United Nations Security Council Resolution 1408
Encyclopedia
United Nations
Security Council Resolution
1408, adopted unanimously on May 6, 2002, after recalling resolutions 1132
(1997), 1171
(1998), 1306
(2000), 1343
(2001), 1385
(2001), 1395
(2002) and 1400
(2002) on the situation in Sierra Leone
, the Council extended sanctions against Liberia
for its support of rebels in the civil war
in Sierra Leone.
with sanctions had presented its report, and the Council was concerned that Liberia continued to violate measures from Resolution 1343 particularly through the acquisition of weapon
s. It anticipated the full implementation of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme and diplomatic efforts to restore peace and stability in the region. The Council determined that the continued support of the Revolutionary United Front
(RUF) combatants in Sierra Leone and the region by the Liberian government constituted a threat to peace and security.
, the Security Council decided that Liberia had not met the requirements of Resolution 1343 which were designed to consolidate and further the peace process in Sierra Leone and Mano River Union
. However, the country had met the requirement to update its aircraft registry
. All countries in the region were urged to end their support of and prevent armed groups from destabilising the situation on the borders between Guinea
, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
The resolution extended sanctions relating to rough diamond
s and travel against Liberia for a further 12 months beginning at 00.01 EST
on May 7, 2002 and a review would take place at the end of the period on whether the Liberian government had complied. Furthermore, it was called upon to set up an effective, transparent and verifiable certificate of origin
regime, taking into account the international Kimberley Process Certification Scheme. Rough diamonds under the control of the Liberian government would be exempt from the embargo.
The Liberian government was also requested to establish transparent and verifiable audit
s to ensure that revenue generated from the Liberian Shipping Registry and timber
industry is used for legitimate purposes and not in violation of the current resolution. The Secretary-General Kofi Annan
was instructed to report by October 21, 2002 on the implementation of the current resolution while a Security Council Committee was asked to investigate violations of Resolution 788
(1992) when it was in effect.
The Secretary-General was requested to establish a panel of up to five experts for a period of three months to investigate violations of sanctions and their possible impact on the Liberian population. Any information gathered by the panel was to be brought to the attention of the states concerned. All states were urged to fully comply with the embargoes and exercise caution in weapons transactions to prevent the illegal diversion of weapons to illegal markets in the region.
Finally, the Council declared that a review of the sanctions would take place before November 7, 2002 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"....
1408, adopted unanimously on May 6, 2002, after recalling 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), 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), 1343
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1343
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1343, adopted unanimously on March 7, 2001, after recalling resolutions on Sierra Leone and the region, including resolutions 1132 , 1171 and 1306 , the Council demanded that Liberia end its support for rebels in Sierra Leone and threatened the imposition...
(2001), 1385
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1385
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1385, adopted unanimously on December 19, 2001, after recalling all resolutions on the situation in Sierra Leone, particularly resolutions 1132 , 1171 , 1299 and 1306 , the Council extended sanctions against the import of rough diamonds except those...
(2001), 1395
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1395
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1395, adopted unanimously on February 27, 2002, after reaffirming Resolution 1343 which imposed sanctions on Liberia for support of rebels during the civil war in Sierra Leone, the Council re-established an expert panel to monitor compliance with the...
(2002) and 1400
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1400
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1400, adopted unanimously on March 28, 2002, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation in Sierra Leone, the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone for a further six months until September 30, 2002 in the...
(2002) on the situation in 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...
, the Council extended sanctions against 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...
for its support of rebels in the civil war
Sierra Leone Civil War
The 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...
in Sierra Leone.
Observations
The expert panel monitoring compliance of the Liberian governmentPolitics 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...
with sanctions had presented its report, and the Council was concerned that Liberia continued to violate measures from Resolution 1343 particularly through the acquisition of weapon
Weapon
A weapon, arm, or armament is a tool or instrument used with the aim of causing damage or harm to living beings or artificial structures or systems...
s. It anticipated the full implementation of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme and diplomatic efforts to restore peace and stability in the region. The Council determined that the continued support of 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) combatants in Sierra Leone and the region by the Liberian government constituted a threat to peace and security.
Acts
Acting 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...
, the Security Council decided that Liberia had not met the requirements of Resolution 1343 which were designed to consolidate and further the peace process in Sierra Leone and Mano River Union
Mano River Union
The Mano River Union is an international association established in 1973 between Liberia and Sierra Leone. In 1980, Guinea joined the union. The goal of the Union was to foster economic cooperation among the countries...
. However, the country had met the requirement to update its aircraft registry
Aircraft registration
An aircraft registration is a unique alphanumeric string that identifies a civil aircraft, in similar fashion to a licence plate on an automobile...
. All countries in the region were urged to end their support of and prevent armed groups from destabilising the situation on 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...
, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
The resolution extended sanctions relating to rough diamond
Diamond
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 and travel against Liberia for a further 12 months beginning 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...
on May 7, 2002 and a review would take place at the end of the period on whether the Liberian government had complied. Furthermore, it was called upon to set up an effective, transparent and verifiable 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...
regime, taking into account the international Kimberley Process Certification Scheme. Rough diamonds under the control of the Liberian government would be exempt from the embargo.
The Liberian government was also requested to establish transparent and verifiable audit
Audit
The general definition of an audit is an evaluation of a person, organization, system, process, enterprise, project or product. The term most commonly refers to audits in accounting, but similar concepts also exist in project management, quality management, and energy conservation.- Accounting...
s to ensure that revenue generated from the Liberian Shipping Registry and timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
industry is used for legitimate purposes and not in violation of the current resolution. 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 instructed to report by October 21, 2002 on the implementation of the current resolution while a Security Council Committee was asked to investigate violations of Resolution 788
United 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) when it was in effect.
The Secretary-General was requested to establish a panel of up to five experts for a period of three months to investigate violations of sanctions and their possible impact on the Liberian population. Any information gathered by the panel was to be brought to the attention of the states concerned. All states were urged to fully comply with the embargoes and exercise caution in weapons transactions to prevent the illegal diversion of weapons to illegal markets in the region.
Finally, the Council declared that a review of the sanctions would take place before November 7, 2002 and every six months thereafter.
See also
- Blood diamonds
- List of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1401 to 1500 (2002 – 2003)
- 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...