SECRETARY-GENERAL SUGGESTS CONCEPT FOR COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF IRAQI COMPLIANCE WITH SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 687 (1991)

Press Release
SG/SM/6737
IK/254

SECRETARY-GENERAL SUGGESTS CONCEPT FOR COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF IRAQI COMPLIANCE WITH SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 687 (1991)

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for Secretary- General Kofi Annan:

Several press reports in the last few days have attributed to the Secretary-General a proposal that the United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM) on the disposal of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction or its inspectors should be required to prove that Iraq still has weapons of mass destruction.

This is inaccurate. What the Secretary-General has done is to suggest a possible concept for the comprehensive review of Iraq's compliance, which the Security Council in its resolution 1194 (1998) decided to conduct if and when Iraq has rescinded its decision of 5 August and has resumed full cooperation with UNSCOM and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The Secretary-General's proposal envisages that all relevant information, including relevant evidence of non-fulfilment by Iraq of its obligations, would be placed before the Council, so that the Council can determine what Iraq still needs to do to fulfil section C of resolution 687 (1991) -- the letter and spirit of which, of course, remain unchanged.

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