| UN Security Council Resolution 833 | |
|---|---|
Iraq (green) and Kuwait (orange) | |
| Date | 27 May 1993 |
| Meeting no. | 3,224 |
| Code | S/RES/833 (Document) |
| Subject | Iraq-Kuwait |
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 833, adopted unanimously on 27 May 1993, after recalling resolutions 687 (1991), 689 (1991), 773 (1992) and 806 (1993) in addition to a report by the Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the Council noted the continuing work of the United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Boundary Demarcation Commission.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 687, adopted on 3 April 1991, after reaffirming resolutions 660, 661, 662, 664, 665, 666, 667, 669, 670, 674, 677, 678 and 686 (1991), the Council set the terms, in a comprehensive resolution, with which Iraq was to comply after losing the Gulf War. Resolution 687 was passed by 12 votes to one against (Cuba) with two abstentions from Ecuador and Yemen after a very extended meeting. Iraq accepted the provisions of the resolution on 6 April 1991.
United Nations Security Council resolution 689, adopted unanimously on 9 April 1991, after recalling Resolution 687 (1991), the Council noted a report by the Secretary-General and decided to establish the United Nations Iraq–Kuwait Observation Mission to monitor the demilitarized zone between Iraq and Kuwait, known as the Kuwait–Iraq barrier.
United Nations Security Council resolution 773, adopted on 26 August 1992, after recalling resolutions 687 (1991) and 689 (1991), the Council considered the work of the Iraq-Kuwait Boundary Demarcation Commission established on 2 May 1991, and reiterated its position that it would enforce any violation of the ceasefire in the demilitarised zone.
Contents
The resolution recalled that the United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Boundary Demarcation Commission was not to reallocate territory, but for the first time mark the precise coordinates of the border between Kuwait and Iraq on the basis of the agreement between the two countries in 1963. Iraq was reminded of its obligations under Resolution 687 which formed the basis of the ceasefire. The Council also welcomed the Secretary-General's decision requiring the United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission (UNIKOM) to finalise the boundary of the demilitarised zone demarcated by the Commission.
A ceasefire, also called 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. A ceasefire is usually more limited than a broader armistice, which is a formal agreement to end fighting. Successful ceasefires may be followed by armistices, and finally by peace treaties.
A demilitarized zone, DMZ or DZ is an area in which treaties or agreements between nations, military powers or contending groups forbid military installations, activities or personnel. A DMZ often lies along an established frontier or boundary between two or more military powers or alliances. A DMZ may sometimes form a de facto international border, such as the 38th parallel between North and South Korea. Other examples of demilitarized zones are a 120-mile (190 km) wide area between Iraq and Kuwait, Antarctica and outer space.
Acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, the Security Council welcomed and appreciated the work of the Boundary Demarcation Commission on its completion. [1] It also reaffirmed that the decisions of the Commission on the boundary were final and demanded that Iraq and Kuwait respect the inviolability of international borders.
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".
