Security Council urges greater efforts by Iraq, Kuwait to resolve post-invasion issues

The Security Council today urged the Governments of Iraq and Kuwait to step up their engagement with the United Nations envoy helping the two countries resolve issues pending from Iraq’s 1990 invasion, including finding Kuwaiti or third-country nationals.

“The members of the Security Council welcomed the continued cooperation of the Governments of Iraq and Kuwait, and their high-level commitments to full implementation of all Iraqi obligations to Kuwait under the relevant resolutions,” the Council said in a statement issued to the press following a closed-door meeting.

The Council was briefed by Ambassador Gennady Tarasov, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s High-Level Coordinator for the issue of missing Kuwait and third-country nationals and property, on Mr. Ban’s latest report on the issue.

“The members of the Security Council recognised the proactive efforts on the part of Iraq in the search for missing Kuwaiti and third country nationals but stressed the need for Iraq to continue to build on the steps already taken to fully meet its commitments,” said the statement.

Council members welcomed the Iraqi Government’s establishment of an inter-ministerial committee to lead and coordinate efforts with regard to the Kuwaiti national archives.

“Whilst the members of the Security Council welcomed the recent return of microfilm cassettes, Kuwaiti currency, documents and safe keys, they noted the Secretary-General’s concern that no substantial progress has been made on clarifying the fate of the archives,” said the 15-member body.

“The members of the Security Council noted that sustained efforts on this file could bear results and repeated their call for an intensification of efforts to clarify the whereabouts of the archives,” it added.

The Council members urged the two Governments to sustain and intensify their constructive engagement with the High-Level Coordinator, and supported the Secretary-General’s opinion that both sides should begin exploring other arrangements to consolidate and ensure continued cooperation in the search for missing persons and property, including the national archives.