| UN Security Council Resolution 788 | |
|---|---|
 Liberia | |
| Date | 19 November 1992 |
| Meeting no. | 3,138 |
| Code | S/RES/788 (Document) |
| Subject | Liberia |
Voting summary | 15 voted for None voted against None abstained |
| Result | Adopted |
| Security Council composition | |
Permanent members | |
Non-permanent members | |
United Nations Security Council resolution 788, adopted unanimously on 19 November 1992, after determining that the deterioration of the situation in Liberia constituted a threat to international peace and security, the Council imposed an arms embargo on the country for the purposes of establishing peace and stability.
Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean to its south-southwest. It covers an area of 111,369 square kilometers and has a population of around 4,900,000. English is the official language, but over 20 indigenous languages are spoken, representing the numerous ethnic groups who make up more than 95% of the population. The country's capital and largest city is Monrovia.
An arms embargo is a restriction or a set of sanctions that applies solely to weaponry, and may also apply to "dual-use technology". An arms embargo may serve one or more purposes:
Contents
The Council began by commending the efforts of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and reaffirmed the Yamoussoukro IV Accord, signed on 30 October 1991 as the best possible framework for a peaceful resolution of the Liberian conflict. The Accord provided for a Transitional Government with legislative, executive and judicial branches as well as allowing presidential elections to take place within seven months of the agreement being signed. [1]
The Economic Community of West African States, also known as ECOWAS, is a regional political and economic union of fifteen countries located in West Africa. Collectively, these countries comprise an area of 5,114,162 km2 (1,974,589 sq mi), and in 2015 had an estimated population of over 349 million.
The resolution then condemned a violation of the ceasefire on 28 November 1990 and attacks on the ECOWAS Monitoring Group in Liberia, calling upon all parties to respect international law and implement the relevant agreements. It also requested the Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali to send a Special Representative to Liberia to assess the situation, reporting to the Council with any recommendations.
A ceasefire, also spelled cease fire, is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be declared as part of a formal treaty, but they have also been called as part of an informal understanding between opposing forces.
The Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) was a West African multilateral armed force established by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). ECOMOG was a formal arrangement for separate armies to work together. It was largely supported by personnel and resources of the Nigerian Armed Forces, with sub-battalion strength units contributed by other ECOWAS members — Ghana, Guinea, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Liberia, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and others.
International law, also known as public international law and law of nations, is the set of rules, norms, and standards generally accepted in relations between nations. It establishes normative guidelines and a common conceptual framework for states to follow across a broad range of domains, including war, diplomacy, trade, and human rights. International law thus provides a mean for states to practice more stable, consistent, and organized international relations.
Then, acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, the Council decided that all states should immediately implement a general and complete embargo on all deliveries of weapons and military equipment to Liberia until the Security Council decided otherwise. [2] The embargo however, would not apply to weapons and military equipment destined for the ECOWAS peacekeeping forces, and subsequently it was violated and exacerbated the conflict. [3] Finally, the Council commended the work of international humanitarian organisations and Member States in providing humanitarian aid to the population.
Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter sets out the UN Security Council's powers to maintain peace. It allows the Council to "determine the existence of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression" and to take military and nonmilitary action to "restore international peace and security".
Peacekeeping comprises activities intended to create conditions that favour lasting peace. Research generally finds that peacekeeping reduces civilian and battlefield deaths and reduces the risk of renewed warfare.
Humanitarian aid is material and logistic assistance to people who need help. It is usually short-term help until the long-term help by government and other institutions replaces it. Among the people in need are the homeless, refugees, and victims of natural disasters, wars and famines. Humanitarian aid is material or logistical assistance provided for humanitarian purposes, typically in response to humanitarian relief efforts including natural disasters and man-made disaster. The primary objective of humanitarian aid is to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain human dignity. It may therefore be distinguished from development aid, which seeks to address the underlying socioeconomic factors which may have led to a crisis or emergency. There is a debate on linking humanitarian aid and development efforts, which was reinforced by the World Humanitarian Summit in 2016. However, the approach is viewed critically by practitioners.
