Mideast situation/Lebanon – Declaration on Lebanon of the Foreign Ministers of the Twelve – Letter from the Netherlands

Letter dated 30 June 1986 from the Permanent Representative of the

Netherlands to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

On behalf of the 12 States members of the European Community, the Presidency of which is currently held by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, I have the honour to send to you herewith the text of a Declaration on Lebanon adopted by the Foreign Ministers of the Twelve at The Hague on 27 June 1986.

I would be most grateful if this letter and its annex could be circulated as an official document of the General Assembly, under item 37 of the preliminary list, and of the Security Council.

(Signed)  Max VAN DER STOEL

Ambassador

Permanent Representative

ANNEX

Declaration adopted at The Hague on 27 June 1986 by the Foreign Ministers

of the Twelve on the situation in Lebanon

The 12 Ministers for Foreign Affairs are deeply concerned about the situation in Lebanon, which, after so many years of confrontation, continues to deteriorate, particularly as a result of the continuing escalation of violence involving the civilian populations at Beirut, especially the Palestinians in refugee camps, and leading to heavy loss of life and property on all sides.  They endorse the recent appeals by the Security Council and the Secretary-General of the United Nations to all parties concerned to exercise restraint, to make efforts to end the present bloodshed and to facilitate the work of relief organizations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).  The Twelve reaffirm that the sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity of Lebanon must be respected.

—–