A/RES/51/106 Page 3 sanctions, including the death penalty, as well as harsh limitations to freedom of movement; 4. Welcomes the memorandum of understanding reached in May 1996 between Iraq and the Secretary-General to implement Security Council resolution 986 (1995) and to respond to the serious humanitarian situation in Iraq perpetuated by the non-compliance of the Government of Iraq with various Security Council resolutions; 5. Urges the Government of Iraq to cooperate with the United Nations with a view to ensuring the implementation of Security Council resolution 986 (1995), in accordance with the agreement reached in May 1996 that medicines, health supplies, foodstuffs and other humanitarian supplies purchased with the proceeds of the sale of Iraqi petroleum and petroleum products be distributed to the Iraqi population equitably and on a nondiscriminatory basis; 6. Again expresses its special alarm at the policies of the Government of Iraq, which discriminate between regions and prevent the equitable enjoyment of basic foodstuffs and medical supplies, and calls upon Iraq, which has sole responsibility in this regard, to take steps to cooperate with international humanitarian agencies in the provision of relief to those in need throughout Iraq; 7. Calls once again upon Iraq, as a State party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights2 and to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,2 to abide by its freely undertaken obligations under the Covenants, under other international instruments on human rights and under international humanitarian law and, particularly, to respect and ensure the rights of all individuals, irrespective of their origin, within its territory and subject to its jurisdiction; 8. Demands that the Government of Iraq restore the independence of the judiciary and abrogate all laws granting impunity to specified forces or persons killing or injuring individuals for any purpose beyond the administration of justice under the rule of law as prescribed by international standards; 9. Also demands that the Government of Iraq abrogate any and all decrees that prescribe cruel and inhuman punishment or treatment and take every step necessary to ensure that the practice of torture and cruel and unusual punishments and treatment no longer occur; 10. Urges the Government of Iraq to abrogate all laws and procedures, including Revolution Command Council decree No. 840 of 4 November 1986, that penalize the free expression of competing views and ideas and to ensure that the genuine will of the people shall be the basis of authority in the State; 11. Also urges the Government of Iraq to improve its cooperation within the framework of the Tripartite Commission and its technical subcommittee with a view to establishing the whereabouts or resolving the fate of the remaining several hundred missing persons and prisoners of war, Kuwaitis and third-country nationals victims of the illegal Iraqi occupation of Kuwait; /...