Iraq (Hansard, 27 October 2003)

§ Mr. Lazarowicz
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will urge the UN Security Council to take steps to deploy human rights monitors throughout Iraq in line with General Assembly resolution 57/232 of December 2002. [133001]

§ Mr. Rammell
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) appealed in May for an initial US$1.5 million for the provision of Human Rights Officers in Iraq. The UK agreed to allocate £400,000 (US$650,000) towards the OHCHR's request, to fund 60 per cent. of the immediate start-up costs of deploying Human Rights Officers and supporting their work. Following the terrorist attack on the United Nations Headquarters in Baghdad on 19 August 2003, the UN's efforts in Iraq have inevitably been scaled back, and the five human rights monitors were withdrawn with other international staff. The majority are now deployed in the region or in Geneva and New York and working on Iraq-related human rights issues. We are in discussion with the UN on the security measures needed to ensure that the UN is able to strengthen its vital role in Iraq.

§ Keith Vaz
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his Department's support for the draft UN resolution on the political and economic reconstruction of Iraq. [134268]

§ Mr. Rammell
Security Council Resolution 1511, co-sponsored by the UK and unanimously adopted on 16 October, provides a further step forward in the 59WS international community's contribution to the political and economic reconstruction of Iraq. The Resolution has three main objectives:

to confirm and accelerate the transfer of power to the people of Iraq;

to send a clear signal that the international community is committed to the rapid political and economic reconstruction of a free Iraq which is secure and stable;

to ensure, as conditions permit, a strengthened vital role for the United Nations, in partnership with the Coalition and with the Iraqi people.
In particular, the Resolution invites the Governing Council of Iraq to provide by 15 December a programme and timetable for the drafting of a new constitution for Iraq and for the holding of democratic elections. It also encourages farther international contributions to economic reconstruction, to the multi-national security force and to training and equipping of Iraqi police.

§ Keith Vaz
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that the draft resolution on the reconstruction of Iraq will be implemented by the United Nations Security Council. [134291]

§ Mr. Rammell
Security Council Resolution 1511, adopted on 16 October, sets out a number of areas requiring implementation by the Iraqi authorities, the Coalition Provisional Authority, the United Nations or the rest of the international community. The Security Council will regularly review implementation of the Resolution and the UK will work to ensure implementation by all those involved.