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While waiting for Iraqi cooperation, UN weapons inspectors prepare for work
1 March – The head of the group of weapons inspectors dealing with Iraq has reported that despite a lack of cooperation from Baghdad, work is going forward in preparation for future field operations in the country.

In a report forwarded to the Security Council today, Hans Blix, the Executive Chairman of the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC), writes that "much preparatory work" continues to be done despite Iraq's refusal to accept Security Council resolution 1284 (1999), which established the Commission in 1999.

Since the Executive Chairman's last report to the Council in December 2000, UNMOVIC has completed the third month-long training course for its staff. "With the completion of the third training course, UNMOVIC will have a roster of more than 120 persons trained for work in Iraq," Mr. Blix writes.

The report also notes that during the recent meeting of UNMOVIC's College of Commissioners in Vienna, the College was presented with a draft of the UNMOVIC handbook which provides, among other things, guidance for the conduct of inspections in Iraq.

As UNMOVIC continues to prepare itself for full operations, the Executive Chairman stresses that the Commission will be able to "assess Iraq's compliance with respect to its obligations under the relevant Security Council resolutions only when the reinforced system of ongoing monitoring and verification is in operation and there is cooperation from Iraq."