United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM): the Dutch contribution
20 countries, including the Netherlands, took part in UNSCOM. The commission was given the task of evaluating the disarmament policy and the results of the UNSCOM inspections in Iraq and reporting on this to the Secretary-General and – and this was unique – direct to the Security Council.
The commission members, whose number included Dutchman A.J.J. Ooms, played an active part in the negotiations with senior Iraqi officials. Teams consisting of specialists from the member states, of members of the commission itself and of personnel from the UN secretariat conducted on-the-spot inspections.
NBC specialists
Between June 1991 and November 1998, the Ministry of Defence provided 14 nuclear, biological and chemical warfare specialists, each for periods of 2 to 7 months. These specialists were NCOs and officers from the RNLA and the Royal NL Air Force (RNLAF. One of them, Lieutenant Colonel C. Wolterbeek, was posted to UNSCOM on several occasions. One of the functions he held, from 28 June 1993 to 27 February 1994, was that of the head of UNSCOM's Chemical Destruction Group.