Saturday, February 14, 2015

Statement attributable to the Spokesman of the Secretary-General on the tenth anniversary of the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri

New York, 14 February 2015

On the tenth anniversary of the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and 21 others who lost their lives on that day, the Secretary-General renews his condolences to the families of the victims of this terrorist attack. A decade on, the message remains that impunity will not be tolerated. The United Nations is committed to support the work of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, with the continued support and cooperation of the Government of Lebanon.

The United Nations reiterates its long standing commitment to the people of Lebanon on this occasion. As Lebanon faces renewed challenges, the United Nations continues to work with the Government of Lebanon, alongside all Lebanese partners, to support the country in its efforts to strengthen stability and security, in line with relevant resolutions of the Security Council.

Wednesday, February 04, 2015

Security Council Press statement on Lebanon

4 FEBRUARY 2015
SC/11766-PKO/469
SECURITY COUNCIL
PRESS RELEASE

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Liu Jieyi (China):

The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the killing of a United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Spanish peacekeeper, which occurred in the context of fire exchanges along the Blue Line on 28 January 2015.

The members of the Security Council expressed their deepest sympathy to the family of the fallen peacekeeper and to the Government of Spain.

The members of the Security Council looked forward to the immediate completion of UNIFIL's full and comprehensive investigation to determine the facts and circumstances of the incident.

Tripartite Meeting held on 04 February 2015

04 February 2015
The Head of Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Major-General Luciano Portolano, today chaired a regular tripartite meeting with senior officers from the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) at the UN Position at Ras Al Naqoura crossing. 
In light of the events of 28th January, much of the discussion centered on ensuring a return to calm and stability in UNIFIL's area of operations. In addition to the recent incidents, the participants discussed the implementation of relevant provisions of UN Security Council resolution 1701 under UNIFIL's mandate, including air and ground violations, the ongoing visible marking of the Blue Line and the issue of withdrawal of Israeli forces from northern Ghajar. 
Major-General Portolano said: "I conveyed the UN Secretary-General message of concern over the serious deterioration of the security situation, to refrain from any action that could undermine the stability of the area and to act responsibly to prevent any escalation in an already tense regional environment. The Secretary-General urged respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries in the region, and adherence to all relevant Security Council resolutions. 
"I was re-assured by both sides of their commitment to using liaison and coordination channels, including the tripartite mechanism to preserve stability and prevent any further escalation of the situation in UNIFIL's area of operations." 
The Force Commander emphasized that the situation in UNIFIL's AO is now stable and under control.