S/PV.2709 Security Council

I should like at the outset of this meeting to pay a tribute on behalf of the Council to His Excellency Mr. Aleaksandr Mikhailovich Belonogov, Permanent Representative of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to the United Nations, for his service as President of the Security Council for the month of September. I am sure I speak for all members in expressing deep appreciation to Ambassador Belonogov for the great diplomatic skill with which he conducted the Council’s bueiness last month. AUOPTION OF TBK AGENDA The agenda was adopted. TBB SITUATION BETWEEN IRAN AND IRA8 LB’iTER DATED 30 SEPTEMRER 1966 FROM TRE PBRMANEW REPRRSEVl'ATIVES OF IRAQ, JORDAN, KUWAIT, MORtXCO, SAUDI ARABIA, TUNISIA AND YEMEN TO THE UNITED NATIONS ADDRESSED TO TttB PRESIDEt?i' OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL (S/18372)

I should like to inform merPber6 of the Council that I have received letters from the representatives of Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Kotccco, Oman, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Tunisia and Zambia, in which they request to be invited to participate in the discussion of the item on the Council’s agenda. In conformity with the usual practice, I propose, with the consent of the Council, to invite those representatives to “< participate in the discussion, without the right to vote, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter and rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules There being no objection, it is so decided. At the invitation of the President, Kr. nain (Iraq) took a place et the Council table) Hr. Abdel Meguid (Dgypt), Mr. &leh (Jo&m), Hr. Abulhasan (Rweit), MS. Aleoui (M~occo), Mr. Al-Anai (m), Mr. Rebenda (mmde)r Hr. Shihebi (Ssudi Arabia), Mr. 8erre (Senegal), Mr. 8ouairi (SUnisis) and Hr. Mwmanshiku (Zambia) toak the plaoee reserved for them at the side of the Co~cil Cheer. The PRESIDRJT (tntetpretsrtim from Ar&iu)t I should like to inform metiers of the Council that I have received a letter dated 3 October 1966 fran the PBIIPMent Representative of Qlan to the United Nations, which reedm as follawst .‘fn my capacity as Chairman of the Arab Group fos the amth of October 2366, I have the hamur tp request you to invite Mr. Parouk Ka&louni, Chief of the Political Oepartment of the Palestine tiberatia, Ocgm~ti~~ m Participate in the Securiey C4nincil~s meetings ti umsldec the item entitled 'The eitmticn betueen Iran and Iraq’, in cmformity with the Council’8 Usual prwtia3.~ That letter will be circubted a% documnt s/lO377. The prop~al by apan io not mde pursuant to rule 37 or rule 39 Of the PrWiaiaal rules of procredrre of the Security Council, but if agprwed by the Council the invitstian to partici~te in the d&ate would oanfer cm the Palestine Liberaticm Organizstiar the %em right% of participation a% those conferred on We*ar Statea *en invitfd to participte pumuant to rule 37. -6 any mmber of the Counoil wish co speak QI this proposal? Mr. - -“I. 1-4~~ ~&-~-no ti~4-1. ok *me& %@tqnhae aon8LteiltiY \U.&WY "W m-w -a .-m-m-, I taken the aeitiar that mder the provieiaral rules of procedure of the Security Council the only legal basis on rrhich the Council my grant a hearing to PaSOw speaking on behalf of non-government41 entities is rule 39. RN 39 years the (Mr. Okun, United States) Unitad Stat08 has supported a gonerour lntetptotatlon of rula 39, and would certainly not objaat had this matter baon raiaad under that rule. We are, ix5u8vers oppomd to epacial ad hem departures froa orderly procedure. The united States, consaquently, opuses extending to tha Palestine tibaratlon Organlaatlon the raraa righta to participate in the proaeedinga of the Sawrity Council aa if that OrganitatiOn rep~asentod a UaWb#t State Of the United Nations. We certainly beliewe in lietening to all points of oiew, but nona of that requiter violating tha ruler. In particu&r, the United State8 f&as not agree with the recant praetioe of tha Bamrity Counail, which appaara selaatiwely to try to enhanae the prestige of tbosa who wiah to epak in the Counail tbrough a dapatture from the ruler of procadure. we aonaider thie opaoial prmtiae to ISI without legal foumdatlon and to constitute an abusa of the rulea. For those remonsI the United Statea tegueste that the terms of the proposed invitation ba put to the vote. Of caurae, the United statea will vote againat the P-P=@l. The PPESIDEMT (interpretation from Arabia): If no other maabet of tha Ceunail wiehaa to spark at thio stage, I ehall take It that the Council la ready to vote on the propoual by Oman. It IS 60 added. A vote wee taken by ehcm of hands. In favour: