United Nations Security Council Resolution 1478
Encyclopedia
United Nations
Security Council Resolution
1478, adopted unanimously on May 6, 2003, after recalling resolutions 1132
(1997), 1171
(1998), 1306
(2000), 1343
(2001), 1385
(2001), 1395
(2002), 1400
(2002), 1408
(2002), 1458
(2003), 1467
(2003) and others on the situation in Liberia
, the Council extended sanctions against the Liberian government for an additional period of twelve months until May 7, 2004 and imposed a ban on imports of its timber
for ten months.
Liberian President Charles Taylor had previously announced he would import weapons in defiance of Security Council resolutions.
n-backed Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy
(LURD) and other armed groups concerning breaches of Resolution 1343. It welcomed the launch of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme on January 1, 2003 and the efforts of the Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS) and International Contact Group on Liberia
to bring about peace and stability in the region, particularly the appointment of Nigerian President
Atiku Abubakar
as mediator in Liberia. Furthermore, the Council noted positive progress the Rabat Process had made in the subregion and urged members of the Mano River Union
to reinvigorate the process, while civil society initiatives were also encouraged.
The preamble of the resolution additionally urged all states in the region, particularly Liberia, to co-operate with the Special Court for Sierra Leone
. It remained concerned at the humanitarian situation, violations of human rights
and serious instability in Liberia and Côte d'Ivoire
. Support offered by the Liberian government to rebels in the civil war in Côte d'Ivoire and to the Revolutionary United Front
rebels in Sierra Leone
was determined to constitute a threat to international peace and security in the region.
, the Council decided that the Liberian government had not complied with Resolution 1343, and was concerned that a new aircraft registry
remained inactive. It stressed that demands to comply with Resolution 1343 were to help build peace and security in Sierra Leone and the region. All states in the region were called upon to participate in regional peace initiatives, while Liberia and the LURD were urged to enter into bilateral negotiations aimed at finalising a ceasefire
. Exemptions to the travel ban imposed on Liberian officials would be granted in cases where such travel would assist in the resolution of conflict in the region. Both the Liberian government and LURD were called upon to allow unimpeded and safe access to United Nations humanitarian personnel and those of non-governmental organisations
and to end the use of child soldiers
, sexual violence
and torture
. Additionally, all states in the region were asked to refrain from supporting armed groups in nearby countries, and in the event of non-compliance, further measures would be considered to ensure compliance.
The resolution extended existing international sanctions
against Liberia for another year and would be extended or terminated if necessary. The Liberian government was asked to establish a certificate of origin
regime for rough diamond
s, while it was reaffirmed that diamonds controlled by the government would be exempt from previous restrictions. Considering that audit
s commissioned by the Liberian government did not demonstrate revenue from the Liberia Ship and Corporate Registry and timber
industry was used for legitimate purposes, the Council imposed a ban on imports of Liberian timber for ten months. The ban would come into force
on July 7, 2003 unless decided otherwise and would be reviewed before the end of the period. The socio-economic impact of the sanctions would also be considered by September 7, 2003.
The Secretary-General Kofi Annan
was requested to submit reports on the socio-economic implications of the sanctions and, along with ECOWAS, on compliance of the Liberian government with the Security Council's demands and their implementation. States in the region were called upon to strengthen measures against the proliferation of small arms
, light weapons and mercenary
activities. Furthermore, the Secretary-General was requested to an expert panel consisting of six members to conduct a follow-up mission to Liberia and neighbouring states on the Liberian government's compliance; investigate the illegal use of revenues; assess the socio-economic impact of the sanctions; and report with observations and recommendations to the Council by October 7, 2003.
The Security Council urged states to comply in the implementation of previous resolutions and impose a travel ban on LURD members. A list of maritime and air companies acting in violation of Resolution 1343 would be listed and ECOWAS states were requested to assist in the identification of such aircraft and vessels. A review of the measures would be conducted before November 7, 2003 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"....
1478, adopted unanimously on May 6, 2003, 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), 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), 1408
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1408
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1408, adopted unanimously on May 6, 2002, after recalling resolutions 1132 , 1171 , 1306 , 1343 , 1385 , 1395 and 1400 on the situation in Sierra Leone, the Council extended sanctions against Liberia for its support of rebels in the civil war in Sierra...
(2002), 1458
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1458
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1458, adopted unanimously on January 28, 2003, after reaffirming Resolution 1408 on the situation in Liberia, and recognising the importance of implementing Resolution 1343 , the Council re-established an expert panel to monitor the implementation of...
(2003), 1467
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1467
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1467, adopted unanimously on March 18, 2003, after expressing concern at the situation in West Africa, the Council adopted a declaration regarding the proliferation of weapons and mercenary activities in West Africa....
(2003) and others on the situation in 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...
, the Council extended sanctions against the Liberian government for an additional period of twelve months until May 7, 2004 and imposed a ban on imports of its 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...
for ten months.
Liberian President Charles Taylor had previously announced he would import weapons in defiance of Security Council resolutions.
