UNITED NATION -- The following are excerpts of U.N. Security Council resolution 1546 on the political transition in Iraq on June 30, 2004 and future military arrangements.

United Nation - Resolution 1546 - THE SECURITY COUNCIL, WELCOMING the beginning of a new phase in Iraq's transition to a democratically elected government, and looking forward to the end of the occupation and the assumption of full responsibility and authority by a fully sovereign and independent Interim Government of Iraq by 30 June 2004 ...

ACTING UNDER CHAPTER VII OF THE CHARTER OF THE UNITED NATIONS,

ENDORSES the formation of a sovereign Interim Government of Iraq, as presented on 1 June 2004, which will assume full responsibility and authority by 30 June 2004 for governing Iraq while refraining from taking any actions affecting Iraq's destiny beyond the limited interim period until an elected Transitional Government of Iraq assumes office as envisaged in paragraph four below;

WELCOMES that, also by 30 June 2004, the occupation will end and the Coalition Provisional Authority will cease to exist, and that Iraq will reassert its full sovereignty;

REAFFIRMS the right of the Iraqi people freely to determine their own political future and to exercise full authority and control over their financial and natural resources;

ENDORSES the proposed timetable for Iraq's political transition to democratic government including ... holding of direct democratic elections by 31 December 2004 if possible, and in no case later than 31 January 2005, to a Transitional National Assembly, which will ... have responsibility for forming a Transitional Government of Iraq and drafting a permanent constitution for Iraq leading to a constitutionally elected government by 31 December 2005 ...

CALLS on all Iraqis to implement these arrangements peaceably and in full ...

DECIDES that in implementing, as circumstances permit, their mandate to assist the Iraqi people and government, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), as requested by the Government of Iraq, shall ... play a leading role to ... advise and support the Interim Government of Iraq, the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq, and the Transitional National Assembly on the process for holding elections ...

NOTES that the presence of the multinational force in Iraq is at the request of the incoming Interim Government of Iraq ...

DECIDES that the multinational force shall have the authority to take all necessary measures to contribute to the maintenance of security and stability in Iraq in accordance with the letters annexed to this resolution expressing ... the Iraqi request for the continued presence of the multinational force and setting out its tasks, including by preventing and deterring terrorism, so that ... the United Nations can fulfill its role in assisting the Iraqi people ... and the Iraqi people can implement freely and without intimidation the timetable and program for the political process and benefit from reconstruction and rehabilitation activities;

WELCOMES in this regard the letters annexed to this resolution stating ... that arrangements are being put in place to establish a security partnership between the sovereign Government of Iraq and the multinational force and to ensure coordination between the two ... and that the security structures described in the letters will serve as the fora for the Government of Iraq and the multinational force to reach agreement on the full range of fundamental security and policy issues, including policy on sensitive offensive operations, and will ensure full partnership between Iraqi security forces and the multinational force, through close coordination and consultation;

DECIDES further that the mandate for the multinational force shall be reviewed at the request of the Government of Iraq or twelve months from the date of this resolution, and that this mandate shall expire upon the completion of the political process set out in paragraph four above, and declares that it will terminate this mandate earlier if requested by the Government of Iraq ...

REQUESTS Member States and international and regional organizations to contribute assistance to the multinational force, including military forces, as agreed with the Government of Iraq, to help meet the needs of the Iraqi people for security and stability, humanitarian and reconstruction assistance, and to support the efforts of UNAMI ...

REQUESTS the Secretary-General to report to the Council within three months from the date of this resolution on UNAMI operations in Iraq, and on a quarterly basis thereafter on the progress made towards national elections and fulfillment of all UNAMI's responsibilities;

REQUESTS that the United States, on behalf of the multinational force, report to the Council within three months from the date of this resolution on the efforts and progress of this force, and on a quarterly basis thereafter ...

Note: The resolution was drafted by the United States and Britain and co-sponsored by Romania. Vote: 15-0

Posted: 06/08/2004