S/PV.3729 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 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 notes that the Special Commission and the Government of Iraq previously agreed that the investigation of unilateral destruction of proscribed items is a fundamental area to accelerate the verification of the Iraqi Declarations. In this regard, the Council deplores the refusal by Iraq to allow the Special Commission to remove approximately 130 missile engines from Iraq for analysis by a team of international experts under the Special Commission. The Council notes that such action complicates the implementation by the Special Commission of its mandate. “The Security Council reaffirms that a full accounting for Iraq’s missiles with a range greater than 150 kilometres is a necessary prerequisite to enable the Commission to report that Iraq has complied with the requirements of section C of resolution 687 (1991). The Council fully supports the “The Security Council reminds the Government of Iraq of its obligation to comply with the provisions of the relevant resolutions and the need to cooperate fully with the Special Commission in order to enable it to report that the requirements of section C of resolution 687 (1991) are met. In this perspective, the Council affirms that Iraq is required to allow the Special Commission to remove the missile engines from its territory. The Council welcomes any proposal from Member States to offer their national facilities to the Special Commission in order to enable it to conduct the necessary analysis, if and when the Commission deems it necessary. “The Security Council strongly reaffirms its full support for the Special Commission in the conduct of its mandate under the relevant resolutions of the Council. The Council reaffirms the right and privileges of UNSCOM as stated in its previous relevant resolutions, and in particular its resolutions 687 (1991), 707 (1991) and 715 (1991).” This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/1996/49. 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.