Security Council approves 6-month extension of oil-for-food program for Iraq
Iraq, Politics, 6/9/2000

The UN Security Council has extended the United Nations "oil-food-program" for Iraq for another six months. A UN statement said:

Unanimously adopting resolution 1302 late in the evening yesterday, the Council decided that the new six-month phase of the program, or "Phase VIII," would begin just as Phase VII expired at midnight, on 8 June.

The Council expressed its determination to improve Iraq's humanitarian situation, and appealed to all states to cooperate in the timely submission of applications, facilitate the transit of humanitarian supplies and take appropriate measures to ensure that these supplies reach the Iraqi people as rapidly as possible.

Through the resolution, Secretary-General Kofi Annan was invited to appoint independent experts to prepare a comprehensive report analyzing the humanitarian situation in Iraq and recommending ways to meet them within the framework of existing resolutions.

The Council welcomed efforts by its sanctions monitoring body, so called 661 Committee, to review applications expeditiously, and encouraged further efforts in that direction. It asked Mr. Annan to submit recommendations to the 661 committee on ways to reduce delays in payment for Iraqi oil, and on the use of excess funds in the escrow account for Iraq.

The escrow account holds revenue from oil exports to be used for humanitarian needs. According to the Secretary-General's latest report, the account has some $2.3 billion in export revenue left over from earlier phases.

The Council also decided that from the revenue generated during Phase VIII, up to $600 million can be used to meet any "reasonable expenses" -- other than those payable in Iraq -- which follow directly from contracts approved in accordance with previous resolutions. In his report, the Secretary-General had asked that allocations for equipment and spare parts be increased to $600 million in order to address the deterioration in Iraq's oil sector.

Council members from Tunisia, China, Russian Federation, United Kingdom, Netherlands and the United States spoke after the resolution was adopted.

Previous Stories:
  Saudi Arabia and the embargo on Iraq   (6/7/2000)
  Iraq criticizes Gulf states statement   (6/6/2000)
  Russian president pledges to help Iraq lift sanctions   (6/3/2000)

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