Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 6 Nov 2001

Vol. 543 No. 2

Written Answers. - Foreign Policy.

Enda Kenny

Question:

190 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if, further to Parliamentary Question No. 72 of 17 October 2001, he will outline his views on the options open to the Government as a member of the UN Security Council to open further dialogue and discussion with the Iraq Government; if he will intercede to determine the reasons no single order for medicines was placed in the first half of 2001; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26341/01]

Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Cowen):

The Security Council in its Resolution 1360 of 3 July 2001, and in previous Resolutions, has given the UN Secretary General a mandate to pursue consultations with the Government of Iraq. The Secretary General, the Security Council and the UN office of the Iraq programme have repeatedly sought Iraqi co-operation to address the obstacles to alleviating the suffering of the Iraqi people. Ireland, as a member of the Security Council, has been fully supportive of those efforts.

I raised the issue with the UN Secretary General on 29 October during my most recent visit to New York, including the question of his continuing to explore with the Iraqi Government the prospects for both the improved implementation and reform of the sanctions regime, and the eventual suspension of the regime in the context of Iraq's compliance with the council's demands that it allow United Nations arms inspectors to verify that it is not engaged in the production of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. However, to date, Iraq has not shown that it is willing to engage seriously with the UN.

Iraq has failed to place a single order for medicines in the first six months of 2000. Despite the criticisms contained in the Secretary General's latest report of slow contracting and other obstacles to the implementation of the humanitarian programme caused by Iraq, the government of Iraq has not furnished any reason to account for its failure to place such orders in a timely fashion. It would be for the UN office of the Iraq programme to pursue this matter with the Iraqi authorities.

Ireland, as a member of the Security Council, has deplored the failure of the government of Iraq to co-operate effectively with the programme and to serve the interests and needs of its own people. We have called on Iraq to co-operate fully with the UN, and to meet all of its responsibilities and commitments under the relevant resolutions of the Security Council so that sanctions can be suspended.

At the same time, I believe that there are immediate steps which the members of the Security Council could take to improve the humanitarian and long-term situation of the people of Iraq. I would, in particular, like to see rapid progress in negotiations to place the sanctions regime on a new basis. The Security Council has under consideration a revised system for the importation of goods into Iraq, under which all goods could be freely imported except for those on a narrowly focused list of items that are considered to have possible military application, which would still need the approval of the Iraq Sanctions Committee. This would do away with many of the current, cumbersome procedures. Additionally, the new regime would greatly facilitate action in the Iraq Sanctions Committee, in that the practice of certain member states of placing an unreasonably high number of holds on contracts would no longer apply.

Unfortunately, it has not been possible so far to reach the necessary level of agreement in the Security Council on these reforms. We have been active with fellow members of the Council at a number of levels in urging flexibility. The issue is due to be considered again by the Council at the end of this month.