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End of the Sanctions Era: UN Security Council Resolution on Iraq, May 22

Note: the draft text, introduced in revised form on May 21 by the United States and co-sponsored by Spain and the United Kingdom, was adopted by the Security Council as resolution 1483 (2003) on May 22 by 14 votes to 0, with Syria absent.

• I. Resolution 1483: Full Text
• II: Statements & Reaction

I. Resolution 1483: Full Text

'Security Council lifts sanctions on Iraq, approves UN role, calls for appointment of Secretary-General's Special Representative', UN Press Release SC/7765, May 22.

The Security Council,

Recalling all its previous relevant resolutions,

Reaffirming the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq,

Reaffirming also the importance of the disarmament of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction and of eventual confirmation of the disarmament of Iraq,

Stressing the right of the Iraqi people freely to determine their own political future and control their own natural resources, welcoming the commitment of all parties concerned to support the creation of an environment in which they may do so as soon as possible, and expressing resolve that the day when Iraqis govern themselves must come quickly,

Encouraging efforts by the people of Iraq to form a representative government based on the rule of law that affords equal rights and justice to all Iraqi citizens without regard to ethnicity, religion, or gender, and, in this connection, recalls resolution 1325 (2000) of 31 October 2000,

Welcoming the first steps of the Iraqi people in this regard, and noting in this connection the 15 April 2003 Nasiriyah statement and the 28 April 2003 Baghdad statement,

Resolved that the United Nations should play a vital role in humanitarian relief, the reconstruction of Iraq, and the restoration and establishment of national and local institutions for representative governance,

Noting the statement of 12 April 2003 by the Ministers of Finance and Central Bank Governors of the Group of Seven Industrialized Nations in which the members recognized the need for a multilateral effort to help rebuild and develop Iraq and for the need for assistance from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in these efforts,

Welcoming also the resumption of humanitarian assistance and the continuing efforts of the Secretary-General and the specialized agencies to provide food and medicine to the people of Iraq,

Welcoming the appointment by the Secretary-General of his Special Adviser on Iraq,

Affirming the need for accountability for crimes and atrocities committed by the previous Iraqi regime,

Stressing the need for respect for the archaeological, historical, cultural, and religious heritage of Iraq, and for the continued protection of archaeological, historical, cultural, and religious sites, museums, libraries, and monuments,

Noting the letter of 8 May 2003 from the Permanent Representatives of the United States of America and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the President of the Security Council (S/2003/538) and recognizing the specific authorities, responsibilities, and obligations under applicable international law of these states as occupying powers under unified command (the "Authority"),

Noting further that other States that are not occupying powers are working now or in the future may work under the Authority,

Welcoming further the willingness of Member States to contribute to stability and security in Iraq by contributing personnel, equipment, and other resources under the Authority,

Concerned that many Kuwaitis and Third-State Nationals still are not accounted for since 2 August 1990,

Determining that the situation in Iraq, although improved, continues to constitute a threat to international peace and security,

Acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations,

1. Appeals to Member States and concerned organizations to assist the people of Iraq in their efforts to reform their institutions and rebuild their country, and to contribute to conditions of stability and security in Iraq in accordance with this resolution;

2. Calls upon all Member States in a position to do so to respond immediately to the humanitarian appeals of the United Nations and other international organizations for Iraq and to help meet the humanitarian and other needs of the Iraqi people by providing food, medical supplies, and resources necessary for reconstruction and rehabilitation of Iraq's economic infrastructure;

3. Appeals to Member States to deny safe haven to those members of the previous Iraqi regime who are alleged to be responsible for crimes and atrocities and to support actions to bring them to justice;

4. Calls upon the Authority, consistent with the Charter of the United Nations and other relevant international law, to promote the welfare of the Iraqi people through the effective administration of the territory, including in particular working towards the restoration of conditions of security and stability and the creation of conditions in which the Iraqi people may freely determine their own political future;

5. Calls upon all concerned to comply fully with their obligations under international law including in particular the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the Hague Regulations of 1907;