Bulgaria, China, Congo, Chana, Madagaucar, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, onion of Soviet Btxlallet liepu~llae, Dnlted Arab mniratee, veneauela Againeta United States of Amrice Abetainlnqr Auetsalla, Denmark, Prance, United Kingdom of Great Erltaln and Northern Ireland The PlUMDENT ($nterpteUtim from Arabia)r The r&ault of the voting im &a follobmr lo votas in fNOur, la~ilmt urd4 Jutrrtiona. The pro-al ha@ tlrerefote bwn 8dopted. At the invitatian of the PteciQnt, MC. ae&oumI (Palestine tibaratiar Orqtmisaticm) took a plaue at the aide of the Comdl ChalbW- The pRmlr,B4T: --- I should lika to inform nwkmrs of the Council that I have received a letter datid 2 Chtdmr 1966 from the hrmanent mptwmnntstive Of Q8an to the UIitrd bbtiaro, vhich reada ea follawet “In my uagaoity as Chairman of the Arab Group at the mited Nation8 for the parth Of October 1986, I have the h-our to request that the Security Comcil, during its diecussion of the item entitled ‘The situation between Iran and Ima’, currently QI its agenda, extend an invitation to His eSrcellmuy Hr. Chedli R1 ibi, Q~etacy-General of the League of Arab Statesr to participmte, under rule 39 of the pravi6imal rules of pro4miure.” That Letter bee been iemmd at8 (boumemt S/16379. If I hear no objeotiar, I ohs11 take it that the Council agrees to extend an irritation b Hr. Klibi mder rule 39 of its provisimal rules of procedure. There being no ob)action, it ie so decided. The &~~rity Courcil vi11 nov begin consideration of the item on its agenda. The @-ify Council is meeting today in response to the request contained in a letter dmted 30 Segtetier 1966 fran the Permanent Representatives of Iraq, Jot&n, Iluvait, blorOcoo, Saudi Arabia, l¶mLia and Yemen m the United Natiam addressed to the President of the &murity Couroil. That letter is curtained in document S/&3372. I vish to draw the attention of maexe of the Council m &cummt S/l6376, &iQ oantaine the text of a letter dated 2 October 1966 fraat the Permanent m~esentative of the Ielemio irepublic of Iran b the Wnited Natiane addressed to the sscretary-General. The Becretary~nersl wishto make 8 statement, and I oall cm him. The SECRETARY-GBNERhLr The extent and Bepth of lnternationel alarm over the continuation of the bloody ccmfliat between Iran and Iraq into ite 8eventh year have been eofdent fton nmeroua strtemente in the General Aeeembly an8 are undermored by the Seuurity Counail~s t9eai8iOn to meet today. The w4kr.l devastation in lives and in msterisl terns is known above all to the tvo peaplerP that muat bear thorn 108eee, but it ha8 also caused deep diatrese beyond their bordere. The oarnege alone WC&&¶ be Sufficient cause for the repeated crppealo for an end to this deotrwtive war. But, further, the international Murnity ha6 a legitimate conaern over the dengero of the expansion of the boundaries of the conflict, which could bring unprediatable and perhaps uncontrollable aonaequencea. Thtr meeting of the Security Council tskee on epeeaial significance because of thio year.8 military ogerationa. The sharp eecalstion in attmks on oaawraial vemels from third uountriee and the widening area in whiah they occur are mraeived by neighbouring state8 in particular am threat6 to rwurity in their Legion, with potential re~rcuuionfh whiah could draw in Powers from beyond. Iran’6 dealwed intention to launtzh mether major offensive to bring a military aomlusion to the aonflict giver renewed urgenay to the eituetion. The Caunail im aware that, with its support, I have rparetl no effort to bring thi6 confliat to an end. Sme of my initiatives heve dealt with hununitarian ampeats under international inetrumento deeigned to mitigate IO&C, of the worst featuree of warfare. ~11 suah sovee are aimed at one goal - the early aeesation of hostilities and an advanae towards negotiationa. The eight-point plan that I pro&msed to the two parties laet year envfeuged a step-by-step approach tamrds that end. Unfortunately, it is evident now that 80 far those efforts have not achieved substantive progress tovarde the intended goal - the ending of the var. The vital Queotion, of course, is what new effortsi can be @plOyad to 8:MUP8 8 mgotiated settlement. Six re8olutiona of the security Council remain a6 part 012 the Pec0ta, without satisf8ctory implementation. Iraq hm stated that it ia willing to comply with all of them. Iran has indicated that it ie not prepared to eccept them, on the ground that the Cou~pcil haa not dealt with Iran'6 fUndaBenta~ grievances. I have repeatedly urged Iran to peerent ito uaee to the Council. I did 6o again as recently ata yesterday. The Counoil will reoall that after my talk8 in -Mad and Tehrm last year I reported on the position of the two parties, ineluding ~rsn@e