Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, February 19, 2003
Nonaligned Movement Urges Peaceful Disarmament of Iraq
The Nonaligned Movement, which requested an open debate over how to proceed with the disarmament of Iraq, urged a peaceful solution of the issue Tuesday.
The Nonaligned Movement, which requested an open debate over how to proceed with the disarmament of Iraq, urged a peaceful solution of the issue Tuesday.
Speaking at the outset of the debate on behalf of the coalition,Permanent Representative of South Africa Dumisani Kumalo said the 115 member states and 15 observer states of the UN who belonged toNAM had requested the meeting because "the council was engaged in a crucial debate that had important repercussions for the entire international community."
"To us, resolution 1441 was, and still is, about ensuring that Iraq is peacefully disarmed," Ambassador Kumalo said.
Recalling the update last Friday by the chief UN inspectors, Kumalo stressed that inspections were continuing apace and the inspectors themselves were receiving renewed cooperation from the Iraqi Government.
"None of the information presented during last week's or previous reports would justify the council's abandoning of the inspections process and resorting to war," he noted.
"Resorting to war without fully exhausting all other options represents an admission of failure by the Security Council in carrying out its mandate of maintaining international peace and security," he said, urging the 15-member council to redouble its efforts to bring about a peaceful resolution to the situation.
The extended open debate was convened to hear the views of some60 non-Council members on the matter.