Security Council

5909^th Meeting (AM)

CHAIRMAN OF SECURITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE MONITORING SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAN BRIEFS

ON NUMBER OF MEMBER STATES REPORTING THEIR IMPLEMENTATION MEASURES

The Chairman of the Committee established under Security Council resolution 1737 (2006), to monitor sanctions imposed against Iran, today updated the 15-member body on the number of countries that had reported on their implementation of those measures, and on the work carried out by the panel over the past three months.

Jan Grauls of Belgium, noting that the Committee’s remit had been expanded in March by resolution 1803 (2008) to include the measures imposed by resolutions 1747 (2007) and 1803 (2008), told an open meeting of the Council that “to date, the reporting figures are 89 reports under resolution 1737, 76 reports under resolution 1747, and 51 reports under resolution 1803”.

He reported that the revised guidelines for the Committee’s work now incorporated the relevant provisions of the three separate resolutions.  In addition, the panel had consolidated the annexes to the three texts –- containing the names of individuals and entities subject to the travel ban, travel notification or assets freeze -– into a single list.

Noting that resolution 1737 (2006) also tasked the Committee with seeking information from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on actions it had taken to implement measures imposed by the text, defining the scope of the technical cooperation provided to Iran, the Chairman said the Agency had reported that no projects had been added to its technical cooperation programme since the Agency’s February 2007 report, which had been updated the following August.

Resolution 1737 (2006) banned trade with Iran in all items, materials, equipment, goods and technology that could contribute to the country’s enrichment-related, reprocessing or heavy-water-related activities, or to the development of nuclear-weapon delivery systems.  In March 2007, the Council adopted resolution 1747, further tightening those sanctions by imposing a ban on arms sales and expanding the freeze on assets.

A further tightening of the sanctions regime occurred just three months ago, when the Council adopted resolution 1803 (2008), which, among other things, called upon all States to “exercise vigilance in the areas of publicly provided financial support for trade with Iran and of banking with Iran, particularly with respect to Bank Melli and Bank Saderat”.  Other measures included the inspection of cargo suspected of carrying prohibited goods, and the extension of travel bans and asset freezes.

The meeting began at 10:15 a.m. and ended at 10:35 a.m.

Briefing by Chairman of 1737 Committee

JAN GRAULS (Belgium), Chairman of the Security Council’s Committee created by its resolution 1737 (2006) on nuclear non-proliferation, delivered the sixth 90-day report of the panel’s work, covering the period 18 March to 13 June, during which it held three sessions of informal consultations.

He said that, under Council resolution 1803 (2008), additional measures had been adopted relating to Iran.  Subsequently, in informal consultations on 18 March and 15 April, the Committee had discussed a revised text of the guidelines for the conduct of its work, with a view to incorporating the relevant provisions of the resolution.  The Committee had approved the revised guidelines on 24 April.  During those same consultations, the Committee had discussed consolidating the annexes to three separate resolutions -- containing the names of individuals and entities subject to the travel ban, travel notification or assets freeze -- into a single list.  The Committee had also approved a consolidated document on 24 April that had since been transmitted to Member States and had been made available online.

He went on to say that resolution 1803 (2008) had called on all States to report to the Committee within 60 days after the adoption of the resolution (2 May) on the steps taken to implement its relevant paragraphs.  To date, 89 reports had been received under resolution 1737 (2006); 76 reports under resolution 1747 (2007); and 51 under resolution 1803 (2008).  Unless a State had requested that its report be kept confidential, the reports had been published and posted on the Committee’s website.  He added that, in response to a suggestion made during the Committee’s last briefing to the Council by the representative of Burkina Faso and others, the members of the Committee had agreed to post an informal guidance paper on its website to assist Member States in writing their national reports.  The informal paper had been reviewed by Member States, but had not yet been approved by the Committee.

Turning to action taken by the Committee under its founding resolution, he said that the panel had granted two requests for exemption under the text’s paragraphs concerning assets freeze for extraordinary expenses.  The Committee had also received one notification of one State regarding its intention to make or receive payments, or to authorize the unfreezing of funds, in connection with contracts entered into prior to the listing of persons and entities in the annexes of resolutions 1737, 1747 and 1803.  He said that resolution 1737 tasked the Committee with seeking, from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), information regarding actions taken by the Agency to implement measures imposed by the resolution, defining the scope of the technical cooperation provided to Iran, among other information it might require.

