Security Council resolution 620 (1988) [on chemical weapons use in the conflict between Iraq and the Islamic Republic of Iran]
Symbol: S/RES/620(1988)
Date: 1988-08-26
Status: adopted
Agenda: S/43 [8] IRAN (ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF)--IRAQ
Subjects: ARMED CONFLICTS|IRAN (ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF)|IRAQ|CHEMICAL WEAPONS USE|BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS|CHEMICALS|EXPORT RESTRICTIONS
Votes in favour: 15
Votes against: 0
Abstentions: 0
Voting record:
country: ARGENTINA
vote: yes
country: BRAZIL
vote: yes
country: CHINA
vote: yes
country: GERMANY, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF
vote: yes
country: ALGERIA
vote: yes
country: FRANCE
vote: yes
country: UNITED KINGDOM
vote: yes
country: ITALY
vote: yes
country: JAPAN
vote: yes
country: NEPAL
vote: yes
country: SENEGAL
vote: yes
country: USSR
vote: yes
country: UNITED STATES
vote: yes
country: YUGOSLAVIA
vote: yes
country: ZAMBIA
vote: yes

Resolution 620 (1988)
of 26 August 1988

The Security Council,
Recalling its resolution 612 (1988) of 9 May 1988,

Having considered the reports of 20 and 25 July and of 2
and 19 August 1988 50 of the missions dispatched by the
Secretary-General to investigate allegations of the use of
chemical weapons in the conflict between the Islamic
Republic of Iran and Iraq,

Deeply dismayed by the missions’ conclusions that there
had been continued use of chemical weapons in the conflict
between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Iraq and that such
use against Iranians had become more intense and frequent,

Profoundly concerned by the danger of possible use of
chemical weapons in the future,

Bearing in mind the current negotiations in the Conference on Disarmament on the complete and effective
prohibition of the development, production and stockpiling
of chemical weapons and on their destruction,

Determined to intensify its efforts to end all use of
chemical weapons in violation of international obligations
now and in the future,

1. Condemns resolutely the use of chemical weapons in
the conflict between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Iraq,
in violation of obligations under the Protocol for the
Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or
Other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare,
signed at Geneva on 17 June 1925, 39 and in defiance of its
resolution 612 (1988);

2. Encourages the Secretary-General to carry out
promptly investigations in response to allegations brought
to his attention by any Member State concerning the
possible use of chemical and bacteriological (biological) or
toxic weapons that may constitute a violation of the 1925
Geneva Protocol or other relevant rules of customary
international law, in order to ascertain the facts of the
matter, and to report the results;

3. Calls upon all States to continue to apply, to establish
or to strengthen strict control of the export of chemical
products serving for the production of chemical weapons, in
particular to parties to a conflict, when it is established or
when there is substantial reason to believe that they have
used chemical weapons in violation of international obligations;

4. Decides to consider immediately, taking into account
the investigations of the Secretary-General, appropriate and
effective measures in accordance with the Charter of the
United Nations, should there be any future use of chemical
weapons in violation of international law, wherever and by
whomever committed.

Adopted unanimously at the
2825th meeting.



50 Official Records of the Security Council, Forty-third Year, Supplement
for July, August and September 1988, documents S/20060 and Add.1, S/
20063 and Add.1 and $/20134.