S/PV.3691 Security Council

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. 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, 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.” This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/1996/36. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on the agenda. The Security Council will remain seized of the matter.