United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission

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The United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) was created through the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1284 of December 17, 1999. "UNMOVIC was to replace the former UN Special Commission (UNSCOM) and continue with the latter’s mandate to disarm Iraq of its weapons of mass destruction (chemical, biological weapons and missiles with a range of more than 150 km), and to operate a system of ongoing monitoring and verification to check Iraq’s compliance with its obligations not to reacquire the same weapons prohibited to it by the Security Council." [1]

Commission

Dr. Hans Blix of Sweden was appointed UNMOVIC's Executive Chairman by Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan. Blix served from March 1, 2000, to June 30, 2003. "The Secretary-General has also appointed 16 individuals to serve on the College of Commissioners of UNMOVIC which provides advice and guidance to the Acting Executive Chairman in the execution of his duties." On July 1, 2003, Demetrius Perricos was appointed by the Secretary-General as Acting Executive Chairman of UNMOVIC. "The Commission’s staff include weapons specialists, analysts, scientists, engineers and operational planners. ... Unlike its predecessor, UNSCOM, the staff of UNMOVIC are employees of the United Nations." [2]

"Weapons in Iraq" January 2003

  • "'We know for a fact that there are weapons' in Iraq." --White House spokesperson Ari Fleischer, January 9, 2003, press conference. [3]

UNMOVIC Inspectors Withdrawn from Iraq March 2003

"Although its inspectors were withdrawn from Iraq in March 2003, UNMOVIC continues to operate with respect to those parts of its mandate it can implement outside of Iraq and has maintained a degree of preparedness to resume work in Iraq. It maintains a roster of more than 300 experts ready to serve and continues to conduct training. Details of its main ongoing activities are set out in reports to the Security Council." [4]

UNMOVIC 21st Quarterly Report, February 6, 2005

  • Report submitted by "the Acting Executive Chairman of UNMOVIC in accordance with paragraph 12 of Security Council resolution 1284 (1999) of 17 December 1999," and distributed May 27, 2005.

The First Quarterly Report went into general distribution June 1, 2000. All subsequent quarterly reports can be viewed by accesing the UNMOVIC website and clicking on the "Document List".

Publications

  • Hans Blix, Disarming Iraq, Pantheon (March 2004), ISBN 0375423028.

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