United Nations Security Council Resolution 1343
Encyclopedia
United Nations
Security Council Resolution
1343, adopted unanimously on March 7, 2001, after recalling resolutions on Sierra Leone
and the region, including resolutions 1132
(1997), 1171
(1998) and 1306
(2000), the Council demanded that Liberia
end its support for rebels in Sierra Leone and threatened the imposition of wide-ranging sanctions unless the country complied with the Security Council.
The Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS) urged the United Nations to delay the coming into force
of the restrictions against Liberia. The sanctions came into effect in May 2001, after the Liberian government maintained contacts with rebels in Sierra Leone in violation of Security Council demands.
s provided a major source of income for the Revolutionary United Front
(RUF) and other armed groups in Sierra Leone. The diamonds would leave Sierra Leone through Liberia with permission from Liberian authorities, and there was concern at evidence that the Liberian government
was supporting the RUF at all levels. The illicit diamond trade was fuelling the conflict in Sierra Leone and transiting neighbouring countries including Liberia.
The Council reiterated the call on all West Africa
n states, particularly Liberia, to cease military support for armed groups in neighbouring countries or allowing their territory to be used for attacks by individuals against other states. It determined that the support for RUF rebels in Sierra Leone by the Liberian government constituted a threat to international peace and security.
, thus making them legally enforceable.
(1992) and 985
(1995) and noted that the Liberian conflict had been resolved and elections had taken place. The arms embargo
was terminated and Committee established to monitor the sanctions dissolved.
(UNAMSIL) freedom of movement
in the country and return seized weapons and equipment; release all abductees and enter their fighters into disarmament
, demobilization
and reintegration programmes. It demanded that all states in the region take action to prevent armed attacks against neighbouring countries that could contribute to the destabilisation of the situation at the borders between Guinea
, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
All countries were then instructed to implement an arms embargo against Liberia including the prevention of military assistance; the measures would not apply to resources destined for United Nations or humanitarian personnel. The import of rough diamonds from Liberia was prohibitied and a travel ban imposed on senior Liberian government officials, army officials and others providing aid to rebels in Sierra Leone; humanitarian and religious exceptions to the restrictions would be granted by a Committee of the Security Council established in the current resolution. The Council decided that the sanctions would come into effect at 00:01 EST
two months following the adoption of the current resolution unless Liberia had complied with Security Council demands. If there was no compliance, the arms embargo would be in effect for 14 months and the arms embargo and travel ban for 12 months, both of which were to be followed by a review. In this regard, the Secretary-General Kofi Annan
was requested to submit his first report on April 30, 2001 and every six months thereafter on whether there had been progress on Liberian compliance with Security Council demands and other aspects of the situation in the country.
The Security Council authorised the establishment of a Committee to gather information on what measures states had taken to implement the restrictions, investigate violations and make recommendations to improve their effectiveness. The Liberian government and diamond exporting countries in West Africa were called upon to establish Certificate of Origin
regimes. Countries were asked to combat the proliferation and trafficking of weapons in West Africa and to report within 30 days on the measures they had taken to implement the sanctions against Liberia.
The Secretary-General was requested to establish an expert panel for six months consisting of up to five members to investigate links between the exploitation of natural resource
s and the conflict in Sierra Leone and neighbouring countries and monitor the compliance of the Liberian government with Security Council demands. Any information the panel found, particularly regarding violations of the sanctions, would be brought to the concerned Member States' attention. All countries were urged to co-operate with the Committee and expert panel, with the Council decided to conduct a review of the sanctions within 60 days and every six months thereafter.
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"....
1343, adopted unanimously on March 7, 2001, after recalling resolutions on Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
and the region, including resolutions 1132
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1132
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1132, adopted unanimously on October 8, 1997, after expressing concern at the situation in Sierra Leone, the Council, acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, imposed an oil and arms embargo on the country.-Background:A series of military...
(1997), 1171
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1171
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1171, adopted unanimously on June 5, 1998, after recalling resolutions 1132 , 1156 and 1162 on the situation in Sierra Leone, the Council, acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, terminated the arms embargo against the Government of...
(1998) and 1306
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1306
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1306, adopted on July 5, 2000, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation in Sierra Leone, particularly resolutions 1132 , 1171 and 1299 , the Council decided to prohibit the direct or indirect import of rough diamonds from the country...
(2000), the Council demanded that Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
end its support for rebels in Sierra Leone and threatened the imposition of wide-ranging sanctions unless the country complied with the Security Council.
The Economic Community of West African States
Economic Community of West African States
The Economic Community of West African States is a regional group of fifteen West African countries. Founded on 28 May 1975, with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos, its mission is to promote economic integration across the region....
(ECOWAS) urged the United Nations to delay the coming into force
Coming into force
Coming into force or entry into force refers to the process by which legislation, regulations, treaties and other legal instruments come to have legal force and effect...
of the restrictions against Liberia. The sanctions came into effect in May 2001, after the Liberian government maintained contacts with rebels in Sierra Leone in violation of Security Council demands.
Observations
It was recognised that diamondDiamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
s provided a major source of income for the Revolutionary United Front
Revolutionary United Front
The Revolutionary United Front was a rebel army that fought a failed eleven-year war in Sierra Leone, starting in 1991 and ending in 2002. It later developed into a political party, which existed until 2007...
(RUF) and other armed groups in Sierra Leone. The diamonds would leave Sierra Leone through Liberia with permission from Liberian authorities, and there was concern at evidence that the Liberian government
Politics of Liberia
Politics of Liberia takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic modeled on the government of the United States, whereby the President is the head of state and head of government; unlike the United States, however, Liberia is a unitary state as opposed to a...
was supporting the RUF at all levels. The illicit diamond trade was fuelling the conflict in Sierra Leone and transiting neighbouring countries including Liberia.
