S/PV.3642 Security Council

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Security Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in the course of its prior consultations. I should like to draw the attention of the members of the Council to the following documents: S/1996/182, letter dated 9 March 1996 from the Executive Chairman of the Special Commission established by the Secretary-General pursuant to paragraph 9 (b) (i) of Security Council resolution 687 (1991) addressed to the President of the Security Council; S/1996/183, letter dated 12 March 1996 from the President of the Security Council addressed to the Executive Chairman of the Special Commission established by the Secretary-General pursuant to paragraph 9 (b) (i) of Security Council resolution 687 (1991); and S/1996/204, letter dated 17 March 1996 from the Permanent Representative of Iraq to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council, transmitting the text of a letter dated the same date from the Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq addressed to the President of the Security Council. Following consultations among members of the Security Council, I have been authorized to make the following statement on behalf of the Council: “The Security Council has noted with growing concern that the incident described in the letter of 9 March 1996 from the Executive Chairman of the Special Commission to the President of the Security Council (S/1996/182) and the further incident on 11 March 1996 in which an inspection team was again not allowed immediate and unconditional access to a site designated by the Commission under its resolution 687 (1991) were followed by further such incidents on 14 and 15 March 1996. In all of these cases access was subsequently granted only after unacceptable delays. “The Security Council reiterates its full support for the Special Commission in the conduct of its “The Security Council notes the letter of 17 March 1996 to its President from the Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq (S/1996/204). It recalls that, under paragraph 9 (b) (i) of section C of Security Council resolution 687 (1991), Iraq is required to permit immediate on-site inspection of Iraq’s biological, chemical and missile capabilities, based on Iraq’s declarations and the designation of any additional locations by the Special Commission itself'. By its resolution 707 (1991), the Council also expressly demanded that Iraq allow the Special Commission, the International Atomic Energy Agency and their inspection teams immediate, unconditional and unrestricted access to any and all areas, facilities, equipment, records and means of transportation which they wish to inspect'. The obligation was furthermore confirmed in the Commission’s plan for ongoing monitoring and verification which was approved by the Security Council in resolution 715 (1991); in this context the Council recalls the notes from the Secretary-General of 21 July 1993 (S/26127) and 1 December 1993 (S/26825). “The Security Council considers that Iraq’s delays in permitting the inspection team recently in Iraq access to the sites concerned constitute clear violations by Iraq of the provisions of resolutions 687 (1991), 707 (1991) and 715 (1991). The Council demands that the Government of Iraq allow the Special Commission inspection teams immediate, unconditional and unrestricted access to all sites designated by the Commission for inspection in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the Council.” This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/1996/11. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Security Council will remain seized of the matter.