SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS WAR NOT INEVITABLE,
BUT IRAQ MUST DISARM; INSPECTIONS SHOULD BE
ALLOWED TO CONTINUE

STATEMENT BY KOFI ANNAN
UN SECRETARY-GENERAL

UNITED NATIONS

February 24, 2003

Excerpts

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This Summit is taking place at a critical juncture, with the prospect of war in Iraq looming before us.  However, I believe that war, even now, is not inevitable.  Inspections, resumed just a few months ago, are beginning to yield results and should be allowed to continue until all weapons of mass destruction are destroyed or accounted for.  As the international community considers the next steps in this process, I believe it is essential that we focus on what unites us, and not on what divides us.  On the critical objectives, the Security Council has spoken with one voice.  Iraq must disarm.  It must cooperate fully and proactively with the inspectors.  This makes clear that what is required at this stage is cooperation, persistence and constant pressure.

The international community must make every effort to encourage Iraq to comply fully with Security Council resolution 1441 (2002) and to cooperate proactively with the inspectors so this objective is achieved peacefully.  It is imperative that the Iraqi leadership understand the gravity and the urgency of the situation.  Three months ago, in resolution 1441 (2002), the Security Council gave Iraq 'a final opportunity' to comply with its disarmament obligations, and recalled, in that context, that it had repeatedly warned Iraq that it would face serious consequences as a result of its continued violations of its obligations.  For the sake of its own people, and for the sake of world security and world order I urge the Iraqi leadership to choose full transparency and cooperation with the inspectors to help avoid conflict. 

If the Security Council manages this crisis effectively and successfully, its credibility and influence will be considerably enhanced.  If, on the other hand, the international community fails to agree on a common position, and action is taken without the authority of the Security Council, the legitimacy of, and support for, any action will be seriously impaired.  States and peoples around the world attach fundamental importance to such legitimacy, and to the international rule of law. 

The support and active participation of NAM in our collective effort to find a peaceful solution to the current crisis regarding Iraq is certainly much appreciated by all.  What happens in Iraq will have serious implications for other issues for many years to come -- including international terrorism and the situations in the occupied Palestinian territory, Afghanistan and elsewhere.

This is, of course, a crisis with potentially very serious humanitarian implications.  Already, the humanitarian situation in Iraq is of great concern.  The population is highly vulnerable, with 1 million children under five chronically malnourished, and 5 million Iraqis lacking access to safe water and sanitation.  As you are aware, United Nations agencies are taking prudent steps to prepare for the humanitarian consequences of any future conflict by prepositioning materials and deploying emergency field personnel.

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