Mr. Prime Minister, Ladies and gentlemen of the media,

Good afternoon everyone. Salam Aleykum,

I am very pleased to be back in Lebanon. The United Nations has a major presence here and I thank Lebanon’s leaders for the support they have extended to our Organization.

Before I talk about my visit, I would like to express my deepest condolences for the death of a Lebanese soldier today in Wadi Rayan, in the outskirts of Arsal near the Syrian border.

This bomb attack underlines the importance of international support for the Lebanese Armed Forces, to fight terrorism and to shield Lebanon from turmoil in the region.

My joint visit to Lebanon with the President of the World Bank, Dr. Jim Yong Kim, and the President of the Islamic Development Bank, Dr. Ahmad Al-Madani, shows that the international community is united and ready to offer its strong support for your country.

Few countries have demonstrated the generosity that the Government and people of Lebanon have shown towards Syrian refugees. Syria’s neighbours are a model for other countries and regions that have far more resources than they do.

The recent conference in London was a good starting point for a shift in approach towards addressing the Syrian crisis in Lebanon.

But we are all concerned that increasing numbers of Syrian and Palestinian refugees are living in dire poverty and resorting to child labour and other desperate measures.

We are equally concerned by the vulnerability of Lebanese host communities, especially in the most impoverished areas.

We are here to find ways to improve conditions for refugees, to support the communities hosting them, and to help mitigate the impact on Lebanon’s economy.

We are also concerned about the political situation in Lebanon which is contributing to an atmosphere of uncertainty.

Mr. Prime Minister, I appreciate your efforts to lead your government through such difficult times.

Lebanon’s President is an important symbol of unity for its people, and a symbol of pluralism in this region. It is vital that the vacuum in the presidency is filled as soon as possible, in order for Lebanon to be whole again.

The United Nations is a steadfast partner to Lebanon through the presence of the 23 agencies, funds and programmes working here, the political mission and the peacekeeping mission.

Ten years after Security Council resolution 1701, there is relative calm across the Blue Line. UNIFIL in close coordination with the Lebanese Armed Forces is the backbone of this stability.

The United Nations appreciates the important role of the Lebanese Armed Forces in an atmosphere of attacks and threats from extremist groups including Daesh. I echo the Security Council’s clear calls for continued international support for the Lebanese Armed Forces.

In all my visits to this region, I must express my concern about the continued challenges faced by Palestinian refugees and the urgent need for a political solution, based on two states living side by side in peace and security.

Thank you. Shukran.