Situation in Lebanon/Beirut fighting – SecCo debate, vote – Verbatim record

2381 th Meeting

Held in New York on Saturday, 26 June 1982, at 2.45 a.m.

CONTENTS

Provisional agenda (S/Agenda/2381) …………………….pg. 1

Adoption of the agenda ……………………………….pg. 1

The situation in the Middle East:

Letter dated 4 June 1982 from the Permanent Representative of Lebanon to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council (S/15162)……………………………………………pg. 1

---

NOTE

Symbols of United Nations documents are composed of capital letters combined with figures. Mention of such a symbol indicates a reference to a United Nations document.

Documents of the Security Council (symbol S/…) are normally published in quarterly Supplements of the Official Records of the Security Council. The date of the document indicates the supplement in which it appears or in which information about it is given.

The resolutions of the Security Council, numbered in accordance with a system adopted in 1964, are published in yearly volumes of Resolutions and Decisions of the Security Council. The new system, which has been applied retroactively to resolutions adopted before 1 January 1965, became fully operative on that date.

---

President: Mr. Luc de La BARRE de NANTEUIL (France).

Present: The representatives of the following States: China, France, Guyana, Ireland, Japan, Jordan, Panama, Poland, Spain, Togo, Uganda, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Zaire.

Provisional agenda (S/Agenda/2381)

1. Adoption of the agenda

2. The situation in the Middle East:

Letter dated 4 June 1982 from the Permanent Representative of Lebanon to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council (S/15162)

The meeting was called to order at 2.50 a.m.

Adoption of the agenda

The agenda was adopted.

The situation in the Middle East:

Letter dated 4 June 1982 from the Permanent Representative of Lebanon to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council (S/15162)

1. The PRESIDENT (interpretation from French): In accordance with decisions taken at previous meetings on this item [2374th, 2375th and 2377th meetings], I invite the representatives of Lebanon and Israel to take places at the Council table; I invite the representative of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to take a place at the Council table; I invite the representative of Egypt to take the place reserved for him at the side of the Council chamber.

At the invitation of the President, Mr. Tueni (Lebanon) and Mr. Blum (Israel) took places at the Council table; Mr. Terzi (Palestine Liberation Organization) took a place at the Council table; Mr. Abdel Meguid (Egypt) took the place reserved, for him at the side of the Council chamber.

2. The PRESIDENT (interpretation from French): Members of the Council have before them document S/l5255/Rev.2, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by France.

3. At the request of members of the Council, I would point out that the following corrections should be made in the text. Operative paragraph 1 should read as follows:

"Demands that all the parties observe an immediate cessation of hostilities throughout Lebanon;".

Operative paragraph 5 should read:

"Supports the Government of Lebanon in its will to regain exclusive control of its capital and to that end to install its armed forces which shall take up positions within Beirut and interpose themselves on its periphery;".

Operative paragraph 8 should read:

"Requests the Secretary-General to report to the Security Council on an urgent and sustained basis not later than 1 July 1982 on the status of implementation of the present resolution and of resolutions 508 (1982), 509 (1982) and 512 (1982);".

4. Members of the Council also have before them the following documents: S/15233, containing the text of a letter dated 18 June from the representative of Cuba to the President of the Council; S/15243, containing the text of a letter dated 18 June from the representative of Cuba to the Secretary-General; S/15248, containing the text of a letter dated 22 June from the representative of Jordan to the Secretary-General; S/15251, containing the text of a letter dated 23 June from the representative of Hungary to the Secretary-General; and S/15254, containing the text of a letter dated 24 June from the representative of France to the Secretary-General.

5. I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of FRANCE.

6. In submitting this draft resolution to the Council for its approval, France wishes solemnly to note the serious concerns aroused by the latest developments in Beirut both among its own people, which have feelings of friendship for the people of Lebanon, and among its highest officials.

7. Today what is to be feared is nothing more nor less than the total destruction of entire neighbourhoods of the city of Beirut, already ravaged by 12 years of armed clashes and threatened in the coming days with complete devastation. Within this martyred city, the Lebanese and Palestinian civilian populations risk having to pay very dear for a war being waged in the very places where they spend their daily lives.

