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19:37 GMT
UNITED NATIONS, June 26 (KUNA) -- Iraqi Foreign Minister Hozhyar Zebari is
scheduled to address the Security Council, tomorrow Thursday, as it votes on a
draft resolution that would partially exit Iraq from Chapter VII of the UN
Charter, and end the post of the high-level coordinator for missing Kuwaitis
and property it created in 1999.
The Council would, however, transfer these two humanitarian issues, under
Chapter VI, to the attention of the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI),
taking into consideration the Kuwaiti conditions aimed at having them
constantly under Council review.
The resolution would call on Baghdad, in furtherance of its commitment to
facilitate the repatriation of all Kuwaiti and third-country nationals or
their remains still unaccounted for, to continue cooperation with the
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) by providing any information
about them.
It would also urge Baghdad to continue efforts to search for missing
Kuwaiti property, including the national archives, through its
inter-ministerial committee.
The Council would request the Head of UNAMI to promote, support and
facilitate efforts regarding the repatriation or return of all Kuwaiti and
third country nationals or their remains, and the return of Kuwaiti property,
including the national archives, seized by Iraq during the seven-month
invasion.
In response to Kuwaiti demands, the Council would request the
Secretary-General to report separately to the Council on these matters in his
reports on the progress made towards the fulfillment of all UNAMI's
responsibilities.
It would also request the Secretary-General to consider designating his
Deputy Special Representative at UNAMI to be responsible for overseeing these
issues and ensuring appropriate resources for them.
It would further express its intention to review the modalities of the
reporting mechanism, in the event that UNAMI's mandate is terminated, "with a
view towards considering a continued role for the United Nations in such
matters if needed."
The Council would finally decide to "remain seized of the matter."
The Council would welcome in the draft resolution's preambular part both
Iraq and Kuwait's efforts to advance regional stability, and "all the positive
steps that have been taken by the Government of Iraq to fulfill resolution 833
of 1993" related to the border between the two neighbouring countries.
It would recognize that the situation existing now in Iraq is
"significantly different" from when the Saddam regime invaded Kuwait in August
1990, and the "importance of Iraq achieving international standing equal" to
that which it held prior to that date.
It would also "welcome Iraq's continued demonstration of its commitment to
the full implementation of its outstanding obligations under the relevant
Chapter VII resolutions, namely the continuation of payment of the outstanding
amount of compensation administered by the United Nations Compensation
Commission."
Iraq will continue to pay, under Chapter VII, 5 percent of its oil revenue
to Kuwait to compensate for war damages. The payments will continue until 2015.
Baghdad paid Kuwait so far some USD 30 billion out of USD 41 billion in war
reparations.
Zebari was quoted as telling a press conference in late May that "if we
continue at this pace, I think that in 2015, after paying all the war
compensation, Iraq will be completely removed from Chapter VII."
Contrary to Chapter VII which threatens with "action by air, sea, or land
forces as may be necessary to maintain or restore international peace and
security," Chapter VI stipulates that the Council shall "call on the parties
to settle their dispute by negotiation, mediation, arbitration, judicial
settlement," or other peaceful means of their choice."
The Council expressed "deep appreciation" to the late Ambassador Yuli
Vorontsov and Ambassador Gennady Tarasov, both Russian nationals, who in their
capacity of successive High-Level Coordinators, devoted their professional
skills to build trust between Iraq and Kuwait, and contributed to the full
normalization of their relations. (end)
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