6. Calls upon the Authority and relevant organizations and individuals to continue efforts to locate, identify, and repatriate all Kuwaiti and Third-State Nationals or the remains of those present in Iraq on or after 2 August 1990, as well as the Kuwaiti archives, that the previous Iraqi regime failed to undertake, and, in this regard, directs the High-Level Coordinator, in consultation with the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Tripartite Commission and with the appropriate support of the people of Iraq and in coordination with the Authority, to take steps to fulfill his mandate with respect to the fate of Kuwaiti and Third-State National missing persons and property;

7. Decides that all Member States shall take appropriate steps to facilitate the safe return to Iraqi institutions of Iraqi cultural property and other items of archaeological, historical, cultural, rare scientific, and religious importance illegally removed from the Iraq National Museum, the National Library, and other locations in Iraq since the adoption of resolution 661 (1990) of 6 August 1990, including by establishing a prohibition on trade in or transfer of such items and items with respect to which reasonable suspicion exists that they have been illegally removed, and calls upon the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Interpol, and other international organizations, as appropriate, to assist in the implementation of this paragraph;

8. Requests the Secretary-General to appoint a Special Representative for Iraq whose independent responsibilities shall involve reporting regularly to the Council on his activities under this resolution, coordinating activities of the United Nations in post-conflict processes in Iraq, coordinating among United Nations and international agencies engaged in humanitarian assistance and reconstruction activities in Iraq, and, in coordination with the Authority, assisting the people of Iraq through:

(a) coordinating humanitarian and reconstruction assistance by United Nations agencies and between United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations;

(b) promoting the safe, orderly, and voluntary return of refugees and displaced persons;

(c) working intensively with the Authority, the people of Iraq, and others concerned to advance efforts to restore and establish national and local institutions for representative governance, including by working together to facilitate a process leading to an internationally recognized, representative government of Iraq;

(d) facilitating the reconstruction of key infrastructure, in cooperation with other international organizations;

(e) promoting economic reconstruction and the conditions for sustainable development, including through coordination with national and regional organizations, as appropriate, civil society, donors and the international financial institutions;

(f) encouraging international efforts to contribute to basic civilian administration functions;

(g) promoting then protection of human rights;

(h) encouraging international efforts to rebuild the capacity of the Iraqi civilian police force; and

(i) encouraging international efforts to promote legal and judicial reform.

9. Supports the formation, by the people of Iraq with the help of the Authority and working with the Special Representative, of an Iraqi interim administration as a transitional administration run by Iraqis, until an internationally recognized, representative government is established by the people of Iraq and assumes the responsibilities of the Authority;

10. Decides that, with the exception of prohibitions related to the sale or supply to Iraq of arms and related materiel other than those arms and related materiel required by the Authority to serve the purposes of this and other related resolutions, all prohibitions related to trade with Iraq and the provision of financial or economic resources to Iraq established by resolution 661 (1990) and subsequent relevant resolutions, including resolution 778 (1992) of 2 October 1992, shall no longer apply;

11. Reaffirms that Iraq must meet its disarmament obligations, encourages the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America to keep the Council informed of their activities in this regard, and underlines the intention of the Council to revisit the mandates of the United Nations Monitoring, Verification, and Inspection Commission and the International Atomic Energy Agency as set forth in resolutions 687 (1991) of 3 April 1991, 1284 (1999) of 17 December 1999, and 1441 (2002) of 8 November 2002;

12. Notes the establishment of a Development Fund for Iraq to be held by the Central Bank of Iraq and to be audited by independent public accountants approved by the International Advisory and Monitoring Board of the Development Fund for Iraq and looks forward to the early meeting of that International Advisory and Monitoring Board, whose members shall include duly qualified representatives of the Secretary-General, of the Managing Director, of the International Monetary Fund, of the Director-General of the Arab Fund for Social and Economic Development, and of the President of the World Bank;

13. Notes farther that the funds in the Development Fund for Iraq shall be disbursed at the direction of the Authority, in consultation with the Iraqi interim administration, for the purposes set out in paragraph 14 below;

14. Underlines that the Development Fund for Iraq shall be used in a transparent manner to meet the humanitarian needs of the Iraqi people, for the economic reconstruction and repair of Iraq's infrastructure, for the continued disarmament of Iraq, and for the costs of Iraqi civilian administration, and for other purposes benefiting the people of Iraq;

15. Calls upon the international financial institutions to assist the people of Iraq in the reconstruction and development of their economy and to facilitate assistance by the broader donor community, and welcomes the readiness of creditors, including those of the Paris Club, to seek a solution to Iraq's sovereign debt problems;

