Security Council resolution 487 (1981) [on the Israeli military attack on Iraqi nuclear facilities]
Symbol: S/RES/487(1981)
Date: 1981-06-19
Status: adopted
Subjects: IAEA|Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (1968)|NUCLEAR FACILITIES|IRAQ|NUCLEAR FACILITIES|ISRAEL|ARMED INCIDENTS|IRAQ|ISRAEL|NUCLEAR SAFEGUARDS|NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION|DISARMAMENT AGREEMENTS
Votes in favour: 15
Votes against: 0
Abstentions: 0
Voting record:
country: CHINA
vote: yes
country: FRANCE
vote: yes
country: GERMAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC
vote: yes
country: IRELAND
vote: yes
country: JAPAN
vote: yes
country: MEXICO
vote: yes
country: NIGER
vote: yes
country: PANAMA
vote: yes
country: PHILIPPINES
vote: yes
country: SPAIN
vote: yes
country: TUNISIA
vote: yes
country: UGANDA
vote: yes
country: USSR
vote: yes
country: UNITED KINGDOM
vote: yes
country: UNITED STATES
vote: yes

Resolution 487 (1981)
of 19 June 1981

The Security Council,

Having considered the agenda contained in document
S/Agenda/2280,

Having noted the contents of the letter dated 8 June 1981
from the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iraq, 54

Having heard the statements made on the subject at its
2280th through 2288th meetings,

Taking note of the statement made by the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency to the
Agency’s Board of Governors on the subject on 9 June 1981
and his statement to the Security Council at its 2288th
meeting on 19 June 1981,

Taking note also of the resolution adopted by the Board of
Governors of the Agency on 12 June 1981 on the “military
attack on Iraqi nuclear research centre and its implications
for the Agency”, 55

Fully aware of the fact that Iraq has been a party to the
Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons 56 since
it came into force in 1970, that in accordance with that
Treaty Iraq has accepted Agency safeguards on all its
nuclear activities, and that the Agency has testified that
these safeguards have been satisfactorily applied to date,

Noting furthermore that Israel has not adhered to the
Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,

Deeply concerned about the danger to international peace
and security created by the premeditated Israeli air attack on
Iraqi nuclear installations on 7 June 1981, which could at
any time explode the situation in the area, with grave
consequences for the vital interests of all States,

Considering that, under the terms of Article 2, paragraph
4, of the Charter of the United Nations, “all members shall
refrain in their international relations from the threat or use
of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State, or in any other manner inconsistent with
the purposes of the United Nations”,

1. Strongly condemns the military attack by Israel in
clear violation of the Charter of the United Nations and the
norms of international conduct;

2. Calls upon Israel to refrain in the future from any
such acts or threats thereof;

3. Further considers that the said attack constitutes a
serious threat to the entire safeguards régime of the
International Atomic Energy Agency, which is the foundation of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear
Weapons;

4. Fully recognizes the inalienable sovereign right of
Iraq and all other States, especially the developing countries, to establish programmes of technological and nuclear
development to develop their economy and industry for
peaceful purposes in accordance with their present and
future needs and consistent with the internationally accepted objectives of preventing nuclear-weapons proliferation;

5. Calls upon Israel urgently to place its nuclear
facilities under the safeguards of the International Atomic
Energy Agency;.

6. Considers that Iraq is entitled to appropriate redress
for the destruction it has suffered, responsibility for which
has been acknowledged by Israel;

7. Requests the Secretary-General to keep the Security
Council regularly informed of the implementation of the
present resolution.

Adopted unanimously at the
2288th meeting.


54 Official Records of the Security Council, Thirty-sixth Year, Supplement
for April, May and June 1981, document S/14509.
55 Ibid., document S/14532.
56 General Assembly resolution 2373 (XXII) of 12 June 1968.