13 April 2000

Security Council Approves Iraq Weapons Inspection Plan

United Nations -- The Security Council April 13 approved an organizational plan for the new U.N. Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) that is to continue overseeing the destruction of Iraqi weapons and long-term monitoring of Baghdad's weapons programs.

The plan was submitted for the council's approval by the newly appointed executive chairman of the commission, former International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) head Hans Blix. UNMOVIC was established by the council in 1999 to replace the U.N. Special Commission overseeing the destruction of Iraqi weapons (UNSCOM) set up under the cease-fire resolutions at the end of the Gulf war.

Talking about the UNMOVIC with journalists after the meeting, U.S. Ambassador Richard Holbrooke said, "speaking on behalf of the United States, we were very impressed and I stated so in very strong and emphatic terms this morning."

Blix "came in on schedule with an excellent plan. We fully endorsed it this morning," Holbrooke said.

"We call on Iraq to comply with resolution 1284 which means letting the (human rights) rapporteur in, the POW ambassador in, and of course, getting moving on UNMOVIC itself," the ambassador said. "This charade from Baghdad really has gone on much too long."

Holbrooke also said that contrary to some press reports, he has been involved in Iraq issues at the United Nations and has met with Blix privately several times.

"I am following it very closely and I have no idea what you meant that I don't care about Iraq," the ambassador told reporters. "It's simply that the more visible aspects of my activities involve other issues."

Council President Robert Fowler of Canada said "the plan is approved and obviously we look forward to maintaining a close association with Executive Chairman Blix and he has, of course, undertaken to keep the council informed of a variety of issues."

According to resolution 1284 which set up UNMOVIC, the council had to approve Blix's plan for the commission's structure, staffing requirements, management guidelines, recruitment and training procedures that will enable it to oversee the remaining tasks in the destruction of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and their programs.

While the latest council decision gives Blix the green light to move ahead with weapons inspections that have been stalled since 1998, it is unlikely that UNMOVIC will be up and running in Iraq soon. Iraq has refused to accept the resolution and has given no indication that it intends to do so in the near future.

The plan includes senior staff in the office of the executive chairman, and four divisions for technical support and training; planning and operations; analysis and assessment; and information. UNMOVIC will also continue UNSCOM's Baghdad Ongoing Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Center to provide support offices, logistics, communication and transport for teams of inspectors and it will oversee remote monitoring of sites throughout Iraq.

While UNSCOM relied mainly on staff seconded from and paid by national governments, UNMOVIC staff will be paid by the United Nations and serve under U.N. conditions of employment which required that they neither seek nor receive instructions from any government and respect strict rules of confidentiality, according to Blix's plan.

About two-thirds of UNSCOM's professional staff have left and some more may still do so, Blix pointed out. While there will be no automatic transition to UNMOVIC, those still at the U.N. are "free to apply for the new U.N. positions in competition with other candidates," he said.

"Previous work will have given them valuable experience and knowledge that could usefully be passed on to new UNMOVIC staff who come on board," he said. "A combination of renewal and continuity would minimize the loss of momentum and knowledge which has inevitably occurred through the long absence of inspection and monitoring."

Blix also said that while there will be close cooperation among the four divisions, the need for strict confidentiality about such things as sites, objects and timing of inspections and data underlying inspections will often require that certain information will be shared only on a "need-to-know" basis.

Since Iraq has not accepted resolution 1284, Blix said it may be neither practical nor prudent to begin full staffing. He recommended, instead, a two-step approach which first will fill core staff positions and then be followed by full recruitment to make UNMOVIC fully operational when U.N. inspectors can finally return to Iraq.

(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)