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I have the honour to convey the attached communication, dated 11 August 1998, which I have received from the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

I should be grateful if you would bring the text of the letter from the Director General to the attention of the members of the Security Council.

(Signed) Kofi A. ANNAN

Further to my message to you which was delivered on Thursday, 6 August 1998, I wish to confirm that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is carrying out a limited implementation of its ongoing monitoring and verification (OMV) plan, within the restrictions imposed by Iraq, and is awaiting instructions from the Council on how to proceed further.

In this context I would draw your attention to paragraph 21 of my July status report to the Council (document S/1998/694), which states that "the effectiveness of the implementation of the IAEA OMV plan is critically dependent upon the full exercise of the rights of access enshrined in the plan. Any diminution of, or interference with, those rights would greatly reduce the level of assurance provided through its implementation."

Iraq's refusal to cooperate in any activity involving investigation of its clandestine nuclear programme makes it impossible for IAEA to exercise a fundamental right, described in my July status report. Paragraph 43 of that report records that IAEA will continue, in the context of its OMV, to investigate, through the follow-up of any new information that comes to its knowledge, the remaining questions and concerns relevant to Iraq's clandestine nuclear programme, as well as any other aspect of that programme and to destroy, remove, or render harmless any prohibited items that may be discovered through such investigations.

Moreover, as stated in paragraph 8 of the October 1997 progress report of the IAEA Director General to the Council (S/1997/779), "the carrying out of joint IAEA/UNSCOM multi-disciplinary inspections at 'capable' sites on a regular basis continues to contribute to the effectiveness of the OMV to detect any attempt by Iraq to conduct activities proscribed by Security Council resolutions." The restrictions imposed by Iraq have resulted in the discontinuation of the "implementation of a joint programme of inspection of Iraqi sites which, in the judgement of IAEA/UNSCOM, are deemed to have capabilities suitable for conducting work on some aspect of weapons of mass destruction".

It follows from the above that the limited activities currently undertaken in Iraq by IAEA, under the restrictions imposed by Iraq, fall far short of full implementation of the OMV plan and result in a significantly reduced level of assurance than would be provided through the full implementation of that plan.

I would be grateful if you would bring the text of the present letter to the attention of the Security Council.

(Signed) Mohamed ELBARADEI