SECURITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON LIBYA SANCTIONS REITERATES WILLINGNESS TO FACILITATE TRAVEL OF LIBYAN HAJ PILGRIMS

19 March 1998

Press Release
SC/6488

SECURITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON LIBYA SANCTIONS REITERATES WILLINGNESS TO FACILITATE TRAVEL OF LIBYAN HAJ PILGRIMS

19980319 Also Expresses Willingness to Continue Considering Necessary Humanitarian Exemptions from Sanctions Regime

The following was issued today by the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 748 (1992) concerning Libya:

The Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 748 (1992) concerning the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya understands and respects the religious obligations of Libyan Muslims and is willing to do everything in its power to facilitate their observance of the Haj. The Committee wishes to reiterate its willingness to continue to facilitate the travel of Libyan Haj pilgrims and, in this regard, to continue considering necessary humanitarian exemptions from the sanctions regime.

The Committee also notes that it held a discussion on the question of the airworthiness of the Libyan aircraft designated to undertake medical evacuation flights from Libya at its meeting on 25 February. All members indicated their readiness to agree to replacement of these aircraft by Libya as necessary, upon consideration of the relevant International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) inspection report, and to make the appropriate recommendations to the Security Council. In this regard, the Committee wishes to make clear that it will consider all necessary steps to ensure that Libya has the means safely and expeditiously to perform medevac flights.

The Committee was informed by the Secretariat that there have been no delays or other problems with medevac flights from Libya in 1998 and that no medevacs have been prevented when the special arrangements, agreed with Libya in 1995 (document SC/6070 of 18 July 1995), have been observed. The procedures established have worked well, with Libya's cooperation. Nevertheless the Committee wishes to state that it is willing to consider specific proposals in this regard, including, inter alia, expanding or changing the list of the designated destinations for medical evacuation flights if the proposed changes are justified on medical grounds and otherwise conform to the agreed procedures for medical evacuation flights.

The Committee, at its meeting on 16 March, considered the report of the fact-finding mission to Libya (document S/1998/201) headed by Vladimir

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Petrovsky, Director-General of the United Nations Office in Geneva. In this connection, the Committee is determined to continue consideration of specific humanitarian issues, including those mentioned above, arising under the relevant Security Council resolutions.

Finally, the Committee reaffirms its readiness, expressed in its letter of 31 December 1997, to respond promptly, on a case-by-case basis, to requests for humanitarian exceptions within the scope if its authority under the relevant resolutions.

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