Saturday, March 23, 2013

Statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General on the resignation of Prime Minister Mikati of Lebanon

New York, 22 March 2013 - The Secretary-General has taken note of the announcement today of the resignation of Prime Minister Mikati of Lebanon. At this challenging time for the region, the Secretary-General calls on all the parties in Lebanon to remain united behind the leadership of President Sleiman. He also calls on them to work together with the institutions of the State to maintain calm and stability, to respect Lebanon's policy of disassociation consistent with their commitment in the Baabda Declaration, and to support the role of the Lebanese Armed Forces in sustaining national unity, sovereignty and security. The Secretary-General urges all concerned to engage positively with the President to agree the way forward in accordance with Lebanon's constitutional requirements and with full respect for the democratic process.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Security Council Press Statement on Lebanon

14 March 2013

Security Council
SC/10941

Department of Public Information • News and Media Division • New York

Security Council Press Statement on Lebanon

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Vitaly Churkin ( Russian Federation):

Security Council members have been briefed by the Special Coordinator for Lebanon and the Director of Asia and Middle East Division at the Department of Peacekeeping Operations following the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006).

Security Council members are encouraged by the calm that continues to prevail across the Blue Line and in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon's (UNIFIL) area of operations. They urged all parties to make every effort to ensure that the cessation of hostilities is sustained, and emphasized the need for them to continue working with the Special Coordinator and UNIFIL, including through the tripartite mechanism, to build upon it and to move forward on all outstanding issues in the implementation of Security Council resolutions 1701 (2006), 1559 (2004) and other relevant Security Council resolutions. They also stressed the necessity for all parties to ensure that the freedom of movement of UNIFIL is fully respected and unimpeded.


Security Council members underscored their grave concern over repeated incidents of cross-border fire which caused death and injury among the Lebanese population, incursions, abductions and arms trafficking across the Lebanese-Syrian border, as well as other border violations. They underlined the importance of full respect for Lebanon's sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, and the authority of the Lebanese State, in accordance with Security Council resolutions.

Security Council members expressed also their deep concern at the impact of the Syrian crisis on Lebanon's stability. They appealed to all Lebanese people to preserve national unity in the face of attempts to undermine the country's stability, and stressed the need for all Lebanese parties to respect Lebanon's policy of disassociation, and to refrain from any involvement in the Syrian crisis, consistent with their commitment in the Baabda Declaration.

Security Council members welcomed the continued efforts of President [Michel] Sleiman to preserve Lebanon's unity and stability. They encouraged all parties in Lebanon to make swift progress to ensure that parliamentary elections take place on a consensual basis within the legal and constitutional framework. They also recalled the need to put an end to impunity in Lebanon and reiterated their full support for the work of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

Security Council members also acknowledged the important role played by the Lebanese security and armed forces in sustaining national unity and sovereignty, and welcomed steps being taken to further develop their capacities, including through the strategic dialogue with UNIFIL, and encouraged further international assistance to this end.

Security Council members, gravely concerned at the impact of the growing flow of refugees fleeing violence in Syria, now totalling over 360,000 in Lebanon, called upon the international community to follow through on humanitarian aid pledges made during the Kuwait Conference of 30 January 2013. They commended Lebanon's generous efforts in hosting and assisting those refugees.

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For information media • not an official record

Lebanese parties must not get involved in Syrian crisis, Security Council stresses

14 March 2013 – The Security Council today said it was encouraged by the prevailing calm across the so-called 'Blue Line' between Israel and Lebanon, while also stressing the need for all Lebanese parties to refrain from any involvement in the crisis in neighbouring Syria.
Regarding the calm across the Blue Line, Council members "urged all parties to make every effort to ensure that the cessation of hostilities is sustained," Ambassador Vitaly Churkin of Russia, which holds the rotating presidency of the Council for this month, said in a statement read out to the press.

They also underscored their "grave concern" over repeated incidents of cross-border fire which caused death and injury among the Lebanese population, as well as incursions, abductions and arms trafficking across the Lebanese-Syrian border and other border violations, he added.

The statement followed a closed-door meeting in which the Council was briefed by the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Derek Plumbly, on the Secretary-General's latest report on resolution 1701.

That resolution, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and the Lebanese group Hizbollah, calls for respect for the Blue Line, the disarming of all militias in Lebanon, and an end to arms smuggling in the area. While the resolution has largely been respected since the war ended, there has been little progress towards an envisaged permanent ceasefire.

Council members also expressed their deep concern at the impact of the Syrian crisis, which is now entering its third year, on Lebanon's stability.

"They appealed to all Lebanese people to preserve national unity in the face of attempts to undermine the country's stability and stressed the need for all Lebanese parties to respect Lebanon's policy of disassociation and to refrain from any involvement in the Syrian crisis," said the statement.

Lebanon is hosting over 360,000 refugees who have fled the ongoing violence in Syria. While commending Lebanon's generosity in assisting the refugees, the Council called on the international community to follow through on humanitarian aid pledges made at an aid conference in Kuwait in January.

Speaking to reporters after his briefing, Mr. Plumbly noted that the issue of elements from Lebanon who might be fighting in Syria is something that is addressed in the latest report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of resolution 1701. However, he added, that it is an area in which the UN does not have its own independent information.