Libya signed a protocol on Wednesday giving the U.N. nuclear watchdog the right to perform snap inspections of its atomic facilities. Earlier, the agency’s governing board passed a resolution that praises Libya for dismantling its secret nuclear weapons program and commends Tripoli to the Security Council.
Diplomats said the resolution noted Libya’s past nuclear activities had put it in breach of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) but applauded its current disarmament moves.
Although the Security Council has the power to impose economic sanctions, the resolution reports Libya to the Council purely for informational purposes and does not call for any punitive measures.
The text of the resolution begins by “applauding the decision by (Libya) on December 19, 2003” to renounce its weapons of mass destruction programs.
It also requests IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei “to report the matter to the Security Council... commending” the North African state. The resolution says the report is “for informational purposes only.”
In a ceremony at the United Nations in Vienna, a delegate signed the additional protocol on behalf of the north African country. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Mohamed ElBaradei signed for the U.N. agency.
The move marks the latest stage of Libya’s international rehabilitation following the surprise December announcement to give up banned weapons and cooperate with the United States and Britain to disarm.
