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Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Answer

Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what activities are being undertaken by the United Nations to bring about a political solution in Angola. [109257] Mr. Hain: Between 1993 and 1998, the United Nations Security Council adopted a range of targeted sanctions against UNITA to reduce Savimbi's ability to rebuild his military capability and encourage him to return to the negotiating table. To ensure the sanctions are as effective as possible, UNSCR 1237 of 7 May 1999 established two expert panels to investigate reports of violations of the arms and oil embargoes, diamond ban and freeze on UNITA funds. They will submit their findings shortly, including recommendations on tightening implementation of these measures. On 15 October 1999 the Security Council adopted Resolution 1268 to establish a UN office in Angola (UNOA) to liaise with the political, military, police and other civilian authorities with a view to exploring effective measures for restoring peace, assisting the Angolan people in the areas of capacity building, humanitarian assistance, the promotion of human rights and co-ordinating other activities. And the Secretary- General has appointed Ibrahim Gambari as his special adviser on African issues, whose responsibilities include Angola. The UN has been working closely with the Government of Angola to agree the Status of Mission Agreement to establish UNOA as mandated by the Resolution. We expect the head of UNOA to be appointed in the near future.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

109257; 344 c428-9W

Session

1999-00

Subjects

UN resolutions Sanctions UNITA Angola