Iraq — Role of the United Nations — 10 Sep 2003 at 18:44

The majority of MPs rejected the motion, which read:

• This House
• welcomes the publication of the recent draft resolution of the United Nations Security Council on Iraq;
• calls upon Her Majesty's Government to honour the Prime Minister's commitment to give the United Nations a vital role in the political and economic reconstruction of Iraq through a new Security Council Resolution which would...
• expedite the restoration of sovereignty and democratic control to the Iraqi people,
• place the process of political transition under the auspices of the United Nations,
• transfer the whole responsibility for the economic reconstruction and rebuilding of Iraq to an Iraqi provisional government assisted as necessary by the United Nations and
• replace existing security arrangements with a multinational force under unified command obliged to report to the Security Council.

A new motion which was proposed in its place read:

• This House
• supports the vital role played by the United Nations in Iraq as endorsed by UN Security Council Resolutions 1483 and 1500 (2003);^[1]
• pays tribute to the Secretary General's Special Representative, Sergio Vieira de Mello and his colleagues brutally murdered in the terrorist atrocity of 19th August;^[2]
• welcomes the determination of the United Nations Secretary General to remain engaged in Iraq;
• further welcomes the initiation of discussions on a new UN Security Council Resolution on Iraq, which aims to reaffirm the United Nations' support for the work of the governing council, calls on the governing council to submit a timetable and programme for the drafting of a new constitution for Iraq and for the holding of democratic elections, proposes a United Nations-mandated multinational force under existing unified command arrangements and encourages UN Member States and international organisations to help the Iraqi people by providing resources for rehabilitation and reconstruction at next month's conference in Madrid.

and passed without a further vote.

• [1] United Nations Security Council Resolution 1483(2003), Wikipedia
• [2] Top UN envoy killed in Baghdad blast, BBC News, 19 August 2003

Debate in Parliament | Historical Hansard | Source |