NOTICE ON WITHDRAWAL OF ALL HUMANITARIAN
PERSONNEL FROM IRAQ

UNITED NATIONS OFFICE OF THE IRAQ PROGRAMME

March 17, 2003

On 17 March 2003, the United Nations Secretary-General announced that in view of warnings received from the Governments of the United Kingdom and the United States, regarding the continued safety and security of UN personnel present in the territory of Iraq, he had decided that he was no longer in a position to guarantee the safety and security of these personnel. As a result, he was obliged to withdraw temporarily all remaining humanitarian personnel from Iraq.

The Secretary-General noted that he was aware that these measures would lead to the suspension of the activities of the humanitarian programme in Iraq pursuant to resolution 986 (1995). However, the threat to the safety and security of the personnel concerned had in effect rendered their mandates inoperable.

The Secretary-General stated, for the record, that he regards those activities as suspended de facto. The mandates established by the relevant Security Council resolutions under which these activities are carried out remain in force until such time as the Security Council should decide otherwise.

The above implies that the mandate of the oil-for-food programme remains in force until such time as the Security Council should decide otherwise, and the functions performed by the UN under the programme outside Iraq would continue.

Following the meeting of the Security Council on 17 March 2003, the Secretary-General stated:

“This does not mean that, should war come to Iraq, the UN will sit back and not do anything to help the Iraqi population. We will find a way of resuming our humanitarian activities to help the Iraqi people who have suffered so long, and do whatever we can to give them assistance and support. And, as you know, we have undertaken contingency planning to be able to move forward as soon as we can.”