OSI Recommends Changes to Security Council Resolution on Iraq

On May 19, 2003, the United States and Britain introduced a revised draft resolution to the United Nations Security Council that would end 12 years of U.N. sanctions on Iraq; grant U.N. approval for the United States and Britain to run the country and control all Iraqi oil revenues; and apply the provisions of the resolution indefinitely. If approved, the resolution would establish an open-ended U.S. protectorate of Iraq sanctioned by the United Nations and paid for by Iraqi oil revenues.

The Open Society Institute believes that the resolution should be changed to give the Security Council a greater role in the reconstruction of Iraq. The suggested changes emphasize the following:

• that there should be more regular supervision of the occupying powers;
• that it is essential to set an established time limit for the renewal or termination of this resolution;
• that U.N. oversight for systems of justice and accountability will be necessary;
• and that the Advisory and Monitoring Board for the Development Fund for Iraq—the fund that will contain Iraqi oil revenue—should report back to the Security Council periodically and include a broader cross-section of members.

Below is a draft resolution incorporating OSI's proposed changes and an explanatory memo on the proposed changes.

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