106 Nations Report on Sanctions

UNITED NATIONS —  A total of 106 countries have so far replied to a U.N. request for details on what they are doing to implement sanctions against Iraq for its invasion of Kuwait, Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar said Friday.

He also said in a report that nine of the world body’s 159 members have asked to hold consultations with the Security Council on resolving special economic problems they face as a result of the trade embargo.

They are Bulgaria, India, Jordan, Lebanon, Philippines, Romania, Sri Lanka, Tunisia and Yugoslavia. In addition, Sudan and Yemen had indicated their intention of requesting consultations with the council.

Under the U.N. Charter, any country that finds itself facing special economic problems arising from applying U.N.-imposed sanctions “shall have the right to consult the Security Council with regard to a solution of those problems.”

A Security Council committee set up to oversee implementation of the council’s Aug. 6 sanctions resolution has been giving urgent consideration to the request from Jordan.

Amman said last month it would suffer direct and indirect losses totaling $2 billion a year as a result of cutting its economic links with Iraq and occupied Kuwait.

Committee chairwoman Marjatta Rasi of Finland told reporters after a meeting Thursday that agreement was near on recommendations to the Security Council for assisting Jordan, but she gave no details.

The committee, which meets in private, has also heard presentations by representatives of several other countries claiming special hardship.