Security Council meeting 5743

The President

In accordance with the understanding reached in the Council's prior consultations, I shall take it that the Security Council agrees to extend an invitation under rule 39 of its provisional rules of procedure to Mr. Johan Verbeke, Chairman of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1737 (2006).

It is so decided.

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Security Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations.

At this meeting, we will hear a briefing by Mr. Johan Verbeke, Chairman of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1737 (2006), on whom I now call.

Mr. Verbeke (Chairman of the Security Council Committee)

This is my third 90-day report to the Security Council, which I am delivering in accordance with paragraph 18 of resolution 1737 (2006). The report covers the period 22 June to 19 September 2007.

During that period, the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1737 (2006) held seven informal consultations to address various matters, mostly relating to paragraphs 15, 18 and 19 of resolution 1737 (2006) and paragraph 8 of resolution 1747 (2007). The Committee also carried out much of its work outside the meeting room, using the silence procedure.

As members will recall, paragraph 15 of resolution 1737 (2006) concerns notifications by relevant States to the Committee of the intention to make or receive payments, or to authorize the unfreezing of funds, in connection with contracts entered into prior to the listing of persons and entities in the annexes to resolutions 1737 (2006) and 1747 (2007), subject to the assets freeze. During the reporting period, in order to ensure consistency in its work, the Committee agreed on the text of a model letter that would henceforth be sent out to the notifying State in acknowledgement of its notification. Where appropriate, the letter would also invite the notifying State to consider providing additional information regarding individual transactions, in accordance with the Committee's guidelines. The Committee received 12 notifications. In addition, the Committee responded to a written query from a Member State on the application and interpretation of paragraph 15 of resolution 1737 (2006).

Since I mention the assets freeze, let me also inform members that, pursuant to subparagraph 13 (b) of resolution 1737 (2006), the Committee granted one exemption to that measure to cover extraordinary expenses, as determined by the relevant State, of a listed entity.

Paragraph 18 (b) of resolution 1737 (2006) tasks the Committee with seeking from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) secretariat information regarding the actions taken by the IAEA to implement effectively the measures imposed by paragraph 16 of the same resolution, which defines the scope of the technical cooperation provided by the IAEA to Iran, and whatever further information it might consider in that regard. Members will recall that the Committee initially sought such information in February of this year, following which the IAEA transmitted a report on 8 March. On 7 August, given that more than four months had elapsed since the receipt of the first report, the Committee invited the IAEA to provide an update and, as it deemed appropriate, any additional details with respect to the IAEA's technical assistance to Iran and paragraph 5 of its report transmitted on 8 March.

By a letter dated 22 August, the IAEA informed the Committee that no projects had been added to its technical cooperation programme with Iran since the issuance of its first report, and provided an update on technical cooperation and technical assistance activities since 8 March. Six requests for technical cooperation were considered to be covered and had proceeded; five others had not. Twenty-four requests for participation in technical assistance activities had been deemed in conformity with resolution 1737 (2006), whereas a further three requests were not.

As members will recall, in paragraph 19 of resolution 1737 (2006) the Security Council decided that all States would report to the Committee within 60 days of the adoption of the resolution on the steps they had taken with a view to implementing effectively paragraphs 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12 and 17 of the resolution. In paragraph 8 of resolution 1747 (2007), the Council called upon all States to report to the Committee within 60 days of the adoption of the resolution on the steps they had taken with a view to implementing effectively paragraphs 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of that resolution. On 19 July, the Committee agreed to send a note verbale -- the third such note -- to States that had not yet reported under either resolution, encouraging them to submit reports and reminding them that the deadlines set by both resolutions had passed. The Committee also informed those States that submission by other States that had already been received and published could be found on the Committee's website.

Since I last briefed the Council, the Committee has received three additional reports under resolution 1737 (2006), 11 additional reports under resolution 1747 (2007), and five additional combined reports under both resolutions. That brings the total number of reports under resolution 1737 (2006) to 81, and the total number of reports under resolution 1747 (2007) to 67. As before, I would like to inform the Council that, of the 19 additional reports received within the past three months, 15 States reported that they already had legislation in place that covered the relevant paragraphs of the resolutions. A further four States reported on the steps they had taken or would be taking to put the necessary legal framework in place. Finally, all States that submitted reports assured the Committee of their commitment to implementing resolutions 1737 (2006) and 1747 (2007) and to meeting their obligations as outlined therein.

That concludes my summary of the Committee's activities. With respect to working methods, members may be aware that, in the interests of transparency, the date, time and venue of both formal meetings and informal consultations of the Committee are announced in the daily Journal of the United Nations, and a web link to the Journal is available on the Committee's web page. That new practice is in conformity with the presidential note of 19 July 2006, as well as the recommendations of the Council's informal working group on general issues of sanctions.

Finally, let me assure the Security Council that the Committee will continue to discharge its mandate to the best of its ability.

The President

I now give the floor to those Council members who wish to make comments.

Mr. Wolff (United States)

My delegation wishes to express its appreciation for Ambassador Verbeke's continued leadership as the Chairman of the Security Council Sanctions Committee established pursuant to resolution 1737 (2006) and for his report to the Council today. Ambassador Verbeke's efforts have been essential in the Committee's execution of its mandate as described in his report, especially in encouraging States to submit reports detailing their efforts to implement the Chapter VII sanctions imposed by the Council on Iran in resolutions 1737 (2006) and 1747 (2007). In that context, we note that, while the number of reports received continues to rise, many are still outstanding. We urge all States that have not yet submitted their implementation reports to do so as soon as possible.

Ambassador Verbeke's report also highlights a request made by the Committee to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for an update to its March 2007 report describing its implementation of paragraph 16 of resolution 1737 (2006), which relates to IAEA technical cooperation with Iran. Additional details with respect to other technical assistance to Iran were also requested. While we are still assessing the IAEA's response to that request, we note that the IAEA has evaluated 27 requests for IAEA technical assistance against the restrictions imposed in Security Council resolution 1737 (2006), finding three to be contrary to what operative paragraph 6 prohibits. We would welcome any additional details that the IAEA could share on the nature and content of those requests, as well as the 24 permitted to proceed. We propose that the Sanctions Committee draft a follow-up letter to the IAEA, seeking additional details.

Many months have passed since the adoption of resolutions 1737 (2006) and 1747 (2007), and unfortunately Iran has complied with neither of them. To the contrary, IAEA Director General El-Baradei's reports of 23 May (S/2007/303, annex) and 30 August (IAEA document GOV/2007/48) confirm that Iran has failed to suspend its uranium enrichment and heavy-water-related activities, as required by the Council. Although the IAEA workplan holds potential towards resolving the IAEA's myriad outstanding concerns with Iran's nuclear programme -- if Iran fully cooperates -- Iran persists in defying the Security Council's requirement to suspend its proliferation-sensitive nuclear activities.

The United States once again calls on Iran to change its confrontational course, suspend its proliferation-sensitive nuclear activities and cooperate fully and unconditionally with the IAEA. Doing so would begin the process of restoring international confidence in the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programme and would permit negotiations to commence with Iran on the generous offer of the Permanent Five plus one.

Our delegation looks forward to continuing to work with others in the Committee to execute its mandate and ensure the most robust and comprehensive implementation possible of these resolutions in order to persuade Iran to abandon its pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability.

The President

There are no further speakers on my list. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.