Global Policy Forum

By Carol Bellamy, Executive Director of UNICEF

In spite of the fact that Carol Bellamy's appointment was a direct result of lobbying by the Clinton Administration, UNICEF under her leadership has continued to take a strong critical position on the effects of sanctions in Iraq, particularly on children. This statement, part of a longer briefing of the Security Council, is a clear example. While she does not mention any country specifically, clearly Iraq is the reference.

We must protect children from the effects of sanctions. In the interests of children, sanctions should not be imposed without obligatory, immediate and enforceable humanitarian exemptions, along with mechanisms for monitoring their impact on children and other vulnerable groups.

In all countries under comprehensive economic sanctions, the inadequacy of current provisions has resulted in alarming rates of child malnutrition, and in child and maternal mortality. Mr. President, these inadequacies must be addressed.

We welcome the Security Council's recent call to monitor the humanitarian impact of sanctions on children and to creat more efficient exemption mechanisms. We believe that child-impact assessments are central to this and should be carried out before, during and after sanctions are imposed.

Humanitarian assistance represents less than 5 percent of all of the goods presented for Sanctions Committee exemptions. I would underscore the need, therefore, to develop a list of essential humanitarian goods for exemption - items that must include educational supplies.