Adoption of Resolution
The draft resolution submitted by Spain, United Kingdom and the United States (document S/2003/556) was adopted by a recorded vote of 14 in favour to none against, with no abstentions. The representative of Syria was not present.
Statements after Vote
JOHN NEGROPONTE (
United States) said the lifting of sanctions against Iraq, which had been prolonged by the defiance of Saddam Hussein’s brutal regime, represented hope for the Iraqi people. He stressed that, with the adoption of the resolution, the Council was helping the Iraqi people, who had suffered under a regime that had been unwilling to feed them or afford them the right of free speech, while building itself luxurious palaces.
Insisting that each additional day of debate over the text’s language would only hinder further recovery in Iraq, he maintained that, after more than a decade of being frozen out of the world’s economy, it was time for the Iraqi people to benefit from their natural resources. He referred to statements by United States President George W. Bush and United Kingdom Prime Minister Tony Blair, in which both leaders had said that the United Nations should play a role in rebuilding Iraq.
He said the resolution affirmed the Council’s commitment to the development of an internationally recognized representative government in Iraq; allowed for the Secretary-General’s Special Representative to have a robust role in rebuilding the country; provided for the phasing out of the “oil-for-food” programme; and guaranteed United Nations participation in monitoring the sale of Iraqi oil. He was pleased to announce the creation of the Development Fund for Iraq, which would only be used to benefit the Iraqi people.
Now that the resolution had been adopted, it had to be implemented, he stated. There were urgent humanitarian, reconstruction, and political tasks at hand. Additionally, referring to operative paragraph 24, he said he would continue to brief the Council on developments in Iraq and looked forward to working with the international community to better the lives of the Iraqi people.
JEAN-MARC DE LA SABLIÈRE (France) said the Iraqi people must now take control of their future, both domestically, where a representative and sovereign government was to be restored, and internationally as it had to rejoin the international community. The situation in the country was still unstable, and the humanitarian situation remained precarious. Reconstruction would take time and require the energetic mobilization of the international community.
He said the adopted resolution was not perfect. However, improvements had been introduced during the negotiation process, and it now provided a credible framework in which the international community could lend support to the Iraqi people. Now, all of potential must be fully used to get down to the effort of rebuilding Iraq. The resolution recalled that the verified disarmament of Iraq was a shared objective, involving the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). With lifting of civilian sanction and resumption of oil exports, Iraq would have the resources to rebuild itself. The resolution stipulated that those resources should be used for that benefit in a transparent manner. It also provided for the gradual winding down of the oil-for-food programme, which must take place in an orderly fashion, while improving the situation of the people.
The resolution fleshed out the essential role of the United Nations in the humanitarian and political areas, he said. The strong, independent involvement of the United Nations in the political process would condition the success of the process, namely, the degree of its ownership by the Iraqi people. The political transition would gain even more respectability if a timetable was defined to establish an internationally recognized and representative government of Iraq.
The resolution gave the occupying Powers broad authority and the necessary means to carry it out, he said. France supported that difficult endeavour which now involved the entire international community and included the Iraqi people. The Council must remain closely involved in the situation in Iraq. The United States and the United Kingdom would report regularly to the Council, and the situation would be reviewed within 12 months.
JEREMY GREENSTOCK (United Kingdom) welcomed the adoption of the resolution. He hoped the vote taken would mark the return to sustained consensus on one of the most difficult foreign policy issues faced today. He then highlighted three important elements of the resolution. First, it gave the United Nations a vital and independent post-conflict role. In that context, he hoped that the Secretary-General would rapidly deploy a Special Representative. Second, the resolution lifted the burden of the most comprehensive sanctions regime ever imposed by the United Nations. Instead of sanctions, Iraq would now benefit from the new, transparent Development Fund. Third, the resolution gave the international community a sound basis to come together to help the Iraqi people, in accordance with international law.
He said the resolution never sought to solve every issue. For example, the functions of UNMOVIC and the IAEA would have to be discussed in the future. The United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission (UNIKOM), the process of repatriating Kuwaitis and third-State nationals, and the maintenance of the arms embargo would have to be addressed, as well. He also expressed his commitment to a review of the resolution’s implementation after 12 months.
GUNTER PLEUGER (Germany) said the resolution provided a basis for practical steps on the ground to improve conditions and stabilize the political and economic situation. It was a compromise reached after difficult negotiations. Compared to the initial draft, substantial improvements had been made and the role of the United Nations had been strengthened.
He said the Secretary-General would be represented by a Special Representative who would be expected, fully and independently, to implement his responsibilities. The Council had to be kept fully informed by the Secretary-General, the United States and the United Kingdom, and would review the resolution’s implementation in 12 months. The disarmament issue had been kept on the Council’s agenda. The International Advisory and Monitoring Board of the Development Fund for Iraq comprised a vast body of expertise on rebuilding economies ravaged by war and totalitarian systems. The Board must take full responsibility of its tasks to provide transparency.
