Lebanon/Killing of journalist – SecCo meeting – Verbatim records

Provisional 

Security Council
Sixtieth year
 5197th meeting
Tuesday, 7 June 2005, 5.50 p.m. 
New York 

Agenda

The situation in the Middle East

  The meeting was called to order at 5.50 p.m.

Adoption of the agenda 

  The agenda was adopted.

The situation in Middle East 

  The President (spoke in French ): 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.

  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 condemns in the strongest terms the 2 June terrorist bombing in Beirut, Lebanon, that killed a Lebanese journalist, Samir Qassir, who was a symbol of political independence and freedom, and expresses its deepest sympathy and condolences to the family of the victim and to the people of Lebanon.

  “The Security Council welcomes the determination and commitment of the Government of Lebanon to bring to justice the perpetrators, organizers and sponsors of this assassination and determines that this assassination, like others before it, constitutes a pernicious effort to undermine security, stability, sovereignty, political independence and efforts aimed at preserving civil accord in the country.

  “The Security Council expresses its concern about the destabilizing impact of political assassinations and other terrorist acts in Lebanon, and warns that the sponsors of recent terrorist acts against political leaders and leading members of civil society in Lebanon should not be permitted to jeopardize the holding of parliamentary elections in transparent, free and democratic conditions.

  “The Security Council calls upon all parties to show restraint and a sense of responsibility with a view to the successful completion of the electoral process and government formation in the country.

  “The Security Council reaffirms its resolution 1559 (2004) and reiterates its call for the strict respect of the sovereignty, territorial integrity, unity and political independence of Lebanon. The Security Council urges all States, in accordance with its resolutions 1373 (2001) and 1566 (2004), to cooperate fully in the fight against terrorism.”

  This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/2005/22.

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

 The meeting rose at 5.55 p.m.

This record contains the text of speeches delivered in English and of the interpretation of speeches delivered in the other languages. The final text will be printed in the Official Records of the Security Council . Corrections should be submitted to the original languages only. They should be incorporated in a copy of the record and sent under the signature of a member of the delegation concerned to the Chief of the Verbatim Reporting Service, room C-154A.