US Ambassador John Negroponte presented the final draft of a proposed resolution for lifting sanctions against Iraq to the United Nations (UN) Security Council May 19, saying that he expected a vote to take place by the end of the week.
The draft text would end close to 13 years of UN economic sanctions on Iraq and phase out the UN oil-for-food humanitarian program.
Talking with journalists before the private council meeting began, Negroponte said, "we think it's a good resolution. It meets the purposes that we have been outlining during the past couple weeks -- particularly the lifting of sanctions so that the oil revenues can help get the Iraq economy going again, fleshing out the role of the representative of the secretary general, and other questions," reported the Washington File.
Negroponte did not reject the idea that the US or co-sponsors UK and Spain would agree to changes after further negotiations. However, the ambassador said, "we never say 'never,' but clearly by putting it in blue what we are signaling is that we have gone just about as far as we can in meeting the concerns that have been expressed by other delegations."
The Gulf War cease-fire resolution, which the new resolution would supersede, declared that sanctions could only be lifted after UN weapons inspectors certified that Iraq was free of weapons of mass destruction. The revised draft resolution was submitted to the council "in blue" which means that the draft resolution's sponsors can call for a vote after 24 hours.
The resolution stipulates that except for provisions related to the sale or supply of arms and related material, "all prohibitions related to trade with Iraq ... shall no longer apply.” Both the US and the UK submitted letters to the Security Council acknowledging their obligations as occupying powers.
The resolution would establish a Development Fund for Iraq for reconstruction to be in the custody of the Central Bank of Iraq. An international Advisory and Monitoring Board will be created composed of UN, International Monetary Fund (IMF), Arab Fund for Social and Economic Development and World Bank representatives. The also document requests the restructuring of Iraq's substantial debt through the Paris Club.
Five percent of the nation’s oil revenues are to be deposited into a compensation fund for claims resulting from Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait. The resolution would remain in effect until a permanent internationally recognized Iraqi government is established, which could take years. — (menareport.com)
© 2003 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
