Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 15 Jun 2000

Vol. 521 No. 3

Ceisteanna–Questions. Priority Questions. - UN Sanctions.

Michael D. Higgins

Ceist:

4 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the Government's attitude to the damage being done to the efforts to bring humanitarian relief to the children of Iraq by the continuing economic sanctions against that country; if he raised this matter with the British and US authorities in particular; if he will give account of such discussions; if he has received a report from the three MEPs who recently visited Iraq on a fact finding mission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17039/00]

Mr. Cowen

The suffering of the people of Iraq, especially children, and the problems in implementing the United Nations humanitarian programmes in Iraq are of deep concern to the Government.

The Taoiseach and I raised our concerns about the effects of the sanctions on the people of Iraq with the US Secretary of State, Mrs. Madeleine Albright, in Washington in March, and urged the United States, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, to seek to reduce the delays on needed medicines and spare parts for infrastructure. Mrs. Albright expressed sympathy with these concerns and at the same time pointed out the lack of co-operation by the Iraqi authorities with the positive humanitarian provisions in Resolution 1284, which was adopted by the Security Council on 17 December last but flatly rejected by Iraq. Our concerns have also been presented in discussions at official level with British counterparts.

We consistently advocate further reductions in the number of refusals and delays by the sanctions committee in clearing supplies contracted under the oil for food programme, and continue to raise within the United Nations and the EU the urgent need to improve the conditions of the general population in Iraq.

The serious humanitarian situation of the Iraqi people was witnessed recently during a week long visit by three members of the European Parliament, including Mr. Niall Andrews MEP, who wrote a report on the visit which was published in The Irish Times on 6 June. The report highlighted a number of specific issues. The three members of the European Parliament intend to open up discussions on these issues with the European Commission and with all the political groups in the European Parliament.

We are also concerned about recent reports of a large number of ships leaving Iraq with cargoes of oil and refined petroleum products for foreign buyers outside the UN oil for food programme. The income derived from this is not spent on buying essential supplies for Iraqi citizens. Such actions undermine the humanitarian relief programmes.

I urge the Iraqi Government to comply with Security Council resolutions, particularly in relation to the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission, which is expected to be operational in August, and to co-operate adequately with the UN oil for food programme, in particular, to ensure equitable distribution to the civilian population of the supplies made available. I hope that with this co-operation and with greater awareness of the defects of the current sanctions regime, faster progress can be made in the suspension, and ultimate lifting, of sanctions.

Mr. M. Higgins

Is the Minister able to square what is happening in Iraq with, for example, the United Nations Charter on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights which states that the inhabitants of a given country do not forfeit basic economic, social and cultural rights by virtue of any determination that their leaders have violated norms relating to international peace and security? Given that that is the position in international law, is he happy to continue making the case that we will urge more humanitarian implementation of the oil for food programme; and would he further comment on, or has his Department prepared a response to, the reports provided by the co-ordinators of humanitarian relief who resigned, Denis Halliday and Hans Von Sponeck?

Mr. Cowen

As I said, we agree with the view that a sanctions regime should take full account of economic, social and cultural rights, and I made clear that we have expressed our concern on these issues. There is also the obligation on us, as a member of the UN, to adhere to Security Council resolutions and, therefore, we have been impressing in every way possible on the UN Security Council to ensure that the practicalities of the implementation of these sanctions do not result in the horrendous situation from which many Iraqi citizens are suffering as a result of the sanctions regime and the refusal of that Government to respond to the international body representing the UN Security Council to deal with the question of the weapons of mass destruction inspections which has been the core of the problem for some years.

We support the UN Security Council, therefore, in demanding full compliance by the Government of Iraq with the terms of its resolutions, which require the verification of the elimination of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. Compliance with those resolutions will make it possible for the entire issue of sanctions against Iraq to be resolved. We are deeply concerned about the suffering being endured by the Iraqi people and the difficulties arising for the implementation of international humanitarian aid programmes as a result of the sanctions. We regret that Iraq has not so far complied fully with the resolutions and we urge the Government to comply with this and other relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

We have raised the issue in the relevant CFSP working group by requesting information from France and the UK. Despite the lack of opportunity at the UN arising from the absence of debate before this on the issue, the Irish permanent mission of the UN is in ongoing contact with members of the Security Council and with the UN secretariat regarding the further handling of the issue. At an open debate which took place on 17 April on the question of sanctions in general, not on Iraq as such, we sought a direct reference to Iraq in the common EU statement in this debate but we received no support from partners, who prefer to follow the wishes of the current Security Council President, Canada, to confine the debate to the general question of sanctions. Nevertheless, in obvious references to the situation in Iraq, the statement calls for sanctions to minimise the negative humanitarian impact on the general population, particularly the most vulnerable sectors, and to provide from the outset for humanitarian exemptions.

Mr. M. Higgins

The report of the three MEPs shows the degree of destruction of the infrastruc ture, and particularly its impacts on the death and malnutrition of children. If one takes that as fact and puts it side by side with the other fact that on compliance over 80% of the weapons of destruction have been destroyed, how can one justify continuance of the sanctions which is totally out of proportion? Is the Minister satisfied from any talks he has had with Britain or the United States as to the conditions which would in fact end the sanctions? What is the purpose of the sanctions?

Mr. Cowen

What will end the sanctions immediately is if the Iraqi Government complies with the blueprint for the new UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission which has been set up to replace UNSCOM and is headed by Hans Blix, a former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency. On the need to get a new structure beyond UNSCOM, in view of the allegations of espionage, American bias, etc., there is, since 14 April, an opportunity for the Iraqi Government to respond positively. It is difficult to understand why such a regime is not responding positively given the huge suffering of its people.