Observations
The Security Council expressed concern at the findings of the investigative panel about the Liberian government, the GuineaGuinea
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...
n-backed Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy
Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy
The Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy was a rebel group in Liberia that was active from 1999 until after the peace accords that ended the Second Liberian Civil War in 2003...
(LURD) and other armed groups concerning breaches of Resolution 1343. It welcomed the launch of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme on January 1, 2003 and the efforts of 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) and International Contact Group on Liberia
International Contact Group on Liberia
The International Contact Group on Liberia is composed of members from the United Nations, ECOWAS, African Union, World Bank, United States, Ghana, Nigeria, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain and Sweden. The ICGL was formed from a need for an international and regional response to the Second Liberian...
to bring about peace and stability in the region, particularly the appointment of Nigerian President
President of Nigeria
The President of Nigeria is the Head of State and head of the national executive. Officially styled President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces. The current President of Nigeria is Goodluck Jonathan.-History:On October 1, 1960, Nigeria gained...
Atiku Abubakar
Atiku Abubakar
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, alias Turakin Adamawa, GCON was the Vice-President of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007. He is a Muslim native of Adamawa State, and was an influential member of the ruling People's Democratic Party until 2006 when he switched affiliation to the Action Congress party...
as mediator in Liberia. Furthermore, the Council noted positive progress the Rabat Process had made in the subregion and urged members of the 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...
to reinvigorate the process, while civil society initiatives were also encouraged.
The preamble of the resolution additionally urged all states in the region, particularly Liberia, to co-operate with the Special Court for Sierra Leone
Special Court for Sierra Leone
The 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...
. It remained concerned at the humanitarian situation, violations of human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
and serious instability in Liberia and Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
. Support offered by the Liberian government to rebels in the civil war in Côte d'Ivoire and to 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...
rebels 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...
was determined to constitute a threat to international peace and security in the region.
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 Council decided that the Liberian government had not complied with Resolution 1343, and was concerned that a new 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...
remained inactive. It stressed that demands to comply with Resolution 1343 were to help build peace and security in Sierra Leone and the region. All states in the region were called upon to participate in regional peace initiatives, while Liberia and the LURD were urged to enter into bilateral negotiations aimed at finalising a ceasefire
Ceasefire
A ceasefire is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be declared as part of a formal treaty, but they have also been called as part of an informal understanding between opposing forces...
. Exemptions to the travel ban imposed on Liberian officials would be granted in cases where such travel would assist in the resolution of conflict in the region. Both the Liberian government and LURD were called upon to allow unimpeded and safe access to United Nations humanitarian personnel and those of non-governmental organisations
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
and to end the use of child soldiers
Military use of children
The military use of children takes three distinct forms: children can take direct part in hostilities , or they can be used in support roles such as porters, spies, messengers, look outs, and sexual slaves; or they can be used for political advantage either as human shields or in...
, sexual violence
Sexual violence
Sexual violence occurs throughout the world, although in most countries there has been little research conducted on the problem. Due to the private nature of sexual violence, estimating the extent of the problem is difficult...
and torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
. Additionally, all states in the region were asked to refrain from supporting armed groups in nearby countries, and in the event of non-compliance, further measures would be considered to ensure compliance.
The resolution extended existing international sanctions
International sanctions
International sanctions are actions taken by countries against others for political reasons, either unilaterally or multilaterally.There are several types of sanctions....
against Liberia for another year and would be extended or terminated if necessary. The Liberian government was asked to establish a 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 for 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, while it was reaffirmed that diamonds controlled by the government would be exempt from previous restrictions. Considering that 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 commissioned by the Liberian government did not demonstrate revenue from the Liberia Ship and Corporate 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 was used for legitimate purposes, the Council imposed a ban on imports of Liberian timber for ten months. The ban would come 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...
on July 7, 2003 unless decided otherwise and would be reviewed before the end of the period. The socio-economic impact of the sanctions would also be considered by September 7, 2003.
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 reports on the socio-economic implications of the sanctions and, along with ECOWAS, on compliance of the Liberian government with the Security Council's demands and their implementation. States in the region were called upon to strengthen measures against the proliferation of small arms
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...
, light weapons and mercenary
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
activities. Furthermore, the Secretary-General was requested to an expert panel consisting of six members to conduct a follow-up mission to Liberia and neighbouring states on the Liberian government's compliance; investigate the illegal use of revenues; assess the socio-economic impact of the sanctions; and report with observations and recommendations to the Council by October 7, 2003.
The Security Council urged states to comply in the implementation of previous resolutions and impose a travel ban on LURD members. A list of maritime and air companies acting in violation of Resolution 1343 would be listed and ECOWAS states were requested to assist in the identification of such aircraft and vessels. A review of the measures would be conducted before November 7, 2003 and every six months thereafter.
See also
- Blood diamonds
- Ivorian Civil War
- List of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1401 to 1500 (2002 – 2003)
- Second Liberian Civil WarSecond Liberian Civil WarThe Second Liberian Civil War began in 1999 when a rebel group backed by the government of neighbouring Guinea, the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy , emerged in northern Liberia. In early 2003, a second rebel group, the Movement for Democracy in Liberia, emerged in the south, and...
- 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...