complaint8 towards tha Council, whioh aLe oited by im Goverwmt as the reason for its di8tMCing itself tram the Council. Since then both parties have made dWlaPatiOM of PolieY which are in the knowledge of Couucil members. Nevertheleee, I would, of awtae, undertake a new assueazwnt if the Counoil so wished. I feel, howewer, in oiew of repeated raquests ftoa many quarters thst 2 take new initiatives to end the war, that it hm becme iwreaoingly necessary for the Swurity Couwil to eatablirh a bade upon which tmth sides will find it pordble to extend their cc-operation to the united Hations in dealing with the threat to W3ionrrl and internstioral pawe and recurity and to prorote ths pro#peaU for a settlement. POP my part, I remain at the Council~s dieposal and will unstintingly attenpt to aarry out its wiehee to the extent that the two ststeo facilitate Ipy l ndenvoure . Phe PRBSIl7BUfr The firat speaker ie MP. Chedli alibi, seuretary4eneral of the League of Arab Btates, whom I invite to take a place at the Council table rind to make his statement. #r. ELZBI iinterpretatia, ftoc At&icr)s I petwmally wish warmly tr, thank your Sk, and through you tooxtmdmywac~~t thank= to theCourcfi for bohg rllcwed to speak an the vat batwren IKM and ~rw. Iuelarw the fiat that you are pesibhg aper theCorwoil fat thtamti0 sir. ‘W acofamiltac with your wiadomandgramtexperien~. You8blytepreaenta freta i%J ~Nsi&.b, , the WW3AtubBairrat~, rtrichhas ae& muny efforta to put an and to r'bC cA..&ci !i?%, in Ireaping with Lnvsrnatiaml law. (Hr. Rlibi) The Security Council ir meting today to remme consideration ot Iran’I3 Continued l ggteesion against Iraqi territory, and the renewed threats by Iran to launch snothor wide-scale attmk on Irau. That is 6 very aerioue threat to the maturity of tha region an6 international peace and security. The Couuittee of Seven, whioh is part of the League of Arab State8 and which ie closely fcllowing the develmente in the Iran-Iraq war, has asked the Security Council to remme its consideration of this explosive situation because it is aware Of the dangers to that nerve centre of the world and because it believes that the international carunity vi11 sincerely, firmly and effectively ehoulder ite rerponrribilitiee to aohieve peace in the world. Iran is determined to aontinue tbi6 deadly war an6 io deaf to all intesmtional initiativea on all eidecr designed to put an end to the conflict. *hat is 8 mermuo ohallenge to the international camsunity and to the international Organisation. 1raV~ defium ir al00 clear from it8 refueal to abide by Security Council reeolution 682 (1966), in particular paragraph 3, in which the Council abllo upon Iran 8nd Iraa to obsmve an imediate eeaee-fire, a oeseatim of all hostilities on land, 8t 8ea and in the air and withdraval of all forcer to tb internationally recognired boundaries without delay’. (ceeolution 562 (1986), pars. 3) fR magraph 9 of the remlution, the Council MQecta of the Walls upon botb parties to eutmit immdiately all oonfliat to madiation or to any other meam of peaceful eettlemnt of A 4 maA..-. “r-w-c’- . d--l..b4- an9 finn&t %r=. 5) ,---e--a-.. S-B ,-s-v,, = I already had an opportunity of &sting in the Security Cauncil, at ito in keeping with it6 meting on 18 Pebruery 1996, that the League of Atab Ststee, responsibilities to the Arab nation and the internetionat cmmz!u,.lty and in keeping with it8 chtlttef, has always, at all levels, supported efforts to achieve a (Hr. Rlibi) pesaful and just eettlermt of the canflict that would rwpact the legitiwte right9 of both partits and would conform with the requiremanta of harmany and cmopetatiw that flaw frcm the principle8 of goob-neighbourlineas m0 autuel advantage. Rx that reason, aad because of the egscial inprtanw that we attach to the SecuriW Comcil% role, we believe that at this eerie6 of meetings (ehe Ca~rcil should go beyond the stage of speeches and hi*-reading words and should very quidrly agree on effeative actions und the LPplelrertstion thereof. Article 2, paragra* 3 of the Charter prwides that Vll M&are &all aektle their intcrnatiarel dise,tes by pemeful aems in Bud, a manner tbat intbrnationel poem and aecur ity , and juotia, are not awlangered”. Ttiefbre, the international ao8muaity and all pssa-laring forma Uwoughout the wald have the right to ask that happens if a morber of the thited Nation6 Uoeo not dd6 by that prinuiple, and what should be done in the partiwlar case *; *he ccntinuing war ktueen Iran and It-, shidh ie oeuoing dwcch end dceohtim endo in addition, l eriouoly threatening inteknational paa and eecurily. W, belime that it io higr tiae far the ~scurity courcil to irplement the praPieim6 of Chapter VI of the Charter regarding the