United Nations Security Council Resolution 1425
Encyclopedia
United Nations
Security Council Resolution
1425, adopted unanimously on July 22, 2002, after recalling resolutions on the situation in Somalia
, particularly resolutions 733
(1992) and 1407
(2002), the Council established a panel of experts to investigate violations of the arms embargo
against the country.
The Security Council President
said that the adoption of the resolution was aimed at hindering arms flows into the country, particularly as a recent United Nations report found that weapons had entered Somalia from neighbouring countries and others including Iran
, Latvia
, Libya
, Poland
, the United Arab Emirates
and United States
.
to Somalia from other countries which undermined peace, security and political and national reconciliation efforts in the country. It reiterated its call on all states to comply with the arms embargo and to refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of Somalia. At the same time, the role of frontline states (Djibouti
, Ethiopia
and Kenya
) in bringing a durable peace to the country was emphasised.
, the Council stressed that the arms embargo prohibited the financing or delivering of weapons and military advice to Somalia. The Secretary-General Kofi Annan
was requested to establish a panel of three experts based in Nairobi
for six months to investigate violations of the arms embargo by land, air and sea; detail information related to the violations and to enforcement of the embargo; carry out field research in Somalia and other countries; assess the capacity of states in the region to fully implement the arms embargo, including by review of national customs and border control
; and to recommend steps to strengthen its enforcement. Furthermore, the panel was required to have access to expertise in areas of civil aviation
, maritime transport, regional affairs and knowledge of the country.
The resolution requested the full co-operation of neighbouring states, the Transitional National Government (TNG) in Somalia and other entities or individuals by providing unhindered access to information for the expert panel and for states to provide information on violations of the arms embargo; instances of non-compliance were to be reported to the Council. The panel was instructed to report to the Security Council by November 2002 and at the end of its mandated
period. The report would be considered and further action taken if necessary to improve the effectiveness of the embargo. Meanwhile, the Secretary-General was requested to report on peace-building initiatives, technical assistance and co-operation and measures countries had taken to implement the arms embargo by October 31, 2002.
Finally, the Council concluded by calling for contributions from the international community
to the United Nations Trust Fund for Peace-Building in Somalia and United Nations activities.
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Security Council Resolution
United Nations Security Council Resolution
A United Nations Security Council resolution is a UN resolution adopted by the fifteen members of the Security Council; the UN body charged with "primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security"....
1425, adopted unanimously on July 22, 2002, after recalling resolutions on the situation in Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
, particularly resolutions 733
United Nations Security Council Resolution 733
United Nations Security Council Resolution 733, adopted unanimously on January 23, 1992, after expressing its alarm at the situation in Somalia regarding the heavy loss of life, destruction to property and threat to regional stability, the Council, acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations...
(1992) and 1407
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1407
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1407, adopted unanimously on May 3, 2002, after recalling resolutions on the situation in Somalia, particularly Resolution 733 , the Council requested the Secretary-General to establish a team to assess requirements for an expert panel to monitor...
(2002), the Council established a panel of experts to investigate violations of the arms embargo
Arms embargo
An arms embargo is an embargo that applies to weaponry. It may also include "dual use" items. An arms embargo may serve one or more purposes:# to signal disapproval of behavior by a certain actor,# to maintain neutral standing in an ongoing conflict, or...
against the country.
The Security Council President
President of the United Nations Security Council
The President of the United Nations Security Council is the presiding officer of that body. The president is the head of the delegation from the Security Council member state that holds the rotating presidency.-Selection:...
said that the adoption of the resolution was aimed at hindering arms flows into the country, particularly as a recent United Nations report found that weapons had entered Somalia from neighbouring countries and others including Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
and United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Observations
The Security Council expressed concern at continued trafficking of arms and ammunitionAmmunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
to Somalia from other countries which undermined peace, security and political and national reconciliation efforts in the country. It reiterated its call on all states to comply with the arms embargo and to refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of Somalia. At the same time, the role of frontline states (Djibouti
Djibouti
Djibouti , officially the Republic of Djibouti , is a country in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at the east...
, Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
and Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
) in bringing a durable peace to the country was emphasised.
Acts
Acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations CharterChapter VII of the United Nations Charter
Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter sets out the UN Security Council's powers to maintain peace. It allows the Council to "determine the existence of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression" and to take military and nonmilitary action to "restore international peace...
, the Council stressed that the arms embargo prohibited the financing or delivering of weapons and military advice to Somalia. The Secretary-General Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
was requested to establish a panel of three experts based in Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
for six months to investigate violations of the arms embargo by land, air and sea; detail information related to the violations and to enforcement of the embargo; carry out field research in Somalia and other countries; assess the capacity of states in the region to fully implement the arms embargo, including by review of national customs and border control
Border control
Border controls are measures used by a country to monitor or regulate its borders.The control of the flow of many people, animals and goods across a border may be controlled by government Customs services. Security is enforced by various kinds of Border Guards and Coast Guards...
; and to recommend steps to strengthen its enforcement. Furthermore, the panel was required to have access to expertise in areas of civil aviation
Civil aviation
Civil aviation is one of two major categories of flying, representing all non-military aviation, both private and commercial. Most of the countries in the world are members of the International Civil Aviation Organization and work together to establish common standards and recommended practices...
, maritime transport, regional affairs and knowledge of the country.
The resolution requested the full co-operation of neighbouring states, the Transitional National Government (TNG) in Somalia and other entities or individuals by providing unhindered access to information for the expert panel and for states to provide information on violations of the arms embargo; instances of non-compliance were to be reported to the Council. The panel was instructed to report to the Security Council by November 2002 and at the end of its mandated
Mandate (international law)
In international law, a mandate is a binding obligation issued from an inter-governmental organization like the United Nations to a country which is bound to follow the instructions of the organization....
period. The report would be considered and further action taken if necessary to improve the effectiveness of the embargo. Meanwhile, the Secretary-General was requested to report on peace-building initiatives, technical assistance and co-operation and measures countries had taken to implement the arms embargo by October 31, 2002.
Finally, the Council concluded by calling for contributions from the international community
International community
The international community is a term used in international relations to refer to all peoples, cultures and governments of the world or to a group of them. The term is used to imply the existence of common duties and obligations between them...
to the United Nations Trust Fund for Peace-Building in Somalia and United Nations activities.
See also
- List of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1401 to 1500 (2002 – 2003)
- Somali Civil WarSomali Civil WarThe Somali Civil War is an ongoing civil war taking place in Somalia. The conflict, which began in 1991, has caused destabilisation throughout the country, with the current phase of the conflict seeing the Somali government losing substantial control of the state to rebel forces...