Letter dated 3 January 2003 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council

I have the honour to inform you and, through you, the members of the Security Council, that, pursuant to paragraph 8 (a) (ii) of Security Council resolution 986 (1995), and the memorandum of understanding concluded on 20 May 1996 concluded between the United Nations Secretariat and the Government of Iraq (S/1996/356), the Government of Iraq has submitted to me its distribution plan for the purchase of humanitarian supplies during the new period specified in paragraph 1 of resolution 1447 (2002). 

The Government of Iraq was informed today that I have approved the plan on the understanding that its implementation would be governed by resolutions 986 (1995), 1281 (1999), 1284 (1999), 1302 (2000), 1330 (2000), 1360 (2001), 1382 (2001), 1409 (2002), 1447 (2002) and 1454 (2002), and the memorandum of understanding (S/1996/356), without prejudice to the procedures followed by the Security Council Committee established by resolution 661 (1990).

In accordance with the recommendation contained in my report to the Security Council dated 12 November 2002 (S/2002/1239, paragraph 63), the categorized list of goods received and amended for the phase XII distribution plan (S/2002/666) will constitute the basis for the categorized list posted on the website of the Office of the Iraq Programme for the new period specified in paragraph 1 of resolution 1447 (2002). The technical experts of the Office of the Iraq Programme, the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will keep the categorised list under review and provide the necessary assessments following the submission of applications, in accordance with the relevant provisions contained in resolutions 1409 (2002) and 1454 (2002), and the revised procedures for the implementation of the Goods Review List (S/2002/515), as revised by resolution 1454 (2002), annexes A and B).

The distribution plan and the letter dated 3 January 2003 from the Executive Director of the Iraq Programme addressed to the Chargé d’affaires of the Permanent Mission of Iraq to the United Nations, conveying my acceptance of the plan, are attached.

(Signed)  Kofi A. Annan