gsaaful wttlant of disputes, in particular Articles 33 (21, 34, 36 (1) ad 37 (2). If, however~ tJw Corpnoil’e efforts Q not sahieve the desired results, the intetaatimal aomunity, as tepteamtad in the Seourity Comcil , should not baaas cliscoutaged but should continue to &wl&r ita responoibili~ for the maintenmoe of international p9aoe The Qjpst i~w of the 6eaond -cl6 Mar, whi& c~~eed unwld suffering to m6nkLpd, pr~gted the drafters 02 We Charter to call en tie klternatlanal (Mr. Klibi) 42ammity to fbtand together and ao-ortUnate its effortc to prevent the use of faae in inter-state relaticns. We all ItnaJ that war i8 not the ideal way of nettling pr*lains between sbtas. Indeed, it can be said that war io the waet of ahoiaes, ewen when in appears to be the only me. In the aaee before the Council nau, one of the two parties constantly detmnstrstee ita willingress to solve the problem quicklYr Within the ftamwork of the tlhited Natiam. I am of oourae rekrring to Ir4. Them ie no political, military a maal juatificatim fos aartinulng this WM# whia ham already lasted langat than the Semnd mkxld War and whose prolongation aan ably BOW mme dmth and desoktian in both mmtrier, and make it impossible for either of ther to &vow its effort8 tD development emd bringing an end to mder developnent . l@0 an0 u8n doubt that the continuaticm of thie aonfliat will threaten the seaurity of the regiar and, at the mum timet, the eamomia intore tr of the hternetimal abnunity. There ie merefore a risk of the internatiamlisatim of the acnfl?at. That would oorely test internatiaml peaae and seauriQ. That i8 why we believe that the internatimal aoaunity hea tie duQ tro take *tovet sation is neaeeeary now, befae it ir too late@ to pit an end to the h~kilitiea and timreby lay the grounbork for a juet oettlenmmt under thited i&tione supervisim. The Security Counuil, na# more than ever befare. must emmine the aonfliet between Iran mb rrag ae a t&de, ae a prableo related to pmaae in the wald and affecthg the in~rnatiuml anunity ae I whole. En this ataaegbete of hmtilities, we have to mmke a choke between e wald $fuverned by chaoe, by the rule that might make right and by aggretmim - where the supreme values of unkind would be plmed in jeopardy - and a wald in Jlich the veluee urd principlea amtained in the cbert-- of our mganiasticm are r=pected. (Hr. RlibP) A# far a8 We in the Arab nation ace ameerned, wo have alwayr uhori&md intamationrl lw - whatever the sactitiaes and eufferlng tnvd,ve&. That ie why wo hmo h&i cecouc8a to the dtecurity Ceuncil, in an offort to put an end to this coni!lfct. We ue cmvincad that the Coumcril wflr spare no offort to enuure that the ~rne 60 ardently desired is ectabliuhsd. (Ht. Rlibi) The conflict betueon Iran and Iraq her entered it8 rwentb yeare wbioh is an indication of the level of l ufforing both peoploo have endured. Onm again, tbmrefore, we call upon tin leaders of Iran to give a fawurable rerpnre to the appeals of the international aoammity, to put an end to the blmdehed and to enter an a new QIUOO that will return peace to the region and diwert the energies of both cuuntrieo to the aetvice of development and national reconstrwtion. we urge the two klligerent patties to teatam their effort8 for the l nriohment of rrorld civilisation and add lustre to their oultural heritage. The PRESIIn?!WP (interpretation from Arabic)2 I thenk Hr. Alibi for the kind worda be addreaaed to me. The next aporker im the DIputy Prime Hinieter afal ninioter for Borefgn Affairs of Iraq, upon whom I mw aall. Hr. AEI% (Iraq)(interpretation from Arabic): Allow m to extend to you, WI. President, and through you to the other auhrm of the Council, our tkanka Lot having acceded to our request to participate in tbia meeting. In oiew of your well-knoun vi&lam ati l sperieme, I am confident that urder your leader8bip the mtingr of the Council will deal both seriously ad effautively uith the tapio of which it is aeiaed. Today, ue a*e once again here to diacuaa the confliot betwean Iran and Iraq at tbe request of the Comittee of the League of Arab Statee entrurted with following the dewelqment of ths war betwe~~n Iran and Iraq. Seven ncmtba after the Council*13 discuaoion of thio eem iaaue following a oimilar request after the invasion of the mouth of Itasw on the night of P-10 Pemuary of thie year and the mbmquent Dccupation by tran of the Iraqi port of Al Paw, we have to discuae the situation yet again. I met remind mmbero that Iraq hao drawn the Council*s attention to the fact that the Iranian invasion not only conetituted a dmgerouo sacalation of the (Hr. A818, Iraq) situeion in the area but ale0 &3cm8tr6tad smfsral facta mdexplsined MYOf the rOdititWt of the situation an& the evabtE Of the paot 8aW1b yoata. The Irenian rdgime has used in relath to that eggresmiar phrasea such au .