When I arrived in Lebanon in February 2012 to take up my position as the secretary-general’s special coordinator for Lebanon, the Arab world was already in the throes of extraordinary change. It was a period of hope and of trepidation. But few of us could have predicted that events would lead to the turbulence and pattern of brutal and escalating conflict that we see today. Lebanon’s unique brand of pluralism, lessons learnt from the past and the vigilance of its security services have served to shield it. But the pressure of spillover from the war in Syria continues to grow. Now, more than ever, the international community must stand with Lebanon. Most Lebanese I talk to share with me their concerns – worries about security and institutional deadlock and about deepening socioeconomic difficulties, partly as a result of the conflict in Syria, and in particular the influx of refugees. These are critical and complex challenges. On this United Nations Day the message of the U.N. family in Lebanon in the face of them is very clear. We are here to help Lebanon and the Lebanese people. The commitment of the United Nations, and of the international community we represent, to Lebanon’s stability, security and wellbeing has never been stronger.
Lebanon’s relationship with the U.N. extends back to the organization’s beginnings. Sixty-nine years ago, on this day in 1945, Lebanon helped to found the United Nations to strengthen peace and security and promote development for future generations. In 1948 Lebanon helped draft the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Beirut has long been a hub for the United Nations, providing a home for regional offices including that of the U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia. Over the years the U.N.’s presence here has expanded to include 24 U.N. agencies with mandates that include peacekeeping, development and humanitarian and human rights work. But at the heart of almost all of their work in Lebanon is the concern for its stability.
The priority the U.N. Security Council has long attached to Lebanon’s stability, sovereignty and territorial integrity is evident in the united positions it has repeatedly adopted concerning them. In the face of the impact of the Syrian conflict on Lebanon, this has been particularly evident. Over the past year or more, it has also been reflected in the activity of the International Support Group for Lebanon, which the secretary-general again convened in New York this September and which will meet once more in the presence of Prime Minister Tammam Salam in the margins of next week’s ministerial conference in Berlin on the Syrian refugee situation.
I am very conscious of the deep anxiety many in Lebanon feel about the impact here of the Syrian refugee presence. The greatest number of them live in Lebanon’s poorest areas, and the strains imposed on the communities hosting them are very great indeed. That tensions have at times arisen must come as no surprise. Yet I have to say that I also encounter in those communities I have visited an understanding that, overwhelmingly, the refugees are vulnerable people who have suffered greatly in being displaced from their homes; the great majority of them are women and children. I am always impressed by what I see of the work of local institutions in assisting them. All the refugees I have met have spoken eloquently of their wish to return home in safety and dignity.
I am also impressed by what I see of the work of Lebanon’s international partners in this field. In the past 24 months nearly $2 billion has been raised to assist refugees and the communities hosting them. More is certainly needed, and my U.N. colleagues and I will continue to work with regional and international partners to raise new resources. At the same time, the U.N. is working closely with the Lebanese authorities to manage the refugee presence more effectively. We must increasingly focus our assistance on the neediest refugee families, and provide much more support to host communities and government programs affected by the crisis.
The effects of Syria’s civil war on Lebanon’s security are serious indeed. The resolve of the Lebanese Army and security forces, and the personal sacrifices of soldiers, policemen and their families in upholding security and in confronting the extremist threat on the eastern border are recognized by all. Here too, international partners – with the support and encouragement of the United Nations – are mobilizing significant resources for the Lebanese Armed Forces and accelerating the supply of critical arms and equipment to better secure the borders and strengthen domestic security.
And of course, under Resolution 1701, the U.N. continues to work in the closest possible way with the LAF to ensure continued calm and stability in the south. UNIFIL remains among the largest U.N. peacekeeping missions in the world. On U.N. Day we also commemorate the U.N. peacekeepers, humanitarian personnel and others who risk or give their lives around the world, and I recall here the 275 UNIFIL personnel who have fallen in south Lebanon over the years in the service of peace and security.
At the heart of all of this activity is partnership in support of Lebanon’s stability between the United Nations and the government and people of Lebanon. For Lebanon’s partners in the international community, as for the people of Lebanon, the continuity and effective functioning of state institutions is therefore vital. This is critical at times like the present, when the multiple challenges require these institutions to work effectively and in unity. In that spirit, Lebanon’s international partners immediately welcomed the formation of the present national unity government earlier this year.
Equally of course, we have been deeply concerned at the continued vacancy in the Presidency of the Republic, and the Security Council, the International Support Group and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon have repeatedly called for redoubled efforts on the part of Lebanon’s leaders to resolve the issue.
At almost 70 years of age, the U.N. is the world’s most enduring and most ambitious experiment in collective peace, security and development. Lebanon has been a full partner in this experiment. The U.N. will continue to work with Lebanon, as elsewhere, in common cause for the common good.
Derek Plumbly is the U.N. special coordinator for Lebanon.
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