Middle East situation/Lebanon – SecCo meeting – Verbatim records

Security Council

Fifty-fifth year

4131st meeting

Thursday, 20 April 2000, 10.35 a.m.

New York

Agenda

The situation in the Middle East

Letter dated 6 April 2000 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council (S/2000/294)

Letter dated 17 April 2000 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council (S/2000/322)

The meeting was called to order at 10.35 a.m.

Adoption of the agenda

The agenda was adopted.

The situation in the Middle East

Letter dated 6 April 2000 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council (S/2000/294)

Letter dated 17 April 2000 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council (S/2000/322)

The President: The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations.

Members of the Council have before them two letters from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council, dated 6 and 17 April 2000, respectively, and contained in documents S/2000/294 and S/2000/322.

I should like to draw the attention of the members of the Council to document S/2000/295, letter dated 6 April 2000 from the Permanent Representative of Lebanon to the United Nations transmitting a letter of the same date from the President of the Lebanese Republic addressed to the Secretary-General.

Following consultations among members of the Security Council, I have been authorized to make the following statement on behalf of the Council:

"The Security Council welcomes the letters of the Secretary-General to its President of 6 April (S/2000/294) and 17 April 2000 (S/2000/322), which includes notification of the decision of the Government of Israel, as stated in its letter of 17 April 2000 from the Foreign Minister of Israel to the Secretary-General, to withdraw its forces present in Lebanon in full accordance with resolutions 425 (1978) and 426 (1978) of 19 March 1978 and its intention to cooperate fully with the United Nations in the implementation of its decision.

"The Security Council endorses the decision of the Secretary-General to initiate preparations to enable the United Nations to carry out its responsibilities under resolutions 425 (1978) and 426 (1978), as described in his letter of 17 April 2000.

"The Security Council shares the view expressed by the Secretary-General in his letter of 6 April 2000 that cooperation by all parties concerned will be required in order to avoid a deterioration of the situation. It welcomes his decision to send his Special Envoy to the region as soon as practicable and encourages all parties to cooperate fully in the complete implementation of resolutions 425 (1978) and 426 (1978).

"The Security Council looks forward to the Secretary-General reporting back as soon as possible on relevant developments, including the outcome of the consultations with the parties and all interested Member States and those contributing troops to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), and his conclusions and recommendations regarding the plans and requirements for implementation of resolutions 425 (1978) and 426 (1978) and all other relevant resolutions.

"The Security Council stresses the importance of, and the need for, achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East, based on all relevant Security Council resolutions, including resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973).

This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/2000/13.

The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.

The meeting rose at 10.40 a.m.