§ Mr. Forthasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures have been taken by the United Kingdom to discourage the use of chemical weapons by Iraq against Iran and to help bring about an end to the fighting between them.
§ Sir Geoffrey HoweThe United Nations Secretary-General arranged for a group of four independent experts to visit Iran and investigate Iranian allegations that Iraq had used lethal chemical weapons in the recent fighting. On the basis of their unanimous report that chemical weapons have been used, the Security Council has issued a strong condemnation, and has called for scrupulous adherence to the obligations flowing from accession to the 1925 Geneva protocol.
The United Kingdom wholeheartedly endorses the Security Council's conclusion. No country is entitled to ignore its obligations under international agreements or disregard the rules and principles of humanitarian law which apply to armed conflict. Nor, on the other hand, should the intransigence of one side be allowed to block all avenues towards a peaceful settlement. The United Kingdom will support any serious prospects of mediation, particularly through the good offices of the United Nations Secretary-General.