16. Requests also that the Secretary-General, in coordination with the Authority, continue the exercise of his responsibilities under Security Council resolution 1472 (2003) of 28 March 2003 and 1476 (2003) of 24 April 2003, for a period of six months following the adoption of this resolution, and terminate within this time period, in the most cost effective manner, the ongoing operations of the "Oil-for-Food" Programme (the "Programme"), both at headquarters level and in the field, transferring responsibility for the administration of any remaining activity under the Programme to the Authority, including by taking the following necessary measures:

(a) to facilitate as soon as possible the shipment and authenticated delivery of priority civilian goods as identified by the Secretary-General and representatives designated by him, in coordination with the Authority and the Iraqi interim administration, under approved and funded contracts previously concluded by the previous Government of Iraq, for the humanitarian relief of the people of Iraq, including, as necessary, negotiating adjustments in the terms or conditions of these contracts and respective letters of credit as set forth in paragraph 4 (d) of resolution 1472 (2003);

(b) to review, in light of changed circumstances, in coordination with the Authority and the Iraqi interim administration, the relative utility of each approved and funded contract with a view to determining whether such contracts contain items required to meet the needs of the people of Iraq both now and during reconstruction, and to postpone action on those contracts determined to be of questionable utility and the respective letters of credit until an internationally recognized, representative government of Iraq is in a position to make its own determination as to whether such contracts shall be fulfilled;

(c) to provide the Security Council within 21 days following the adoption of this resolution, for the Security Council's review and consideration, an estimated operating budget based on funds already set aside in the account established pursuant to paragraph 8 (d) of resolution 986 (1995) of 14 April 1995, identifying:

(i) all known and projected costs to the United Nations required to ensure the continued functioning of the activities associated with implementation of the present resolution, including operating and administrative expenses associated with the relevant United Nations agencies and programmes responsible for the implementation of the Programme both at Headquarters and in the field;

(ii) all known, and projected costs associated with termination of the Programme;

(iii) all known and projected costs associated with restoring Government of Iraq funds that were provided by Member States to the Secretary-General as requested in paragraph 1 of resolution 778 (1992); and

(iv) all known and projected costs associated with the Special Representative and the qualified representative of the Secretary-General identified to serve on the International Advisory and Monitoring Board, for the six month time period defined above, following which these costs shall be borne by the United Nations;

(d) to consolidate into a single fund the accounts established pursuant to paragraphs 8 (a) and 8 (b) of resolution 986 (1995);

(e) to fulfill all remaining obligations related to the termination of the programme, including negotiating, in the most cost effective manner, any necessary settlement payments, which shall be made from the escrow accounts established pursuant to paragraphs 8 (a) and 8 (b) of resolution 986 (1995), which those parties that previously have entered into contractual obligations with the Secretary-General under the Programme, and to determine, in coordination with the Authority and the Iraqi interim administration, the future status of contracts undertaken by the United Nations and related United Nations agencies under the accounts established pursuant to paragraphs 8 (b) and 8 (d) of resolution 986 (1995);

(f) to provide the Security Council, 30 days prior to the termination of the Programme, with a comprehensive strategy developed in close coordination with the Authority and the Iraqi interim administration that would lead to the delivery of all relevant documentation and, the transfer of all operational responsibility of the Programme to the Authority;

17. Requests further that the Secretary-General transfer as soon as possible to the Development Fund for Iraq 1 billion United States dollars from unencumbered funds in the accounts established pursuant to paragraphs 8 (a) and 8 (b) of resolution 986 (1995), restore Government of Iraq funds that were provided by Member States to the Secretary-General as requested in paragraph 1 of resolution 778 (1992), and decides that, after deducting all relevant United Nations expenses associated with the shipment of authorized contracts, and costs to the Programme outlined in paragraph 16 (c) above, including residual obligations, all surplus funds in the escrow accounts established pursuant to paragraphs 8 (a), 8 (b), 8 (d), and 8 (f) of resolution 986 (1995) shall be transferred at the earliest possible time to the Development Fund for Iraq;

18. Decides to terminate effective on the adoption of this resolution the functions related to the observation and monitoring activities undertaken by the Secretary-General under the Programme, including the monitoring of the export of petroleum and petroleum products from Iraq;