‘the liberation of xr& and ha8 thteaabned the Arab Gulf States, &mUding that they Wea1 with the inv85ian farcee as with a new nJ@bouP. Thus the aqgresrion mb the expsnriarbt tendency of the ftankn dgiu heve baen laid bate. Me have always drawn attention to that paeture and made it clear that the purpae of the Iranian rlgim’e continued occrupstia, of Iraq soil, ~~tfa~lerly the regiar adjaant to the <Dulf, ie the croaticn of 8 nev military, pclitical nd scanaria eituation in the regiar that ~uld make it possble for that rig&e TV plrsw its grpmsionist atie. Those ~ety aim8 uue the prinolpal teasfa the outbreak of war on 4 Septe*u 1980 and we the roast it oontinuee to tbie day. The Soaurity Council &bated the queaticn for awere daya. In Ue course of that dbmmsion it rJtoratod yet again that the situetion rut be dealt with in aacmSenaa with the cbartar, *g rubm of inter~thml law Ma the nams of inturnatimal bahaviour. we poinml out the futili~ of aelective aa puti oolutiane. fQ6 al80 etrwrsd the dubgum inhuent in diverting our effort&i froS the focal point of the prablfmt namely, the necessity of patting en aa to the war acCOrding to M interMtic@IoLly agreed proco&ro. In the meanthe, the Iranian r&icarthued t0 wage a uu of aggressian that has thr-tarea the -fety and security not only oP Ir4 but of all the other States in the region bar the pout six years, a08pit0 all the efforte at eppeasomcnt. The outipe of the council~a diaroueeiaio wee the uwnisouu a&kicm of resolution 582 (1986), on 21 Fekuary of thie year. mat rmolutian VBQ not based cm WI Iraqi or Arab-spnecred draft. The Cauncil tiotmlated reaoLutiar 592 (199@ free frae the influence of either of the gutiea to the dirpprte 6nd it wa8i drafted in tire convictian that a coaipzeheneive Pramswork for the peaceful eettlmnt 00 (Mr. Asia, Iraq) the dispute should take into account the right8 and intrreoto of both parties, in accordance with the United Natione Charter ard the noru of international law governing relation0 between States. Although resolution 583 (19861 did not satisfy all the requirements of Iraq, we l tatu9 our readiness to co-operate with the Counrril in illplementing it, in good faith and on the basis of a olear underotatiing of its focal points, QrOVided the Iranian r6gime also made a formal pledge to accept it and implement it umonUiti*nally and in good faith. The Iranian r&ime, ae members know, refused to apply rerolution 582 (1986) and ha6 claimed that it amunte to an endowment by the Security Council of the military option. The spokesmen for the Iranian rdgime have waged a fierce cmign in favour of continuing the war on the beaie of what they call a l divine duty" to liberate the Irecji people. They now declare openly and arrogantly that they are preparing for yet another invasion of Iraq to carry out that ao-called duty. Since Beptember they have been carrying out a eerie8 of oilitery attacko egainet Iraq, stating that l uch a&ion@ are merely a prelude to what they refer to aa a final an4 deeiaive #trike. Portunately, all such attacks have been apuedily and effectively crushed. In Artiale 24 of the United Nations Charter the Statem Membere of the Organi%ation clearly l ntrUtat the Security Counail with the primary ree~naibility for the maintenance of international peace and eecurity end agrae that in carrying out ite dutiee in acoordance with that reepomibility the Security Comai aote on their behalf in conformity with the purpoeer and principles of the United Nation8 Cberter. we had hoped that SecuriW Council resolution 582 (1986) - adopted unanimuely and, ae I have eaid, independently of any influence exerted by either of the two partieta to the conflict - would meet with eppeov~l and that ita adoption would be followed by implementation. This, however, hao not 80 far &en the caee (Hr. Asin, Iraq) owing tu the clear rrlwtanue to put the o&s of rerponmibility for continuing ~Jw war on Iran. This ir th 10~0 regrettable in that tba council ha0 been able to identify the errential bifferanaeo which distinguished the poeitiono of the two parties over the part 01x yearo and ha8 become well awaro of the differewes in tha poritime they have taken with regard to the questions of security and etabifltty in Um re9ion. (Mr. hats, Yraq) -_ Equality ia tetas of State sovereignty mane equality not only in rights but also in shou2dering the obligationo imposed by the Charter and international law. For the first tiaa in thic Organisation's hietory, the Iranian rdgime has declared that the ailitery option is the only means of solving a dispute with a fellow Member of the united Nation% It