United Nations Security Council Resolution 731
| United Nations Security Council Resolution 731 link (international law) | |
|---|---|
| "Everyone at the Security Council knew it was wrong" (Francis Boyle) |
UN Security Council Resolution 731 was adopted unanimously on 21 January 1992, after the Council recalled resolutions 286 (1970) and 635 (1989), which condemned acts of terrorism; the Council expressed concern over the results of investigations into the destruction of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, and UTA Flight 772 over Chad and Niger, which implicated officials from the Government of Libya.
The Security Council condemned that Libya had not accepted responsibility for the incidents. It urged it to provide a complete and effective response to the investigations' requests regarding the two aircraft to contribute to the elimination of international terrorism. It also urged Member States to encourage the Libyan government to respond. Therefore, the resolution implied Libya extradited its accused nationals, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi and Lamin Khalifah Fhimah.[1]
UNSCR 731 was not legally binding, as it was passed under Chapter VI of the United Nations Charter and made no reference to Chapter VII; however, this would be enforced in UNSCR 748.[2]
Reaction
Professor Francis Boyle commented:
“So Resolution 731 was adopted. Everyone at the Security Council knew it was wrong. Everyone knew that Libya had nothing to do with the Lockerbie bombing, and that Libya had once again been made a scapegoat by the United States.”[3]
References
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