19. Decides to terminate the Committee established pursuant to paragraph 6 of resolution 661 (1990) at the conclusion of the six months period called for in paragraph 16 above and further decides that the Committee shall identify individuals and entities referred to in paragraph 23 below;

20. Decides that all export sales of petroleum, petroleum products, and natural gas from Iraq following the date of the adoption of this resolution shall be made consistent with prevailing international market best practices, to be audited by independent public accountants reporting to the International Advisory and Monitoring Board referred to in paragraph 12 above in order to ensure transparency, and decides further that, except as provided in paragraph 21 below, all proceeds from such sales shall be deposited into the Development Fund for Iraq, until such time as an internationally recognized, representative government of Iraq is properly constituted;

21. Decides further that 5 percent of the proceeds referred to in paragraph 20 above shall be deposited into the Compensation Fund established in accordance with resolution 687 (1991) and subsequent relevant resolutions and that, unless an internationally recognized, representative government of Iraq and the Governing Council of the United Nations Compensation Commission, in the exercise of its authority over methods of ensuring that payments are made into the Compensation Fund, decide otherwise, this requirement shall be binding on a properly constituted, internationally recognized, representative government of Iraq and any successor thereto;

22. Noting the relevance of the establishment of an internationally recognized, representative government of Iraq and the desirability of prompt completion of the restructuring of Iraq's debt as referred to in paragraph 15 above, further decides that, until December 31, 2007, unless the Council decides otherwise, petroleum, petroleum products, and natural gas originating in Iraq shall be immune, until title passes to the initial purchaser from legal proceedings against them and not be subject to any form of attachment, garnishment, or execution, and that all States shall take any steps that may be necessary under their respective domestic legal systems to assure this protection, and that proceeds and obligations arising from sales thereof, as well as the Development Fund for Iraq, shall enjoy privileges and immunities equivalent to those enjoyed by the United Nations except that the above-mentioned privileges and immunities will not apply with respect to any legal proceeding in which recourse to such proceeds or obligations is necessary to satisfy liability for damages assessed in connection with an ecological accident, including an oil spill, that occurs after the date of adoption of this resolution;

23. Decides that all Member States in which there are:

(a) funds or other financial assets or economic resources of the previous Government of Iraq or its state bodies, corporations, or agencies, located outside Iraq as of the date of this resolution, or

(b) funds or other financial assets or economic resources that have been removed from Iraq, or acquired, by Saddam Hussein or other senior officials of the former Iraqi regime and their immediate family members, including entities owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by them or by persons acting on their behalf or at their direction,

shall freeze without delay those funds or other financial assets or economic resources and, unless these funds or other financial assets or economic resources are themselves the subject of a prior judicial, administrative, or arbitral lien or judgement, immediately shall cause their transfer to the Development Fund for Iraq, it being understood that, unless otherwise addressed, claims made by private individuals or non-government entities on those transferred funds or other financial assets may be presented to the internationally recognized, representative government of Iraq; and decides further that all such funds or other financial assets or economic resources shall enjoy the same privileges, immunities, and protections as provided under paragraph 22;

24. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the Council at regular intervals on the work of the Special Representative with respect to the implementation of this resolution and on the work of the International Advisory and Monitoring Board and encourages the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America to inform the Council at regular intervals of their efforts under this resolution;

25. Decides to review the implementation of this resolution within twelve months of adoption and to consider further steps that might be necessary.

26. Calls upon Member States and international and regional organizations to contribute to the implementation of this resolution;

27. Decides to remain seized of this matter.

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II: Statements & Reaction

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, May 22

'Secretary-General pledges UN support to Iraq in 'complex and difficult' tasks ahead, in message to Security Council', UN Press Release SG/SM/8715, May 22.

We should all be gratified that the Council has come together to chart the way forward in Iraq. As you know, I have always held that the unity of this Council is the indispensable foundation for effective action to maintain international peace and security and international law.

The Council has adopted a resolution which spells out the assistance you expect the United Nations to give to the people of Iraq, in coordination with the occupying Powers, who have the responsibility for the effective administration of the territory. The mandate you have given us involves complex and difficult tasks. But we will carry it out to the best of our ability, just as we are already carrying out our vital task of humanitarian relief.