insists on th& course,, diuregarding all legal an8 moral obligations. The franian dgime ha6 rejeoted thio Counoil*s msndate as provided in the Charter; it ha6 treated ths Council’s resolutions with contempt an8 adopted an opportunistic approach in the search for peace, seeking only to serve its own plans to pmrpetuete the war and daainate Iraa and other countries of the region. The Iranian r&ihss adopted a selective approsch to the Unftetl Natiocc Charter and intetnationel 2awr it aacepta only what serves its oran selfish interests and its aim of aontinuing the war , and rejeckr those provisions that call for peace8 jUstia0, respeat for sovereignty, good-neighbourliness, non-interfereme in the internal affair8 of other Staten, and renunaiation of the conceptc of hegemony, violenae, terrorism and aggreeeion. In my otateaent to the General Aesembly on 29 September I exponed the lies the Iranian r&girae is using to justify its abnormal etand. I have also explained the propoaale we have put to it over the paet si% yearo here in the Security CounciP, in the general Assembly and bt metinge of the Nob-Aligned Movement, propoea2~ oalling on that r&g&i to accept tha mandate anb arbitration of the international uxnnunity, of the internation orgenisatioas and of the rules of international \- e-n. Bt’t tkit :&iE haa tuZi& 5 Z&f 61C CC& *E6i&i;ea' with ite prewaricaiione and with the flimsy pretext8 it trlea to ume to enplain it8 abnormal stand and its Pneistence on continuing the waf. All the propooalm that we have put forward during the yeare of the conflict have haen baseU on our acceptance of the (Mr. Asia, Iraq) Security Council”s m&late to eolve the diepute anb our reedineee to eettle it by peaceful mane, in acmrdance with the Charter and the ouler of international law, on ceopect for sovereignty and for the right of each and every people to choose ite own political and eoaial 8ystermr. The eeeential difference between the two pooitione of the pactiee to the conflict io very clear in their rtance on the gueotion of roaurity and etability in the area. Representativea must be well aware thet all the countrier of the mea have now been coqGaining for several years about the approach adopted by the Iranian r&inm, which ie derigned to dertsbilise the whole region. Let us not forget that Security Council resolution 552 (1981) was adopted a8 a reeult of the complaint to the Council by the States of the Gulf Co-operation Council against the Iranian r6gime for itu acts of aggreeeion against comercial vereele heading for port8 of the countries of the area* and let urn beer in mind the etrtemente made by thou, stateta in Hatoh and August of thie year. The eeeential differenuea between tha position6 of Iraq and the Iranian rbgime -d no further danetration in the Council; they have &ma only tso ohm’, ad all the mmbere of the Couneil are well aware of them. on the basis of the experience of over rin yearnI all the mambers know full well that the only obetacle to a just end honourable peace that would safeguard the righte cur113 intweet of the two partiee in eccordance with the provisions of the United Iatione Charter and the PUler Of international law governing the relationehip among 9btee has always been the abnormal etand adopted by the Iranian r&&to, which im in total contradiction In view of iche foregoing obaervatione , the council should not md ;aurt not remain csilent or adopt a neutral attitude towards the two positions adopted: the poeition of a country which accept8 the Council’s mandate and believes in the Unitad FJatiom Charter and it8 prinaipleu; and that of a aountry which rejwts the Counail~r mandate and resolutionrr, treats the Organiestion with conteq% uws it5 toetmm for the purposes of lies, prevarication and deceit in order to be able to continue the war, and endsnger5 the stability and 5ecurity of the area in its purruenae of apenly eggtensive and errpaneionist aims. It is not only a moral but also Q legal obligation impomtl by the Charter on the Council and on both the parties to the dicputo to conduct the discusaionc in th5 Courulil on the contliat between fraq and Iran on the baeia of a clear awareneee of tbae differencea between the pooitiome taken by Iraq on the one hati and lrsn on the other. To adopt that approach does not mean the Council is taking sides, for whoever take8 the side of peace and wtxka seriously to whieve peace ir wrely taking the ride of the Laerter, and upholding its provisions and tise suthorfty of the organisation. Only thuo can the Council fulfil the rerponeibility for ending the war that the international caanunlty h55 so often called upon it to ehculder, for immnce, at the crurnit Conference held at Earare , Zimbabwe, at