The adoption of the resolution had left behind the divisions of the past, he said. Sanctions would be lifted, and political and economic reconstruction would be started. Now, it was important to give the Iraqi people the perspective of building a democratic and stable government, at peace with itself and its neighbours, and a respected member of the family of nations.
INOCENCIO ARIAS (Spain) said that, with the adoption of the resolution at hand, the Security Council had understood that the time to be realistic had come. He acknowledged that some parties felt that the resolution was not perfect. Nevertheless, nobody would be able to deny that it provided an important tool to deal with a difficult issue. He called the document important, relevant and indispensable, and maintained that it put forth the idea that the Iraqi people were the sole owners of their future.
He said that the resolution provided guidelines for the authority in Iraq, insisted on transparency, and gave the United Nations an important role. He added that today would be seen as a sign of hope, especially for the people of Iraq. He also hoped that it would help the United Nations to tackle other challenges, such as terrorism, in the future.
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ADOLFO AGUILAR ZINSER (Mexico) said his country had joined the almost unanimous consensus of the Council, as the resolution set in motion the process of Iraq’s reconstruction. Without further delay, the parties could discharge their responsibility. The immediate goal was to bring about a normalization of the situation so that the people of Iraq would be in a position to dictate their own political future.
The text was a compromise, he said. During intense discussions, members of the Council had to rebuild understanding and reconcile opinions to retrieve the purpose and direction of the Council. Consensus was expressed through the agreement to lift civilian sanctions and terminate, within six months, the oil-for-food programme in order to promote the prompt reconstruction of Iraq. The resolution served as a starting point for a complex process, providing for conditions leading to prompt termination of military occupation and setting up of an internationally recognized and representative government of Iraq by the Iraqi people.
On that basis, the United Nations’ challenge would be to assure respect for the fundamental principles of the Organization and to become energetically involved in the reconstruction process, he continued. The part to be played by the United Nations would depend on the commitment and flexibility of the Council and also on the professional ability of the Special Representative.
The resolution guaranteed rights relating to sovereignty, the Iraqi people’s ownership of its resources and their self-determination, he said. All proceeds of oil resources should be channelled towards the benefit of the Iraqi people. The advisory and monitoring mechanism must guarantee that the handling of oil would be done in a transparent manner. Iraq’s future was a great challenge for the United Nations, and to confront it squarely, the Organization itself had to be strengthened.
SERGEY LAVROV (Russian Federation) was pleased with the results obtained by the negotiations. Clearly, the resolution was the result of a major compromise, but it was commendable that all parties had truly made an effort to make concessions, in spite of diverging positions. That process showed that difficult issues could only be settled on a collective basis.
Although the resolution did not provide final answers to all questions related to Iraq, it outlined clear guidelines and principles for the occupying Powers, he said. It ensured that humanitarian law, as well as the right of the Iraqi people to determine their own future and benefit from their own natural resources, would be respected. Additionally, with the description of the functions of the Secretary-General’s Special Representative, the resolution assigned a vital and important role to the United Nations.
He stressed the importance of the review of the resolution’s implementation, which would take place in 12 months, and maintained that it was necessary for all activities in the interim period to be transparent. Before concluding, he said that the matter of disarmament still needed closure, and that the next opportunity to consider it would not be until next month, when the Council received a report from UNMOVIC. Other matters, such as the settlement of Iraq’s foreign debt, also needed to be addressed in the future.
STEFAN TAFROV (
Bulgaria) welcomed the adoption of the resolution as it enabled the Iraqi people to regain control of their own fate. The spirit during negotiations had been very constructive, enabling a genuine dialogue.
He said the United Nations was to play a vital, independent and possibly a central role in Iraq in the post-conflict period. Difficulties would be resolved through a genuine partnership between the United Nations and the coalition forces. In a time of globalization, the United Nations had become an indispensable organization.
MAMADY TROARE (Guinea) said the adoption of the resolution represented a success for the United Nations and for the Council, which had gone back to the golden rule of consensus. The resolution met the humanitarian needs of Iraq, whose people already had paid a heavy price. The Iraqis were extended the right to self-determination and control over their resources.
He said the resolution was proof of the ability of the Council to rise above difficulties and of its ability to carry out its primary responsibility of guaranteeing international peace and stability. He was pleased with the important role given to the United Nations in rebuilding Iraq and hoped the Special Representative would fully play his rightful role during that crucial stage for Iraq’s future.
WANG YINGFAN (China) said that the resolution would contribute to maintaining the authority and validity of the United Nations. Having participated in the negotiations and noting amendments made to the original texts, he, maintained that his Government’s specific concerns had not been properly addressed. Nevertheless, he had decided to vote in favour because of the urgent humanitarian needs in Iraq. He hoped that the United Nations would be able to play its due role in reconstruction and that Iraq would soon be able to rejoin the international community.
