Greece takes over chair of sanctions committee for Sudan

By Athens News Agency

NEW YORK, Apr 30, 2005 (ANA) — Greece, currently a non-permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, has been assigned the chairmanship of the United Nations sanctions committee for Sudan.

After the conclusion of Friday’s Security Council meeting, the Greek UN ambassador Adamantios Vassilakis announced that Greece had been unanimously voted to head the sanctions committee for Sudan, provided for under UN resolution 1591 (2005).

He said the committee will be in charge of monitoring the implementation of specialised sanctions and an arms embargo in the three provinces of Darfur, as well as regularly briefing the Security Council on the progress made, startingfrom the coming week.

According to diplomatic sources, the UN committee could play a decisive role in dealing with the crisis in Darfur, western Sudan, where tens of thousands are said to have died.