Whatever differences there have been in the recent past, we now have a new basis on which to work. And we must all work very hard, keeping the interests of Iraqis at the forefront of all our efforts.

Our most important task will be to ensure that the people of Iraq - men and women alike - are 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 that they can regain their national sovereignty and build a stable and prosperous Iraq, at peace with its neighbours.

The United Nations will play its full part in this international effort. You have asked me to name a special representative to lead on our side. I will do so without delay. The full support of all members of the Council will be essential, and I am confident that my representative will have that support.

US President George W. Bush, May 22

'Statement by the President, Crawford, Texas, may 22, 2003'; The White House, Office of the Press Secretary.

Today's unanimous vote by the United Nations Security Council adopting Resolution 1483 to lift sanctions on Iraq will help the Iraqi people to rebuild their country and work toward a more prosperous and secure future, one in which they will govern themselves, rejoin the world economy, and remain at peace with their neighbors. The nations of the world have demonstrated their unity in their commitment to help the Iraqi people on their path toward a better future.

The Security Council's resolution affirms that the United Nations will have an appropriate vital role in Iraq's reconstruction and transition to a new government. It establishes a strong and important framework for many nations to participate in these activities. I look forward to the Secretary General's appointment of a Special Representative as we work together to help Iraq recover from three decades of brutal dictatorship. I also look forward to the establishment of an Iraqi interim administration that is broad-based and represents all of Iraq's people so that Iraqis can participate as quickly and as fully as possible in the revitalization of their country.

The United States and its coalition partners will remain in Iraq as long as necessary to help put Iraq on the path toward democracy, with a united, representative government that respects human rights and the rule of law. We call on all countries to join in helping the Iraqi people achieve this goal as quickly as possible.

John Negroponte, US Ambassador to the UN, May 22

'Explanation of Vote by Ambassador John D. Negroponte, United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations, on the Resolution to Lift Sanctions on Iraq, Security Council, May 22, 2003', United States Mission to the United Nations (USUN), http://www.un.int/usa.

The lifting of sanctions marks a momentous event for the people of Iraq. It is the turning of a historical page that should brighten the future of a people and a region.

The threatening actions and defiance of Saddam Hussein's brutal regime prolonged the imposition of sanctions for nearly 13 years. Those sanctions have now been lifted. The liberation of Iraq has cleared the path for today's action. We all witnessed an Iraqi state under Saddam Hussein that was unwilling adequately to feed its people, a state in which critical infrastructure projects were left to languish while luxurious palaces were built, and a state in which free political expression was cruelly repressed and punished. Together, this Council has taken decisive action to help the Iraqi people.

My government called for this vote this morning because we firmly believed that each additional day of debate over the language of this important text would further hinder recovery. The gas lines are long, despite blessedly little damage to Iraq's residual infrastructure. After more than a decade of being frozen out of the world economy, it is time for the Iraqi people to benefit from their natural resources.

President Bush and Prime Minister Blair said last month at Hillsborough that the United Nations should play a vital role in rebuilding Iraq.

In passing this resolution, we have achieved much for the Iraqi people. By recognizing the fluidity of the political situation and that decisions will be made on the ground, the Security Council has provided a flexible framework under Chapter VII for the Coalition Provisional Authority, member states, the United Nations and others in the international community to participate in the administration and reconstruction of Iraq and to assist the Iraqi people in determining their political future, establishing new institutions, and restoring economic prosperity to the country.

The resolution affirms our commitment to the development of an internationally recognized, representative government of Iraq. It creates a robust mandate for a Special Representative of the Secretary General, including to work with the people of Iraq, the Authority, and others concerned - including neighboring states - to help make this vision a reality.

The resolution establishes a framework for an orderly phase-out of the Oil-for-Food program, thereby preserving, for a transitional period, what has become an important safety net for the people of Iraq.

The resolution establishes transparency in all processes and United Nations participation in monitoring the sale of Iraqi oil resources and expenditure of oil proceeds. In that context, I am pleased to announce the creation of the Development Fund for Iraq in the Central Bank of Iraq. As the resolution underlines, the Authority will disburse the funds only for the purposes it determines to benefit the Iraqi people.

