Foreword

The Year 1998 was a singularly eventful one in the history of our Organization. The world lived through a period of high tension in February when Iraq seemed set on refusing to comply with its disarmament obligations. As some Member States prepared for military action to enforce compliance with Security Council resolutions, I signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 23 February with the Government of Iraq, which defused the immediate crisis. If fully implemented it would have set a valuable precedent, proving that by united action the United Nations can indeed prevent conflict while furthering its goals, as the founders of the Organization intended. However, renewed non-compliance later in the year led to military action by some Council members in December, and the year ended with the situation in Iraq still far from resolution.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Partnerships for the Goals