To that end, IAEA had informed the Committee that no projects had been added to its technical cooperation programme with Iran since the issuance of its initial relevant report of February 2007 (updated in August of that year).  Three requests for technical cooperation were considered to have been covered and two others had not.  Forty-four requests for participation in technical assistance activities had been deemed in conformity with resolution 1737, whereas a further eight requests were not.  Finally, he told the Council that pending before the Committee were three written queries from Member States concerning the implementation of various provisions of resolutions 1737 and 1803.

Statements

NICOLAS DE RIVIÈRE (France) said three months had passed since the adoption of resolution 1803 (2008), and France was very concerned that Iran had not taken any steps to carry out its obligations under that text, especially regarding one of the most dangerous aspects of its programme: the militarization issue. It was clear that Iran was in violation of the resolution.  The “European Union 3+3” had remained open to negotiations with Iran.  That group had made generous offers over the past five years, but had been met with no interest whatsoever on the part of Iran.

He noted that European Union Foreign Policy Adviser Javier Solana was travelling to Tehran over the weekend and would be offering another package, which Iran should seriously consider.  “The ball is in their court now and we hope that they will take advantage of the offers that will be given,” he said, adding that his delegation appreciated the work of the 1737 Committee and hoped that it would continue to play its role as guardian of the Council’s important non-proliferation resolutions.

DAVID QUARREY ( United Kingdom) said resolution 1803 (2008) was the continuation of the Council’s work on pressuring Iran to comply with the requirements of IAEA concerning its uranium enrichment activities.  The resolution reiterated the Council’s wish to achieve a negotiated solution, and required Iran to do three things: suspend all enrichment-related activities; follow the terms of the Additional Protocol and resolve all outstanding issues with IAEA.  However, the recent report of Mohamed ElBaradei stated that Iran had failed to make progress on any of the three issues and that its activities were a matter of serous concern and must be clarified.

On 3 March, the Governments of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, China, Russian Federation and the United States had made Iran a generous offer, he said.  They had reiterated that Iran should heed the Council’s requirements, including suspension of uranium enrichment activities.  That proposal would offer substantial opportunities for significant benefit.  He expressed hope that Iran would meet IAEA’s requirements and take up the offer to be presented tomorrow by European Union Foreign Policy Adviser Javier Solana.

Council President ZALMAY KHALILIZAD ( United States), speaking in his national capacity, said that, three months ago, the Council had adopted resolution 1803 (2008) in the name of international peace and security, to impose additional sanctions on Iran.  Those measures, as well as those that had been adopted earlier, had been designed to discourage and halt Iran’s pursuit of technologies that would provide it with nuclear weapon capability.

He went on to welcome the work of the 1737 Committee, as well as the fact that many States had submitted reports required under the relevant resolutions.  He encouraged those that had not to do so as soon as possible.  He also reiterated the Council’s call on States to maintain vigilance over the activities of financial institutions in their territories with all banks domiciling, especially Bank Melli and Bank Saderat and their branches and subsidiaries.

He noted with concern the recent report of IAEA concerning Iran’s non-compliance with Council resolutions 1737 (2006), 1747 (2007) and 1803 (2008). Most disturbing was that Iran continued to defy the Council and had not suspended its uranium enrichment and heavy-water-related activities.  Instead, it had expanded its installation and operation of new centrifuges and was testing advanced centrifuge designs using nuclear materials. It had also continued the construction of a new IR-40 reactor.

Further, longstanding questions about Iran’s past nuclear activities, including those that indicate its efforts to develop a nuclear warhead, remained unanswered, he continued.  The United States expected Iran to comply with its international obligations concerning its nuclear activities, including the full and verifiable suspension of its proliferation sensitive nuclear activities and full cooperation with IAEA, and to implement the Additional Protocol.

Only through all of those steps could Iran begin to establish confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of its nuclear programme, he said.   Iran must also provide to IAEA full disclosure of any weapons-related work and allow the IAEA to verify that any such work had ceased. He added that the United States reaffirmed the dual track strategy on the issues, which was reinforced by the updated “permanent 5+1” package that would be delivered to Iran in the near term.  He reiterated his Government’s belief that a mutually satisfactory, negotiated solution remained open to Iran.

* *** *

For information media • not an official record