The Council reiterated the call on all West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
n states, particularly Liberia, to cease military support for armed groups in neighbouring countries or allowing their territory to be used for attacks by individuals against other states. It determined that the support for RUF rebels in Sierra Leone by the Liberian government constituted a threat to international peace and security.
Acts
The following provisions were enacted 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...
, thus making them legally enforceable.
A
The Security Council recalled resolutions 788United Nations Security Council Resolution 788
United Nations Security Council Resolution 788, adopted unanimously on November 19, 1992, after determining that the deterioration of the situation in Liberia constituted a threat to international peace and security, the Council imposed an arms embargo on the country for the purposes of...
(1992) and 985
United Nations Security Council Resolution 985
United Nations Security Council Resolution 985, adopted unanimously on April 13, 1995, after reaffirming resolutions 813 , 856 , 866 , 911 , 950 and 972 , and 788 which imposed an arms embargo on Liberia, the Council established a Committee to monitor the implementation of the embargo and...
(1995) and noted that the Liberian conflict had been resolved and elections had taken place. 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...
was terminated and Committee established to monitor the sanctions dissolved.
B
The resolution demanded that the Liberian government end its support for rebels in Sierra Leone and expel RUF members from its country; end financial and military support; cease import of rough diamonds; freeze RUF assets and ground Liberia-registered aircraft operating within its jurisdiction until a proper registration system was in place. Furthermore, the President of Liberia Charles Taylor was asked to allow the United Nations Mission in Sierra LeoneUnited Nations Mission in Sierra Leone
The United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone was a United Nations peacekeeping operation in Sierra Leone from 1999 to 2005. It was created by the United Nations Security Council in October 1999 to help with the implementation of the Lomé Peace Accord, an agreement intended to end the Sierra Leonean...
(UNAMSIL) freedom of movement
Freedom of movement
Freedom of movement, mobility rights or the right to travel is a human right concept that the constitutions of numerous states respect...
in the country and return seized weapons and equipment; release all abductees and enter their fighters into disarmament
Disarmament
Disarmament is the act of reducing, limiting, or abolishing weapons. Disarmament generally refers to a country's military or specific type of weaponry. Disarmament is often taken to mean total elimination of weapons of mass destruction, such as nuclear arms...
, demobilization
Demobilization
Demobilization is the process of standing down a nation's armed forces from combat-ready status. This may be as a result of victory in war, or because a crisis has been peacefully resolved and military force will not be necessary...
and reintegration programmes. It demanded that all states in the region take action to prevent armed attacks against neighbouring countries that could contribute to the destabilisation of the situation at the borders between Guinea
Guinea
Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
All countries were then instructed to implement an arms embargo against Liberia including the prevention of military assistance; the measures would not apply to resources destined for United Nations or humanitarian personnel. The import of rough diamonds from Liberia was prohibitied and a travel ban imposed on senior Liberian government officials, army officials and others providing aid to rebels in Sierra Leone; humanitarian and religious exceptions to the restrictions would be granted by a Committee of the Security Council established in the current resolution. The Council decided that the sanctions would come into effect at 00:01 EST
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
two months following the adoption of the current resolution unless Liberia had complied with Security Council demands. If there was no compliance, the arms embargo would be in effect for 14 months and the arms embargo and travel ban for 12 months, both of which were to be followed by a review. In this regard, 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 submit his first report on April 30, 2001 and every six months thereafter on whether there had been progress on Liberian compliance with Security Council demands and other aspects of the situation in the country.
The Security Council authorised the establishment of a Committee to gather information on what measures states had taken to implement the restrictions, investigate violations and make recommendations to improve their effectiveness. The Liberian government and diamond exporting countries in West Africa were called upon to establish Certificate of Origin
Certificate of origin
A Certificate of Origin is a document used in international trade. It traditionally states from what country the shipped goods originate, but "originate" in a CO does not mean the country the goods are shipped from, but the country where the goodtion problem in cases where less than 100% of the...
regimes. Countries were asked to combat the proliferation and trafficking of weapons in West Africa and to report within 30 days on the measures they had taken to implement the sanctions against Liberia.
The Secretary-General was requested to establish an expert panel for six months consisting of up to five members to investigate links between the exploitation of natural resource
Natural resource
Natural resources occur naturally within environments that exist relatively undisturbed by mankind, in a natural form. A natural resource is often characterized by amounts of biodiversity and geodiversity existent in various ecosystems....
s and the conflict in Sierra Leone and neighbouring countries and monitor the compliance of the Liberian government with Security Council demands. Any information the panel found, particularly regarding violations of the sanctions, would be brought to the concerned Member States' attention. All countries were urged to co-operate with the Committee and expert panel, with the Council decided to conduct a review of the sanctions within 60 days and every six months thereafter.
See also
- Blood diamonds
- List of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1301 to 1400 (2000 – 2002)
- Sierra Leone Civil WarSierra Leone Civil WarThe Sierra Leone Civil War began on 23 March 1991 when the Revolutionary United Front , with support from the special forces of Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia , intervened in Sierra Leone in an attempt to overthrow the Joseph Momoh government...
- Special Court for Sierra LeoneSpecial Court for Sierra LeoneThe Special Court for Sierra Leone is an independent judicial body set up to "try those who bear greatest responsibility" for the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Sierra Leone after 30 November 1996 during the Sierra Leone Civil War...