Middle East situation/Lebanon – SecCo meeting – Verbatim records

Security Council

Fifty-fifth year

4146th meeting

Tuesday, 23 May 2000, 12 noon

New York

Agenda

The situation in the Middle East

Report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of Security Council resolutions 425 (1978) and 426 (1978) (S/2000/460)

The meeting was called to order at noon.

Adoption of the agenda

The agenda was adopted.

The situation in the Middle East

Report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of Security Council resolutions 425 (1978) and 426 (1978) (S/2000/460)

The President (spoke in Chinese): I should like to inform the Council that I have received a letter from the representative of Lebanon, in which he requests to be invited to participate in the discussion of the item on the Council’s agenda. In conformity with the usual practice, I propose, with the consent of the Council, to invite that representative to participate in the discussion, without the right to vote, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter and rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure.

There being no objection, it is so decided.

At the invitation of the President, Mr. Tadmoury (Lebanon) took a seat at the Council table.

The President (spoke in Chinese): 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 the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of Security Council resolutions 425 (1978) and 426 (1978), document S/2000/460.

I should like to draw the attention of the members of the Council to the following other documents: S/2000/443 and S/2000/465, letters dated 15 and 22 May 2000 respectively, from Lebanon 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 and strongly endorses the report of the Secretary-General of 22 May 2000 (S/2000/460). The Council stresses again the importance of, and the need to achieve, a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East, based on all its relevant resolutions, including its resolutions 242 (1967) of 22 November 1967 and 338 (1973) of 22 October 1973.

“The Security Council welcomes the intention of the Secretary-General to take all necessary measures to enable the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to confirm that a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon has taken place in compliance with its resolution 425 (1978), and to take all necessary steps in order to deal with possible eventualities, bearing in mind that the cooperation of all parties will be essential. The Council welcomes the intention of the Secretary-General to report on the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon in accordance with its resolution 425 (1978).

“The Security Council fully endorses the requirements put forward by the Secretary-General for confirming the compliance of all parties concerned with its resolution 425 (1978), calls on all parties concerned to cooperate fully in implementing the recommendations of the Secretary-General, and requests the Secretary-General to report on their fulfilment of the requirements when he reports on the withdrawal.

“The Security Council calls upon the States and other parties concerned to exercise utmost restraint and to cooperate with UNIFIL and the United Nations to ensure the full implementation of its resolutions 425 (1978) and 426 (1978). The Council shares the view of the Secretary-General that it is crucial that the States and other parties concerned do their part to calm the situation, ensure the safety of the civilian population, and cooperate fully with the United Nations in its efforts to stabilize the situation, to restore international peace and security and to assist the Government of Lebanon in ensuring the return of its effective authority in the area following confirmation of withdrawal.

“The Security Council welcomes the decision of the Secretary-General to send his Special Envoy back to the region immediately to ensure that the requirements put forward by the Secretary-General are met and to ensure the commitment of all the parties concerned to cooperate fully with the United Nations in the complete implementation of its resolutions 425 (1978) and 426 (1978).

“The Security Council takes this opportunity to express its appreciation and its full support for the continuing efforts of the Secretary-General, his Special Envoy to the region and his staff. It commends UNIFIL’s troops and troop-contributing countries for their commitment to the cause of international peace and security under difficult circumstances. The Council stresses its concern that all the parties concerned cooperate with the United Nations, and recalls the relevant principles contained in the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel of 1994.”

This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/2000/18.

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

The meeting rose at 12.10 p.m.