MaximsNewsNetwork: LEBANON: UN SPECIAL COORDINATOR MICHAEL WILLIAMS & UNIFIL

MaximsNewsNetwork: 10 November 2009 - UNTV - UNIFIL: UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams says that the UN is looking forward to working with the new government but more needs to be done to safeguard what's been achieved over the past three years in southern Lebanon.

A senior United Nations official warned today (10 November) that despite recent worrying incidents in southern Lebanon, where Israel and Hizbollah militants battled fiercely three years ago, talk of a new war is alarmist even if all sides must do more to translate the cessation of hostilities into a permanent ceasefire.

After briefing the Security Council on the latest developments, Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Michael Williams told reporters that in the period under review just now by the Council, the past four months there have been a number of serious incidents in South Lebanon and regular and some cases daily violations of 1701 that of course concern and raise the specter of a potential escalation.

Despite the rocket launches into Israel, the almost daily Israeli flights over Lebanon, the arms depot maintained by Hizbollah and the apparently Israeli surveillance equipment left on Lebanese territory, Williams said the cessation of hostilities that followed the adoption of resolution 1701 has actually held remarkably well, calling this a tribute to the UN peacekeeping force known as UNIFIL, the Lebanese and the Israelis.

Resolution 1701, adopted by the Council in August 2006, called for an end to hostilities between Israel and Hizbollah, respect for the so-called Blue Line separating the Israeli and Lebanese sides, disarming of militias and an end to arms smuggling. Hizbollah, which has not disarmed, is part of a new unity government formed in Lebanon yesterday.

Williams called for more to be done to safeguard what has been achieved in the past three years and stressed the need for more tangible steps towards a permanent ceasefire and a long-term solution.

He congratulated the new national unity government, noting the challenges facing it in the economic, political and social fields as well as in exercising its authority throughout the whole country.

Immediately afterwards, Syrias Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari told reporters that Syria thought that Williams report to the Security Council should have shed more light over the Israeli violations of the Lebanon sovereignty, and should have focused more on the Israeli activities of intelligence deep inside the Lebanese territory and even within the area where the UNIFIL itself is deployed.

In a press statement released yesterday (9 November), the UN Secretary-General welcomed the formation of a national unity Government in Lebanon. He expressed his satisfaction that, five months after the parliamentary elections of 7 June, Lebanese political leaders had been able to reach agreement on the formation of a cabinet. The Secretary-General hoped that Lebanese political leaders will continue to work together in a spirit of unity, dialogue and cooperation.

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• Lebanon
• UN special coordinator
• Israel
• HIzbollah
• Michael Williams
• UN Security Council
• UNTV
• MaximsNews Network
• Bashar Ja'afari
• Syria
• 1701