08 April 1999
(UNSC officially acknowledges Libya's compliance) (570) United Nations -- The UN Security Council has officially recognized that the two Libyan suspects in the Lockerbie bombing are in the Netherlands to stand trial and that the sanctions against Libya have been suspended. A presidential statement issued at a formal Council session April 8 acknowledged the role of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, South Africa, and Saudi Arabia for their role in arranging the extradition of the suspects to the Netherlands for trial by a Scottish court. Council President Alain Dejammet of France said that the sanctions "were immediately suspended upon receipt of the letter of the secretary general on 5 April 1999 at 14.00 Eastern Standard Time." In late August 1998 the Security Council officially accepted the proposal of the United States and the United Kingdom to try the Pan Am bombing suspects in the Netherlands. The Council then said that the mandatory economic sanctions in place against Libya since 1992 would be suspended immediately when the Secretary General reported that the two accused had arrived in the Netherlands for trial. Following is the UN text: (begin text) 8 April 1999 ~PRESIDENTIAL STATEMENT The Security Council recalls its resolutions 731 (1992) of 2l January 1992,748 (1992) of March 31 1992, 883 (1993) of 11 November 1993 and 1192 (1998) of 27 August 1998. The Security Council welcomes the letter of the Secretary-General to the President of the Security Council of 5 April 1999 (S/1999/378) reporting that the two persons accused of the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 have arrived in the Netherlands for the purpose of trial before the court described in paragraph 2 of resolution 1192 (1998) and that, with regard to the bombing of UTA 772, the French authorities had informed the Secretary-General that he might indicate, in reporting to the Council under paragraph 8 of Security Council resolution 1192 (1992), that the conditions set forth in resolution 1192 (1998) had been met, without prejudice to the other requests concerning the bombing of Pan Am flight 103. The Security Council expresses its deep appreciation to the Secretary-General, the Governments of the Republic of South Africa and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other countries for their commitment towards reaching a satisfactory conclusion relating to Pan Am flight 103. The Security Council further notes the role played by the League of Arab States, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, the Organization of African Unity and the Non-Aligned Movement in this regard. The Security Council notes that, with the letter of the Secretary-General of 5 April 1999, the conditions set forth in paragraph 8 of resolution 1192 (1998) for the immediate suspension of the measures set forth in resolutions 748 (1992) and 883 (1993) have been fulfilled. In this regard, the Council recalls that, in accordance with resolution 1192 (1998), the measures set forth in resolutions 748 (1992) and 883 (1993) were immediately suspended upon receipt of the letter of the Secretary-General on 5 April 1999 at 14.00 Eastern Standard Time. This development was immediately acknowledged through a statement of the President of the Security Council to the press on 5 April 1999 following consultations of the whole (Press release SC/6662). The Security Council remains seized of the matter. (end text)