the beginning of September, and in the general debate at the aurremt eeeeion of the General AsmPrbly. The international mmumity 50 a whole, and the Statec which hewe requested the Council to aon5ider the lpatter on thLe ocaasion, have a right to as11 upon the Council to intensify ite ef forte to bring about peme. We a811 upon the Council today - and we have a right to do 90 08 a foudbng nember of the United Nationa - to aaeume the reoponeibility of l~@eauatl~g kho rowiutionis Eosr p6~e tk~t a- E-W ---=-- 4b r-= -Am*pd in the intorsota of peace ad in aaaordance with the United Natione Charter. If it dcee 98, ‘we can justify to our people - which he61 been heroically etaruling up to Iranian expaaeioniok ayy~eoolou for eix yeare in defence of its indctpendsnce md eoverelgnty, and yet ha8 been klll1in.g to extend tha hand of peace once more - the Councilge existence, the ~ffectiveneee of the Chaeter and the need to truat the United Nations. On thie occasion Z should like to affirm once again our readinelrs to ~co-aprate with the Council in reaching a just, corpreheneive and parmanent mettlemnt of the dispute. I should &IO like to reaffirm Iraq’s appreciation for the efforta of the IUnited Nation8 Secretary-General and our readinees new, a6 in the pest, to ecperate with him to facilitate his task of teeching the goal that we all derire, ‘nwly, a cos#prehenoiQe, just snd lasting peace. The PFtESIDe~ (interpretstim from Arabic): I thank the Deputy Prime ,Uinitater and Minirter for Foreign Affair0 of Iraq for the kind worde he addressed The next speaker is the Deputy Poime Mini&X and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Egypt, blr. Ahpea BeprsC, Abdel Meguid. I welcaae him to the Council, invite him to take a plwe at the Coundl table and to mke his statement. Pfr. ABDEL MJXUID (Egypt) (interpretation fcom Arabic) i I ehould like firat to congratulate you sincerely, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for the month of October. The Egyptian delegation is happy to ae the representative of the United Arab Emirate8 , a sister country, occupying the Chair. I am absolutely convinced that your great competence ie a guarantee of the aucceas of the Couneil*s deliberations. I wish also to congratulate your predeoessor, Ambassador Belonogov, on the highly skilled way in vhich he conducted the Council’s work last month. De vas for a long time the Ambassador of the Soviet Union in Cairo. The Seourity Council hae often met to consider the armed conflict between Iraq awl Iran and Das adopted a number of resolutions on the subject, the most recent being Security Council reaoluticn 582 (19861, vhich vas adopted unanimously on 24 February 1986 and vhich contains all the elements of a juot and lasting settlement of the conflict, The resolution calls for an inmediate cease-fire, a ceseation of all hostilities on land, at sea and in the air and vithdraval of all forces to the internationally reuognized boundaries vithout delay. It also calls upon the tvo parties to submit iamaediately all aspects of the conflict to diation or to any other means of peaceful settlement of disputes, aru¶ requeats the Secretary-General to continue hie ongoing effort8 to assist the tvu parties to give effect to the resolution. A few months have elapsad since the adoption of that resolution but the situation remaine escplosive and nev threats are constantly being made that a large-scale military attack is to be launched against 2raa. Them meetings of the security Council have been convened to consider this very dangerous situation. (Mr. Abdel Haguid, Egypt) It is regrettable that the security council resolutions have so far had no effect while the Iran-Iraq conflict is in its seventh year and the blood of those two neighbouring Muslim peoples, so claaely bomd by their religious beliefs, aontlnues b3 flew. The media report every day not only a resumpticn and intensification of hcstilities, which take a heavy toll of life and cause rmch laaterial damage, but also bellicoee declarations that there will be ney acta of aggression despite the appeals of this organizaticn. The consepuenoss of the conflict between I rag and Iran have spilled over the borders of these two countries and into the entire Gulf regim. It is now clear that the economic and security interests of the regicm, the world in general are threatened. Speakers at previous Council meetings have emphasized the seriousness of this explosive situatiar and urged the Security Council, tie supreme organ charged with uaintsining internstiunal peace and security, to shoulder its responsibilities under the Charter. We assure those speakers that Egypt shares their great cacern at the wasming of the ccmflict, which means