UNIFIL is a crucial stabilizing element in a degraded regional context

We are all fully aware of the gravity of the situation and of the absolute necessity to respond to the aspirations and the needs of the Lebanese people.
Lebanon needs our continued, collective and united support to address the current crisis and to avoid destabilization.

The resignation of the Government yesterday followed a number of individual decisions by Ministers to resign. It is now essential that a new Government is formed as quickly as possible, able to demonstrate to the Lebanese that it can address the main current challenges, in the aftermath of the explosions, and also as Lebanon is facing a very acute and unprecedented economic and social crisis in parallel to having to address the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Sunday, President Macron took the initiative of an international conference, organized by France and the UN, so that we could all express our solidarity and support to the Lebanese after the tragic explosions of last Tuesday. More than 250 million dollars were pledged on Sunday. And we call other donors to provide additional contributions and assistance.

Today we are having consultations on 1701. UNIFIL is a crucial stabilizing element in a degraded regional context, and the more so as Lebanon is facing such acute crisis. So it is a strategic asset for the security of both Lebanon and Israel. It is also a 5-star mission that operates with success in a particularly difficult context. The UN Security Council has always stood in unity in support of the mission and we really want this to continue to be the case.

UNIFIL is an efficient tool to prevent escalation of tensions and to promote de-escalation of tensions whenever there are incidents across the blue line. This has happened already 3 times over the past year, since we last renew the mandate in August 2019.

I am looking forward to constructive and positive discussions in the Council on the renewal of the mandate.