NEW YORK (voa) – The five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council have introduced a resolution to overhaul U.N. sanctions on Iraq.
The new sanctions would target goods that could be used for military purposes, while allowing non-military items to enter Iraq freely. U.N. agencies responsible for the U.N.’s oil-for-food program with Iraq would use a review list to check whether an item might be prohibited. The oil-for-food program allows Iraq to use money from oil sales for food and other basic necessities.
The United States and Britain first raised the idea of focusing the sanctions on military goods last year. Monday’s resolution was the result of months of negotiations involving the U.S., Britain, and the other permanent Security Council members Russia, China, and France.
Diplomats say the full 15-member Security Council is expected to vote on the resolution Wednesday.
The United Nations imposed sanctions on Iraq in 1990 after Iraq’s invasion of neighboring Kuwait. The Security Council says the sanctions will remain until U.N. arms inspectors can verify that Iraq is not trying to build or acquire weapons of mass destructions.
Iraq has not allowed any inspections since 1998.
