HL Deb 03 May 2001 vol 625 cc119-20WA
Lord Avebury

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What response they believe should be made by the United Nations Security Council to the letter from President Charles Taylor of Liberia to the Secretary-General dated 21 March, listing the action taken to comply with Security Council Resolution 1343 of 7 March; whether, in particular, they will recommend that the Security Council should accept President Taylor's invitation to send a monitoring mission to Liberia; and what measures they are recommending, other than monitoring missions, to establish the degree of Liberia's compliance with Security Council demands. [HL1806]

Baroness Scotland of Asthal

The Government note the Government of Liberia's assertion that it has taken steps to comply with the demands of the UN Security Council in its Resolution 1343 (2001). We consider that it remains essential that the Government of Liberia should comply completely with the key demand of the Security Council in UN Security Council Resolution 1343, namely the demand immediately to cease its support for the RUF in Sierra Leone and other armed groups in the region. We are very concerned at reports of continuing Liberian involvement at official level in continued arms supplies to the RUF.

The Panel of Experts established by UN Security Council Resolution 1343 is mandated to collect information on the compliance of the Government of Liberia with the demands of the Security Council and to report to the Security Council by 7 September 2001. The possibility of other sources of monitoring remains under consideration by the UN Security Council.

Back to