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Iraq Special Collection

Draft Proposals for New UN Iraq Monitoring Body

Introduction

Next Page: China/France/Russia Proposal

On 5 August 1998, the government of Iraq decided that unless the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) lifted the oil embargo on Iraq and reorganized the UN Special Commission (UNSCOM) – including moving its headquarters from New York to either Geneva or Vienna – it would cease cooperation with UNSCOM and the International Atomic Energy Agency. This announcement was condemned in UNSC Resolution 1194 (9 September 1998) and Resolution 1205 (5 November 1998).

Iraq’s persistent refusal to cooperate with UNSCOM prompted a military bombing campaign known as Operation Desert Fox (16-19 December 1998) in which aircraft from the United Kingdom and the United States took part. Since that time several proposals have been presented by various UNSC members to re-establish dialog and cooperation between the UN and Iraq. Each of these proposals presents a plan for the replacement of UNSCOM with an ongoing monitoring and verification regime. In January 1999 an informal proposal (not available on the CNS Web site) was submitted to the UNSC by Canada, France, and the Russian Federation.

On 30 January 1999, the UNSC issued note S/1999/100 which established three panels to examine the issues at hand and make recommendations to the Security Council. These panels were: disarmament and current and future ongoing monitoring and verification issues; humanitarian issues; and prisoners of war and Kuwaiti property. The panels were chaired by Brazil’s ambassador to the UN, Celso L.N. Amorim. The final reports of the three panels were submitted as S/1999/356 by Amorim for consideration by the Security Council on 30 March 1999. The reports are available on the CNS Website as PDF files: Annex 1 [7Mb] on monitoring and verification issues, Annex 2 [6Mb] on humanitarian issues, and Annex 3 [7Mb] on prisoners of war.

The original informal proposal of January 1999 was followed by a detailed draft resolution (click on the link below) submitted by China, France, and Russia. It drew upon the findings of the three panels but was rejected by the United Kingdom and the United States, both permanent member of the UNSC.

Subsequently, the Netherlands – a current UNSC member – and the United Kingdom circulated a different proposal (click on the link below). This has now been co-sponsored by Argentina and Slovenia, both current UNSC member states. This proposal has the unofficial support of the United States.

In an attempt to find a solution acceptable to all sides in the dispute France has prepared a subsequent proposal (click on the link below) which draws on elements from the previous two.

At the international Arab Popular Conference for Solidarity with Iraq, which opened in Baghdad on 28 July 1999, Iraq’s Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan said that his government rejects any UNSC proposal which does not unconditionally lift all sanctions against Iraq.

Although the three proposed resolutions are "working drafts" and as such undated, each has a handwritten date on the top of the first page and this has been noted below. They were acquired by the CNS during the week of 19 July 1999. Spellings and grammar are reproduced as in the originals.

China/France/Russia Proposal [as at 22 June 1999]

UK/Netherlands/Argentina/Slovenia Proposal [as at 22 June 1999]

Revised French Proposal [as at 29 June 1999]