires ad interim of the Permanent Mission of Iraq, addressed, respectively, to the Secretary-General and to the President of the Security Council; S/l4193 and Corr.1, containing the text of a letter dated 24 September from the Sec- * .^ . _ * telephone. 10. Unfortunately, despite a!! these efforts, the fighting still continued and intensified. On 25 September, I therefore addressed a second letter [S//4197] to you, Mr. President, repeating that, in view of the fact that, in my opinion, the currentsituation was undoubtedly a threat to international peace and security, 1 felt obliged to suggest that the Security Council should consider the matter with the utmost urgency. On the evening of the same day, the representatives of Mexico and Norway requested a forma! ,meeting of the Council [S/14198]. 1 I. On the afternoon of 25 September, inembers of the Council and I were informed that the Islamic Conference would meet at the Foreign Ministerial level on the next day-that .is, today-to seek ways and means to assist in resolving the differences of the two Governments. Clearly ‘it was important that this valuable initiative should have every chance to succeed since it was in the spirit of the appeal to the two Governments addressed by you, Mr. President, on behalf of the members of the Security Council. It was therefore decided in consultations late last night that the forma! meeting of the Council should take place this afternoon after the Islamic Conference had met here ,at the United Nations in the earlier part of the day. I have been informed by the Secretary-Genera! of the Islamic Conference, Mr. Chatti, that the Conference will send a good-will ,mission to Iran and Iraq. Mr. Chatti stressed that this mission should be regarded as complementary to the efforts of the Council. I am gratified by this constructive initiative and I hope that the mission’s efforts will be successful. 12. Before I conclude this statement, I wish to express once again my deep concern at the escalation of this tragic conflict and my anxiety about the dangers which will inevitably arise from its further escaiation. I know that this concern is shared by a!! members of the Council. The Security Council is the organ of the United Nations with the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. The Council has to exercise that responsibility keeping I 13. In conclusion. Mr. President, I wish to pay “a warm tribute-to you for your own unremitting efforts in these last days and for your wise guidance of the Council in this very difficult situation. I wish to assure the Councii,,as we!! as the two Governments concerned, that,.for my part, I shall continue to do my utmost to be of assistance in finding a solution to this *very urgent and dangerous problem.

I thank the Secretary-Genera! for his kind words addressed to me personally. It is rather he who must be thanked for his continuous efforts to help us since the very beginning of this crisis.

Mr. President, because of the outstanding manner in which you have been presiding over the work of the Council, these words of welcome are no mere formality, but are a sincere expression of our appreciation for the skill and intelligence with which you have been conducting our deliberations at such a difficult time. We should also like to express our appreciation for the sureness -and wisdom with which Ambassador Futscher Pereira of Portugal presided over the work of the Council last month. 16. This meeting of the Council is being held at a particularly serious time, inasmuch as peace has in fact been breached in a region of the world which is already convulsed and potentially explosive. 17. At the moper time we shall express ourselves on the substance of the conflict. Now it is a matter of urgency to secure a commitment by the States so that, in accordance with the means provided for by the Charter, an immediate cessation of hostilities may be brought about on terms which will be just for both parties. 18. The delegation of Mexico, together with that of Norway, requested the convening of this forma! meeting of the Council because we believe that it is our duty as members of the international community decisively, to. promote the peaceful settlement of disputes; We consider it significant that the nonpermanent members of the Council that represent developing countries have granted us their moral endorsement of this meeting; 19. Of course, we have not been inactive. Since the outbreak of the conflict we have held informal consui- 29. The war between Iraq and Iran is a matter of the gravest concern to all of us:It threatens the stability of a very sensitive area of extreme importance to the entire world. The situation, therefore, clearly constitutes a serious threat to international peace and security. 30. Under the Charter, the Security Council has the responsibility for maintaining international peace and security. Norway, as a member of the Council, felt that, faced with an ongoing war, the Council had a duty to act. Mexico and Norway therefore joined in bringing the conflict before the Council. 2 1. .We also recognize the value of the efforts of both the countries of the non-aligned movement and of those of the Islamic Conference to bring about a cessation of this fratricidai war through mutual understanding between the parties. We consider that the Council should continue to promote that process of mediation and should in no way hinder it but we also feel that nothing can relieve this body of its primary responsibility in the maintenance of international peace and security. 31. Three days ago the President of the Council, on behalf of the members of the Council, appealed to the Governments of Iraq and Iran, as a first step, to desist from all armed activity and all acts that might worsen the situation. The Secretary-General has also made appeals’to the parties. Efforts have also ,been made by the Islamic Conference to find peaceful means to settle this conflict. 22. .By its very nature the Council ,provides the most appropriate forum for the opinion of States to be expressed and for the will of the international community to take shape on questions of particular importance or gravity. It is also a distinctive feature of the Council that, in accordance with its functions under the Charter, its deliberations should culminate, where appropriate, in decisions of a binding nature-not just in declarations or recommendations. 32. We highly appreciate those efforts and we note with d.eep regret that they have not succeeded in bringing an end to the hostilities. On the contrary, the fighting continues. In this situation Norway feels that the Council must act and discharge its responsibilities under the Charter. l ’ 23. We are confident that efforts to bring about a speedy and just settlement of the conflict will be entirely successful. 33. We believe that the Council, as a matter of highest urgency, s’hould adopt a resolution calling upon the ,Govemments of Iraq and Iran, as a first step and without prejudice to their positions, to take forthwith all measures for an immediate cease-fire and for the cessation of all military activities in the area. Furthermore, in its resolution the Council should call upon the Governments of Iraq and Iran ,immediately and concurrently with the cease-fire to initiate negotiations under appropriate auspices with a view to settling their dispute by peaceful means. 24. We hope that the urgent need to prevent further loss of life and mate&l damage in two fraternal nations will prevail over considerations of a strategic or economic nature. 25.. We urge the .parties to the conflict to heed the appeai of the United Nations and to act accordingly. We also urge all States to refrain from any action which might aggravate the present situation.

