Global Policy Forum

By Vladimir Kikilo

Germany was appointed chairman of the UN Security Council's commission on monitoring Iraq sanctions, France's ambassador, Jean-Marc de la Sabliere, this month's council president, told reporters on Tuesday.

Last September, the UN General Assembly elected Germany, Chile, Spain, Angola and Pakistan as non-permanent members of the 15-member Security Council for a two-year term, starting January 1. These countries replaced Norway, Colombia, Ireland, Mauritius and Singapore. Diplomatic sources said the USA had opposed the appointment because it feared the position of the German political leadership, which consistently called for peaceful solution of disputed issues, including the Iraqi problem.

However, this approach was not supported by two other key member of the UN Security Council - France and Russia. Finally, Washington dropped its opposition.

"The unanimous decision by the UN Security Council shows trust in our ability and skill to fulfill this quite serious task," a high-ranking German diplomat told Itar-Tass on condition of anonymity. Germany regards it as its duty not just to the Security Council, but also to all delegates of the UN General Assembly to ensure the execution and transparent monitoring of all the sanctions, he added.

As in 1995-1996, when Germany was a UN Security Council member, it is ready again to take up responsibility to lead this important UN panel, according to the diplomat.

The UN panel on Iraq sanctions plays the decisive role in fixing prices of Iraqi oil and approving the list goods imported by Baghdad within the framework of the Oil for Food humanitarian program.

The German diplomat confirmed that Germany was calling for complete fulfillment of UN Security Council Resolution 1441 and the previous resolutions envisioning Iraq's disarmament, and urging the Iraqi government to meet its commitments to the Security Council.

He expressed hope that Iraq will continue to cooperate with UN inspectors and that the inspections themselves will result in Iraq's peaceful disarmament. Otherwise, he said, a new situation will develop which will require well-balanced decisions from the Security Council.

The diplomat refused to comment on prognoses on this account. According to the official, the presence of his country in the UN Security Council by no means relates to the issue of reform of this important body whose primary responsibility is to maintain peace and security in the world. He reminded that the UN Security Council reform had been discussed for a decade already, but that the discussion did not yield any results.

"We openly call for such a reform which would reflect the situation in the world of the 21st century, rather than the world situation of the first half of the 20th century," he said.

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