Weapons whisper. War waits. The world watches. Wisdom wins.

• Position: Includes related article on the Memorandum of Understanding between the United Nations and the Republic of Iraq - Cover Story

The international crisis over the United Nations Special Commission's (UNSCOM) weapons inspections in Iraq was defused through the intervention of Secretary-General Kofi Annan, and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the United Nations and Iraq on 23 February. In it, Iraq reaffirmed its acceptance of all relevant Council resolutions and reiterated its undertaking to "cooperate fully" with UNSCOM and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and to allow their inspectors "immediate, unconditional and unrestricted access" to all sites, including the eight controversial "presidential sites", listed separately in an Annex to the Memorandum. The United Nations reiterated the commitment of all Member States to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq. The agreement was endorsed by the Security Council on 2 March in Resolution 1159 (1998).

The Secretary-General, upon his return from Baghdad on 24 February, briefed the Council. He emphasized that, in contrast with other agreements between the United Nations and Iraq, "this one was negotiated with President Saddam Hussain himself" and would reveal a "qualitative difference" in Iraq's attitude. He praised various world leaders for contributing to the success of his mission: the United States and the United Kingdom for demonstrating firmness and making military force available; and China, the Russian Federation and France for encouraging a diplomatic solution. All around the world, millions of people had supported his Iraq mission, making its outcome a victory for the United Nations as a whole.

The Secretary-General called for ongoing arrangements, including "a mechanism for resolving conflicts before they become dilemmas and almost bring us to the brink of war". Council President Denis Dangue Rewaka of Gabon thanked the Secretary-General for his initiative and encouraged him to continue working toward a "prompt and lasting solution of that matter".

"What is important is that, in my judgement, this agreement can and should work", Mr. Annan told the Press at Headquarters, after briefing the Council. "There is a qualitative difference about this agreement that the others did not have. First of all, we have to remember that in the years that the United Nations has been present in Baghdad, many agreements have been signed, but none have been negotiated and approved with Saddam Hussain. This one was negotiated with the President himself, and the leadership has got the message that he wants cooperation, he wants it done. They are very disciplined and hard-working people, and I think that with...