The resolution lifts export restrictions to Iraq, with the exception of trade in arms and related materiel not required by the Coalition Provisional Authority. Aviation restrictions are also lifted, but Iraq's disarmament obligations remain and member states remain barred from assisting Iraq in acquiring weapons of mass destruction, proscribed missile systems or proceeding with civil nuclear activities so long as those restrictions remain in effect.

The resolution provides Iraq with adequate time to recover capacity eroded during the sanctions years, yet it preserves its obligations to Kuwait and others who suffered from Saddam Hussein's aggression dating from 1990. It addresses Iraq's sovereign debt, protection of Iraqi antiquities and accountability for serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law by the previous regime. It also directs member states to act quickly to seize and return to the Iraqi people money stolen by Saddam Hussein's regime.

But, Mr. President, we cannot be complacent. Now that we have adopted this resolution, the work must begin on implementing it. The Secretariat and the new Special Representative of the Secretary General must prepare for their work on the urgent humanitarian, reconstruction and political tasks, to which it will contribute. Member states must work to fulfill the obligations and provisions contained in the resolution. For our part, in addition to our responsibilities in Iraq as leaders of the Coalition Provisional Authority, we will undertake to inform the Council on a quarterly basis of progress in implementing the resolution, in the spirit of Operational Paragraph 24.

The United States is appreciative of the constructive spirit with which the Council has considered and strengthened the provisions of the text we put forward with our co-sponsors. We look forward to working closely with all of you to implement this important decision.

Sergei Lavrov, Russian Ambassador to the UN, May 22

'Remarks by Russia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Sergei Lavrov at the Official UN Security Council Meeting During the Passage of the Resolution on the Postwar Settlement in Iraq, May 22, 2003'; Russian Foreign Ministry, http://www.mid.ru.

Security Council Resolution 1483, adopted today, is of special significance for the Iraqi people as well as for the further activity of the United Nations on the key problems of maintaining international peace and securityin the new conditions.

The Russian Federation is satisfied by the result reached in the process of negotiations. Without a doubt, this is a compromise. However, for the compromise to become possible, all participants in the negotiations made steps to meet each other halfway, and to do that even on such issues where, as it seemed at the outset, the original positions were not easy to bring closer together. The fact that this has largely become possible, attests to the awareness by all the Council members that the legitimate and just settlement of the Iraqi problem is possible only on a collective basis, with reliance on the UN Charter, which provides dependable legal framework for solving the most complex tasks of today.

The resolution drafted in the course of negotiations does not, of course, provide final answers to all the questions of an Iraqi settlement. The significance of the resolution above all lies in the fact that it establishes an international-legal basis for concerted efforts by the whole of the world community to overcome the crisis and defines clear benchmarks for such efforts: observance by the occupying powers of international humanitarian law, safeguarding Iraq's sovereignty and territorial integrity, an early practical restoration of the Iraqi people's right to determine their political future themselves and to dispose of their natural resources.

The accomplishment of these objectives must be helped by the activity of the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General, who is endowed with independent functions in practically all spheres, including participation in the political process, all the way toward establishing an internationally recognized government of Iraq. The special envoy will have direct access to the Iraqi political forces and the countries of the Middle Eastern region. In this way the resolution provides for an important role of the United Nations, its Security Council and Secretary General at all the stages of settlement. The Security Council will, on a regular basis, control that entire process, by examining the reports of the Secretary General, as well as of the representatives of the United States and the United Kingdom about their activity in Iraq. Twelve months from now a comprehensive overview is scheduled to be held in regard to the implementation of the resolution in question in the Security Council, including the drafting of indispensable additional steps in the Iraqi settlement.

The resolution substantially broadens the possibilities for resolving acute humanitarian problems of Iraqi population, rehabilitating the destroyed infrastructure and resuming the normal functioning of the economy. To achieve these aims, in addition to the lifting of economic sanctions, the coming six months must be those of active and full utilization of the potential of the Oil for Food program, taking maximum account of the decisions that have already been adopted within the framework of that program at previous stages.

One important thing is that it has been possible to agree on a gradual - without abrupt movements - transition from the mechanism of the humanitarian program to new methods of exporting Iraqi oil and spending the export receipts in the period of establishing a legitimate, internationally-recognized Iraqi government. All this activity in the transition stage will be transparent and carried out under the control of the International Consultative and Controlling Council with the participation of the authorized representative of the UN Secretary General, who will report to the Security Council.