that we must all rebuble our efforts et all lsuels to put ty) end to the conflict. Efforts to this end have been dragging a~ for more than six year5 now withmt any progreee, but we must not be discouraged ana must continue our efforts ro bring about a peaceful settlement of the conflict and re-establish peace, security and stability throughout the Wlf r-ion. Ever since the outbresk of war between Iran and Iraq, @ypt has taken a Clear, consistent and public positicnr it deplores the shedding of the blood by the two PeOPleS and the draining of their precious economic fesourcles, anti asus disc prudence and mderation be shown to bring about 8~ climate cmducive to the Solu’-ion Of thfe prablm by peaceful means. (Ht. Abdel &quid, Egypt) Egypt has also given a varning against the opreading of this military confrontation to the entire region , a situation which Egypt could not tolerate. Egypt has never spared any effort, here in the United Nations or outside it, within the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries , the Organisation of the Islamic Conference or in the framework of its bilateral contacts, to aobilize all effort8 to bring about a pe8CefUl settlement of the conflict, which would re8tore the rights cf those propprlVV entitled to them with full respect for the basic principles of international laWI the United Nations Charter, the Non-Aligned Movement and the Organization of the Ielamic Conference , and, above all, the right of each Stat@ to independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and to non-interference in its interhal affairs. Egypt has reaffirmed its position by subscribing to all the resolutions adopted by the Security Council and the General Assembly in connection with the Irag-Iran COnflict, and to the decisions adopted by the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries and the Organization of the Islamic Conference. Today, we again ask that the content of these resolutions and trre element6 of a just, comprehensive en8 lasting eettlenwnt of the conflict eet out therein be respected. Egypt fully endorses the sustained efforts being made by the Secretary-General and asks him to continue his contacts vith the tvo partiee in order to reach the desired objective. We listened to the statement made by the Deputy Prima Minister and Minister for Poreign Affairs of Iraq, who said that his country is anxious to put an end to this lethal war and that it ie the sincere wish of Iran to respond to any initiative, whether within this Organization or outside it, to put an end to the bloody, lethal conflict, and to have recourse to the principles of international (Hr. Abdel Meguid, Egypt) law to reach a settlement by peaceful means. Furthermore, Iraq has made peace offer6 to the Iranian authorities. In fact, last August the President of Iraq, Mr. Saddam Rurssein, sent them a letter setting out the essential principles of a comprehensive settlement of the conflict by peaceful q ean6. Iraa has therefore taken initiatives and made proposals to ease the burden of war. In 1983 Iraa proposed the conclusion of a special agreement between itself and Iran, under the auepicea of the united NatiOnBe not to attack civilian targete. The Iraqi Government also welcomed favourably the appeal of the Secretary-General that no attacks be made on civilian targets, and permanent observers of the United Nation8 and a epeoial miesion of inquiry into the conditions of detention of prisonera of war were welcomed in Baghdad. Neverthelese, Iran is still unwilling to respond to the efforta being made by the international community and ie boycotting the Security Council, stepping up ite attacks and continuing to occupy Iraqi land, thus violating international law, the united Nations Charter and the principlea of the Non-Aligned Movement and the Organieation of the Islamic Conference. In conclusion, it ie high time for Iran to review and to reconsider ite position and respond to the desire expreseed by ftaa eince the beginning of the conflict that it be ended. I wish to aeeociate myself with all thoee who have alresdy asked the Security Council to adopt all possible measures likely to result in the implementation Of re~lutitms previously adopted by the Council on the ending of the armed conflict between Iran and Irag, antl above all resolution 582 (1986). The PRESIDEtW (interpretation from Arab&)X I thank the Deputy Prime Minister and Ministot for Foreign Affairs of Egypt for the kind words he addtesbed to me. In view of the lateness of the hour, I intend to adjourn the meeting now. The next meeting of the Security Council to continue consideration of the item on the agenda will take place at 3.30 this afternoon. The meeting rose at 1 p.m.