News

USIS Washington 
File

08 April 1999

TEXT: UN SECURITY COUNCIL STATEMENT ON LOCKERBIE SUSPECTS

(UNSC officially acknowledges Libya's compliance) (570)

United Nations -- The UN Security Council has officially recognized
that the two Libyan suspects in the Lockerbie bombing are in the
Netherlands to stand trial and that the sanctions against Libya have
been suspended.

A presidential statement issued at a formal Council session April 8
acknowledged the role of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, South
Africa, and Saudi Arabia for their role in arranging the extradition
of the suspects to the Netherlands for trial by a Scottish court.

Council President Alain Dejammet of France said that the sanctions
"were immediately suspended upon receipt of the letter of the
secretary general on 5 April 1999 at 14.00 Eastern Standard Time."

In late August 1998 the Security Council officially accepted the
proposal of the United States and the United Kingdom to try the Pan Am
bombing suspects in the Netherlands. The Council then said that the
mandatory economic sanctions in place against Libya since 1992 would
be suspended immediately when the Secretary General reported that the
two accused had arrived in the Netherlands for trial.

Following is the UN text:

(begin text)

8 April 1999

~PRESIDENTIAL STATEMENT

The Security Council recalls its resolutions 731 (1992) of 2l January
1992,748 (1992) of March 31 1992, 883 (1993) of 11 November 1993 and
1192 (1998) of 27 August 1998.

The Security Council welcomes the letter of the Secretary-General to
the President of the Security Council of 5 April 1999 (S/1999/378)
reporting that the two persons accused of the bombing of Pan Am flight
103 have arrived in the Netherlands for the purpose of trial before
the court described in paragraph 2 of resolution 1192 (1998) and that,
with regard to the bombing of UTA 772, the French authorities had
informed the Secretary-General that he might indicate, in reporting to
the Council under paragraph 8 of Security Council resolution 1192
(1992), that the conditions set forth in resolution 1192 (1998) had
been met, without prejudice to the other requests concerning the
bombing of Pan Am flight 103.

The Security Council expresses its deep appreciation to the
Secretary-General, the Governments of the Republic of South Africa and
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other countries for their commitment
towards reaching a satisfactory conclusion relating to Pan Am flight
103.

The Security Council further notes the role played by the League of
Arab States, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, the
Organization of African Unity and the Non-Aligned Movement in this
regard.

The Security Council notes that, with the letter of the
Secretary-General of 5 April 1999, the conditions set forth in
paragraph 8 of resolution 1192 (1998) for the immediate suspension of
the measures set forth in resolutions 748 (1992) and 883 (1993) have
been fulfilled. In this regard, the Council recalls that, in
accordance with resolution 1192 (1998), the measures set forth in
resolutions 748 (1992) and 883 (1993) were immediately suspended upon
receipt of the letter of the Secretary-General on 5 April 1999 at
14.00 Eastern Standard Time. This development was immediately
acknowledged through a statement of the President of the Security
Council to the press on 5 April 1999 following consultations of the
whole (Press release SC/6662).

The Security Council remains seized of the matter.

(end text)