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) sj.mt KUNA 262237 Jun 13NNNN