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STATEMENTS BY OIP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
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BACKGROUND INFORMATION
In the immediate aftermath of the Gulf War in 1991, the United Nations sent a mission to Iraq which reported the makings of “an imminent catastrophe … if minimum life supporting needs are not rapidly met.” The Security Council responded by offering Iraq, in August 1991, an opportunity to sell oil to meet its people’s basic needs while the sanctions, imposed in August 1990, remained in place. That offer was not accepted and over the following five years there was widespread suffering with food shortages, an absence of essential medicines and a general deterioration in essential social services. In 1996 the Government of Iraq and the United Nations Secretariat reached agreement on a Memorandum of Understanding, setting out the details of implementing Security Council resolution 986 (1995) which had been adopted 13 months earlier. Resolution 986 (1995) set the terms of reference for the oil-for-food programme. "Oil-for-food is a unique programme, established by the Council as a temporary measure to provide for the humanitarian needs of the Iraqi people, which is being implemented within the context of a sanctions regime with all its attendant political, psychological and commercial dimensions, until the fulfillment by Iraq of the relevant resolutions, including notably resolution 687 (1991) of 3 April 1991." (The Supplementary Report of the Secretary-General of 1 February 1998 - S/1998/90) |
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For further information please contact Mr. Ian Steele in the Office of the Iraq Programme. email: steelei@un.org |