United Nations Security Council Resolution 620
Encyclopedia
United Nations
Security Council Resolution
620, adopted unanimously on August 26, 1988, after recalling Resolution 612
(1988) which found evidence of the use of chemical warfare
between Iran
and Iraq
, the Council again condemned the use of such weapons, in violation of the Geneva Protocol
.
The Council then encouraged the Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar
to carry out investigations into allegations of the use of chemical and biological weapons
by any Member State that may constitute a violation of the Geneva Protocol of 1925.
Resolution 620 also called upon Member States to strengthen, establish or continue applying strict control on chemical products, especially when it is suspected they may be used in chemical weapons in violation of international obligations. It also decided to consider and take into account any investigations by the Secretary-General in order to produce appropriate and effective measures in accordance with the United Nations Charter
should there be any future use of chemical weapons in violation of international law
by whoever and wherever they are committed.
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"....
620, adopted unanimously on August 26, 1988, after recalling Resolution 612
United Nations Security Council Resolution 612
United Nations Security Council Resolution 612, adopted unanimously on May 9, 1988, after considering a report by the Special Mission dispatched by the Secretary-General to investigate alleged use of chemical weapons in the conflict between Iran and Iraq, the Council condemned the use of chemical...
(1988) which found evidence of the use of chemical warfare
Chemical warfare
Chemical warfare involves using the toxic properties of chemical substances as weapons. This type of warfare is distinct from Nuclear warfare and Biological warfare, which together make up NBC, the military acronym for Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical...
between 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...
and Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, the Council again condemned the use of such weapons, in violation of the Geneva Protocol
Geneva Protocol
The Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare, usually called the Geneva Protocol, is a treaty prohibiting the first use of chemical and biological weapons. It was signed at Geneva on June 17, 1925 and entered...
.
The Council then encouraged the Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar
Javier Pérez de Cuéllar
Javier Pérez de Cuéllar y de la Guerra is a Peruvian diplomat who served as the fifth Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1, 1982 to December 31, 1991. He studied in Colegio San Agustín of Lima, and then at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. In 1995, he ran unsuccessfully...
to carry out investigations into allegations of the use of chemical and biological weapons
Biological warfare
Biological warfare is the use of biological toxins or infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi with intent to kill or incapacitate humans, animals or plants as an act of war...
by any Member State that may constitute a violation of the Geneva Protocol of 1925.
Resolution 620 also called upon Member States to strengthen, establish or continue applying strict control on chemical products, especially when it is suspected they may be used in chemical weapons in violation of international obligations. It also decided to consider and take into account any investigations by the Secretary-General in order to produce appropriate and effective measures in accordance with the United Nations Charter
United Nations Charter
The Charter of the United Nations is the foundational treaty of the international organization called the United Nations. It was signed at the San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center in San Francisco, United States, on 26 June 1945, by 50 of the 51 original member countries...
should there be any future use of chemical weapons in violation of international law
International law
Public international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...
by whoever and wherever they are committed.
See also
- Iran–Iraq relations
- Iran–Iraq War
- List of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 601 to 700 (1987 – 1991)
- Resolutions 479United Nations Security Council Resolution 479United Nations Security Council Resolution 479, adopted unanimously on September 28, 1980, after reminding Member States against the use of threats and force in their international relations, the Council called upon Iran and Iraq to immediately cease any further uses of force and instead settle...
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, 522United Nations Security Council Resolution 522United Nations Security Council Resolution 522, adopted unanimously on October 4, 1982, after recalling Resolution 479 and Resolution 514 , the Council called for an immediate ceasefire between Iran and Iraq, calling for the withdrawal of both sides to their internationally recognised borders.The...
, 540United Nations Security Council Resolution 540United Nations Security Council Resolution 540, adopted on October 31, 1983, noting the report of the Secretary-General and the increased cooperation from the governments of Iran and Iraq, the Council requested he continue with the mediation efforts in the region.Resolution 540 went on to condemn...
, 552United Nations Security Council Resolution 552United Nations Security Council Resolution 552, adopted on June 1, 1984, after hearing complaints from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates regarding attacks on their ships by Iran, the Council condemned the attacks, reiterating that Member States should refrain...
, 582United Nations Security Council Resolution 582United Nations Security Council Resolution 582, adopted unanimously on February 24, 1986, after noting that the Council had been seized for six years and the continued conflict between Iran and Iraq, the Council deplored the initial acts that started the Iran–Iraq War and continuation of the...
, 598United Nations Security Council Resolution 598United Nations Security Council Resolution 598, adopted unanimously on July 20, 1987, after reaffirming Resolution 582 , the Council expressed its concern that, despite its calls for a ceasefire, the conflict between Iran and Iraq continued with heavy loss of life and material destruction.Acting...
, 612United Nations Security Council Resolution 612United Nations Security Council Resolution 612, adopted unanimously on May 9, 1988, after considering a report by the Special Mission dispatched by the Secretary-General to investigate alleged use of chemical weapons in the conflict between Iran and Iraq, the Council condemned the use of chemical...
, 616United Nations Security Council Resolution 616United Nations Security Council Resolution 616, adopted unanimously on July 20, 1988, after hearing representations from the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Council expressed its distress at the downing of Iran Air Flight 655 over the Strait of Hormuz by a missile from the USS Vincennes during the...
and 619United Nations Security Council Resolution 619United Nations Security Council Resolution 619, adopted unanimously on August 9, 1988, after recalling Resolution 598 , the Council approved a report by the Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar on the implementation of paragraph 2 of Resolution 598....