SC/7488

                                                                  21 August 2002

PRESS STATEMENT ON IRAQ BY SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT

Following is today’s press statement on Iraq by Security Council President John Negroponte (United States):

Today, the Security Council took up the ninth report of the Secretary-General pursuant to paragraph 14 of resolution 1284.  This session specifically dealt with the repatriation of Kuwaiti and third country nationals from Iraq.  High-level Coordinator for Iraq, Ambassador Yuri Vorontsov, briefed the Council on the report prior to Council discussion.  On this subject, the Council has the following press statement:

Members of the Security Council reviewed the latest report of the Secretary-General, pursuant to paragraph 14 of Security Council resolution 1284 (1999), regarding the repatriation of Kuwaiti and third country nationals.  The Council once again expressed its unanimous support for the work of Ambassador Vorontsov and for his efforts in following this issue.

Members of the Council expressed their deep concern at the continuing plight of the Kuwaiti and third country nationals still remaining in Iraq and expressed their sympathy for their families.  Members of the Council expressed their hope that this issue would continue to be dealt with as a strictly humanitarian one by all sides concerned and be resolved urgently.

Members of the Council shared the views of the Secretary-General as reflected in his report.  They recognized that despite growing international activity, by the League of Arab States, the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the European Union, the Government of Iraq has yet to match its words on the fate of missing persons with tangible deeds and cooperation.  They supported the Secretary-General’s call on Iraq to restore its credibility on the outstanding humanitarian issues and stand by its intention to fully implement the decisions of the Beirut Summit on the issue of missing persons.  Members of the Council stressed the importance of the work of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Tripartite Commission in solving this humanitarian issue, encouraged them to further intensify their efforts, and urged the Iraqi Government to resume its participation in all bodies dealing with this issue.

Members of the Security Council urged Iraq to cooperate fully with Ambassador Vorontsov in fulfilling his mandate as set out in United Nations Security Council resolution 1284.

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