(interpretation from French): The next speaker is the representative of Iraq, I call on him. . 26. In any case, we must ensure respect for the essential principles of the Organization: the independence and territorial integrity of States, nonintervention, the peaceful settlement of disputes and the maintenance of peace. 35. Mr. I&TAN1 (Iraq): First of all, I wish to express to you, -Mr. President, and to the other members of the Council our ,deep gratitude and appreciation for having so graciously acceded to our request to.participate in this meeting. I should like to assure the Council that our request emanated from our deep attachment to international peace and security and from our respect for the United Nations and for the authority of the Council. f

Allow me at the outset, Mr. President, to congratulate you on your assumption of the presidency of the Council for this month. You have already demonstrated your great diplomatic skills and patience, combined with a firm hand. We are very confident seeing you in the Chair. ,-. : 36. We are very grateful to you, Mr. President, and to the Secretary-General in particular, for having brought the Council up to date on the various initiatives 28. At the same time, I wish to thank the retiring President, Ambassador Futscher Pereira of Portugal, 37. In order to supplement what has already been made clear and to show that we are willing and ready at all times to co-operate with any initiative for international peace and security, I wish first of all to read to the Council some excerpts from a statement issued earlier today by the Foreign Minister of Iraq in Baghdad. The Foreign Minister stated, inter &a: “Iraq emphasizes the principles of non-interference in the internal affairs of States, respect for their national sovereignty and concern for international peace and security. It has given many examples of its genuine belief in and attachment to those principles, both in words and in deeds. It has also done its best to establish relations of goodneighbourliness and friendship with Iran and endeavoured, through its contacts and statements of position, as well as through the repeated notes it has recently submitted, to make the Iranian regime listen to the voice of reason, accept those principles and adhere to them. “On the basis of these same principles, Iraq today reiterates its concern for peace in the world and the fact that it does not intend to continue the fighting at all if Iran acknowledges these principles and acts accordingly. “Iraq’s objective, as we have repeatedly stated, is the maintenance of its national rights, its honour, its territorial integrity and its sovereignty over its national waters. It categorically has no ambitions concerning Iran’s territory. All it aims at is: the acknowledgement by the Iranian regime of these rights; non-intervention in Iraq’s internal affairs; the establishment of lasting peace on our common border; and good-neighbourly relations. “Iraq appreciates the concern shown by many States throughout the world for security in this area and understands and shares their apprehension. For its part, Iraq wishes to make clear that it has a sense of responsibility towards the vital economic interests of all States, especially as regards oil. Iraq has played a responsible role regarding this matter over the past year. “With regard to the numerous proposals for mediation and good offices, the Iraqi Government “While welcoming efforts for the establishment of good relations on those bases, Iraq is acting in accordance with its sense of responsibility and out of a belief in the principles of non-alignment and the Charter of the United Nations, particularly now that it has proved its ability to defend its sovereignty and rights through military means, after all political means and the invocation of international law and custom had failed.” Those are the excerpts from my Foreign Minister’s statement earlier today that I wished to bring to the attention of this body. 38. There is one other matter I wish to bring to the attention of the Council. As the consideration of the matter in the Council proceeds, we have one request to make: if the Council is at any time going to move into substantive discussions of the conflict and perhaps consider draft resolutions that might be submitted offically to it, we would humbly request that an opportunity be given to our Government to present its case in full, through its Foreign Minister, who is willing and ready to come here when we inform him of the request of the Council or when we inform him that such substantive debate and consideration of draft resolutions is to take place. 39. 1 think this is a reasonable and fair request by any party to any dispute and I hope it will be accepted by the Council.

There are no other speakers. We shah thus continue our consideration of this question, bearing in mind the wish expressed by the Government of Iraq in the statement by its representative here today. The meeting rose at 8.00 p.m. NOTE I See Resolutions and Decisions qf the Security Council, 1980, Q. 23. ’ , HOW TO OBTAIN UNITED NATIONS PUBLiCATlONS United Nations publications may be obtained from bookstores and distributors throughout the world. Consult your bookstote or write to: United Nations. Sales Section. New York or Geneva. COMMENT SE PROCURER LES PUBLICATIONS DES NATIONS UNIES Les publications des Nations Unies sont en vente dans Ies librairies et ies agences d@ositaires du monde entier. lnformez-vous aupr6s de votre libraire ou adressez-vous a : Nations Unies. Section des writes. New York ou Get&e. . KASC HOJIY’IHTh H3JIAHHII OPl-AHH 3~x(SfSi OWhE~HHEHHMX HAIWR I -1. Hanam% Oprawf~asun 06ae~n~enubrx HauuR YOXXO KynHrb B KKH)I(Kbm mraakuiax H areHTCTaax a.0 acex paRoxax uxpa. HaBOnATe cnpaBKH 06 n3AaHHXX B Bafneu KRII~KHO~ rarasnfe wnf numuTe no affpecy: Opraxn3asnn 06zeAHxenxbfx HanuR. Cexqnn no nponaxce u3naxnR. Hbw-Hopit HRH Xexeaa. .’ COMO CONSECUIR PUEtLICACIONES DE LAS NAgON%- UNIDAS Las publicaciones de las Naciones Unidas est&n en vcnta en librertas y cams diitribuidotas en todas pattes de1 mtmdo. Con&e a su libtero o dirijase a: Naciones Unidas. Sccci6n de Ventas. Nueva York o Ginebra. . . L.itho in United Nations, New York ‘ao300 83-6146Z-October 1987-2.050