The resolution clearly confirms the need for clarifying the question of Iraqi WMD programs with account for the existing Security Council decisions and the UNMOVIC and IAEA mandates. The nearest possibility to examine this aspect of Iraqi settlement will offer itself already in early June when the Council will get another UNMOVIC report. We also expect information, provided by the resolution, from the coalition forces about their efforts to look for traces of Iraqi WMD programs. We hope that the appropriate provisions of the resolution will finally make it possible de jure and de facto to put a period in this question and also to decide concerning the further implementation of Security Council decisions aimed at non-resumption of Iraqi WMD programs.

Also of major significance is the need, laid down in the resolution, to complete the implementation of the previous UN decisions on questions of those missing from the first war in the Gulf, payment of compensations on the results of that war, settling Iraq's foreign debt in accordance with international standards, including within the framework of the Club of Paris.

On the whole, the harmonizing of the draft resolution confirmed the desire of all Security Council members to constructively seek generally accepted agreements that would really help the Iraqi people to restore its sovereignty in full volume as soon as possible. We are convinced that this task must remain central to our further efforts.

Sir Jeremy Greenstock, UK Ambassador to the UN, May 22

'The Situation between Iraq and Kuwait, UK Explanation of Vote, May 22, 2003', statement to the Security Council by UK Ambassador Sir Jeremy Greenstock; UK Mission to the UN, http://www.ukun.org.

The UK welcomes the adoption of this resolution and the constructive negotiations which proceeded it. The whole UN system will hope that the vote which we have just taken marks a return to sustained consensus on one of the most difficult foreign policy issues we have faced. The United Kingdom will work to maintain that effective approach.

We shall be discussing in detail later this morning the response to the humanitarian situation in Iraq. The UK has operated in Iraq from the beginning strictly in accordance with the Fourth Geneva Convention and The Hague Regulations.

I should like to highlight three elements of this important resolution:

• first, it sets out a vital and independent post-conflict role - covering a wide range of important areas - for the United Nations. I hope that the Secretary-General will very rapidly appoint and deploy a strong Special Representative to drive forward the UN's activities. The UK looks forward to working alongside that appointment, not least to ensure the early establishment of an internationally recognised representative government by the people of Iraq;
• second, it lifts the burden of the most comprehensive sanctions regime ever imposed by the United Nations. With economic sanctions terminated, the efforts of the people of Iraq to rebuild their economy will be significantly strengthened. The new 'Development Fund for Iraq' will ensure that oil revenues are used in a transparent manner to meet the humanitarian needs of the Iraqi people, assist economic reconstruction, allow for continued disarmament and promote other purposes benefiting the people of Iraq. An International Advisory and Monitoring Board coupled with independent auditing will help guarantee that Iraq's resources are once again used exclusively to benefit its people;
• third, the Resolution gives a sound basis for the international community to come together, in the interests of the Iraqi people, consistent with international law. We look forward to increased international and UN involvement - helping the people of Iraq to reform their institutions, rebuild their country and enjoy conditions of stability and security in a stable regional environment.

Throughout our negotiations on this resolution, I said that it was not an omnibus - that it did not seek to resolve every issue. Among the issues we will need to take up in due course are the functions of UNMOVIC and the IAEA as they relate to the complete disarmament of Iraq under previous resolutions. The United Kingdom continues to see a role for both bodies in the eventual confirmation of disarmament and, perhaps, if the Council agrees, in longer term monitoring and verification. The Council will also need to consider the future of UNIKOM, the maintenance of the arms embargo, progress on repatriating Kuwaiti and Third-state nationals and the Kuwaiti archives and other issues flowing from or relevant to this resolution. I can assure colleagues that the United Kingdom is committed to reporting regularly on its efforts and would expect to do so on a quarterly basis. We are also committed to a serious review of the resolution within twelve months, considering further steps that might be necessary.

The adoption of this resolution lays the foundation for an operational partnership between the UN and other players in Iraq, including - most important - the Iraqis themselves. The experience and expertise of the UN in returning a troubled country to the hands of its own people is an instrument which the UK admires and respects: it must be fully used in Iraq.

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