MARTIN BELINGA-EBOUTOU (Cameroon) said he welcomed the unanimous adoption of the resolution. Representing a great moment for the Security Council, the adoption sent a message of confidence in the Iraqi people, who would soon be able to take charge of their own affairs. From the outset, he had believed that sanctions against Iraq should be lifted, that the United Nations should play an important role in rebuilding Iraq, and that the Iraqis themselves should be able to choose their own leaders. The resolution satisfactorily addressed all of those concerns. With the unanimous adoption of the document at hand, the Council had come back to the path of dialogue and unity, and that sent a positive message to the international community.
CHRISTIAN MAQUIEIRA (Chile) said the adopted resolution contained important provisions concerning the political process in Iraq, the role of the United Nations, supervision of the Development Fund, and the Council’s role 12 months from now. It lifted sanctions, which was an urgent step towards normalizing the economy. There was a process for winding down the oil-for-food programme in an orderly manner. The adoption had also made it possible to restore the Council’s capacity to agree on a process for the reconstruction of Iraq.
He said the text met the need to safeguard Iraq’s territorial integrity and ownership of its natural resources. The resolution had focused on improving the conditions of the Iraqi people after decades of suffering.
ISMAEL ABRÃAO GASPAR MARTINS (Angola) also welcomed the outcome on the resolution and thanked the sponsors and other Council members for their constructive spirit of compromise. The resolution’s adoption would contribute to restoring the necessary unity of purpose of the Council -– a unity that had been bruised by divisions over Iraq during the past months. Its adoption had also reinstated the spirit of multilateralism in the Council, enabling it to better play its mandated role in maintaining international peace and security.
He said the occupying Powers were legally bound to respect international law, the sovereign rights of Iraq to its natural resources and to determine in time, soon, he hoped, their political future. The role of the United Nations in the post-conflict situation was an important feature of the resolution, as it took account of the Organization’s wealth of experience. The resolution guarded the fundamental rights of the Iraqi people, who, he hoped, would soon elect a representative government.
The bitter lessons learned on the issue would contribute to strengthening respect for human rights and international law, and to upholding multilateralism, he concluded.
Council President MUNIR AKRAM (Pakistan), speaking in his national capacity, said that, although his Government had tried to prevent another conflict in the Gulf and regretted its outbreak, he had supported the resolution at hand because of his commitment to the Iraqi people and his desire to end their suffering. He said that, because the resolution affirmed the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Iraqi people, it upheld the principles of the United Nations Charter and affirmed the role of international law.
Lifting the sanctions against Iraq, the resolution opened the door for reconstruction and humanitarian assistance. In addition, it accorded an independent and vital role to the United Nations, the Secretary-General, and his Special Representative. He expected that the role of the Secretary-General would become even more central in the coming months. Referring to preambular
paragraphs 14 and 15 and operative paragraph 1, he said that they opened the door for friends of Iraq to contribute to the welfare of the Iraqi people.
He voiced his expectation that the responsibilities entrusted to the Authority would be exercised fairly and transparently, in the interest of the Iraqi people, and under the oversight of the United Nations. He also reminded delegates that, under the Charter, the powers delegated under the resolution were not open-ended or unqualified. On the contrary, they still had to conform with international justice and law, specifically the Geneva Convention and The Hague resolutions.
He said the resolution did not address all issues. For example, the following topics still had to be considered: the role of the IAEA in declaring Iraq free of weapons of mass destruction; an end to the arms embargo; clarification of the role of the United Nations in the future of Iraq; the recovery of Iraqi cultural treasures; and the repatriation of Kuwaiti and third-State nationals.
A secure and stable regional environment was necessary for lasting peace, he said. In that regard, he expressed hope that there would be parallel progress in other disputes of the region.
The Secretary-General of the United Nations, KOFI ANNAN, said all should be gratified that the Council had come together to chart the way forward in Iraq. The Council had adopted a resolution which spelled out the assistance one expected the United Nations to give the Iraqi people, in coordination with the occupying Powers.
The mandate given to the United Nations involved complex and difficult tasks, he said, which would be carried out to the best of the Organization’s abilities, just as it already was carrying out its vital task of humanitarian relief.
The most important task, the Secretary-General continued, would be to ensure that the people of Iraq were able, as soon as possible, through a transparent and impartially managed political process, to form a free and representative government of their own choice, so they could regain their national sovereignty and build a stable and prosperous Iraq, at peace with its neighbours. He announced he would name a Special Representative without delay.
(For full text of the Secretary-General’s statement, see Press Release SG/SM/8715-SC/7766-IK/359 of 22 May 2003.)