8. Faced with such prospects, the French Government considers that the Council has the obligation to act. On the basis of its resolutions 508 (1982), 509 (1982) and 512 (1982), it must remind the parties to the conflict, and particularly Israel, with all the seriousness that the situation demands, of the requirements of the cease-fire. In order to protect the innocent civilian populations from the consequences of the clashes, it must impose a disengagement of the forces fighting in West Beirut and ensure that that city is spared from total destruction by means of effective neutralization.

9. In the present situation the United Nations can, by its action, promote a development which will banish the spectre of war and desolation. Alongside the Lebanese army, on which the full task of interposing itself and protecting the civilian population will fall, the Council could agree to station United Nations military observers. Their presence would first and foremost meet the concern of the international community, which is also the concern of France, to alleviate the sufferings of the victims of the fighting, to ensure that international assistance reaches the civilian populations and to guarantee the restoration of minimum security in the area.

10. This neutralization of West Beirut which France proposes cannot therefore be considered as a lasting political solution. It is only the first condition for the opening of genuine negotiations designed to guarantee the existence, security and legitimate rights of each of the States and peoples involved and primarily those of Lebanon itself, The final solution to the present tragedy will be achieved through the restoration of the integrity, sovereignty and independence of Lebanon. It also implies that the problem of the Palestinian people, without the solution of which there cap be no hope for peace and stability in the Middle East, will be solved by the recognition of that people's right to a State enjoying the same rights as the other States of the region, in particular the State of Israel.

11. I shall now resume my functions as PRESIDENT.

12. It is my understanding that the Council is ready to vote on the draft resolution before it, with the corrections which I read out at the beginning of the meeting. If there are no objections, I shall now put the draft resolution to the vote.

A vote was taken by show of hands.

In favour: China, France, Guyana, Ireland, Japan, Jordan, Panama, Poland, Spain, Togo, Uganda, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Zaire

Against: United States of America

Abstaining: None

The result of the vote was 14 votes in favour and 1 against.

The draft resolution was not adopted, the negative rote being that of a permanent member of the Council.

13. The PRESIDENT (interpretation from French): I shall now call on those representatives who have asked to be allowed to make statements after the voting.

14. Mr. LICHENSTEIN (United States of America): The fundamental basis of the policy of the United States is now, and has consistently been, to contribute to the restoration of the full authority of the Government of Lebanon throughout its land and its sovereignty and territorial integrity. My Government is deeply moved by the suffering of the Lebanese people in the present crisis. We had hoped that the draft resolution before the Council tonight would have reflected this basic concern. Unfortunately the draft resolution, while containing many elements we support, fails to call for the essential requisite for the restoration of the authority of the Government of Lebanon, that is the elimination from Beirut and elsewhere of the presence of armed Palestinian elements who neither submit to nor respect the sovereign authority of the Lebanese Government.

15. The omission of this requisite, in our view, thus is inconsistent with the essential goal of restoration of Lebanese sovereignty. That, we believe, is a fatal flaw.

16. The draft resolution does contain many elements that we support, namely: first, a call for an immediate cease-fire; secondly, a call for simultaneous withdrawal of Israeli and Palestinian forces from the area of Beirut; and thirdly, the proposal that United Nations observers, upon the request of the Government of Lebanon, monitor the cease-fire.

17. The members of the Council are well aware of the threat which armed foreign elements pose to the authority of the Government of Lebanon and to stability throughout the region. We deeply regret that this central factor was not accorded the weight we believed it must have in the draft resolution before us.

18. The PRESIDENT (interpretation from French): The next speaker is the representative of Israel, upon whom I now call.

19. Mr. BLUM (Israel): On Friday, 11 June, the Government of Israel adopted a decision which stated, inter alia:

"Following the completion of the mission with which the Israel Defence Forces were charged, the Government instructed the army and all its formations to cease fire beginning today at 12 noon. From that hour onwards the Israeli army will not fire on all fronts in Lebanon unless fired at."

This position of my Government has been reaffirmed on a number of occasions since, despite the fact that the cease-fire has been broken and violated repeatedly by the other side.

20. In keeping with this position, my Government once again instructed the Israel Defence Forces yesterday, 25 June, to cease fire on all fronts in Lebanon at 8 p.m., local time, corresponding to 2 p.m., New York time. According to the information that reached me some 15 minutes ago, this cease-fire throughout Lebanon has been holding since, that is to say for the past 13 hours.

21. The PRESIDENT (interpretation from French): The next speaker is the representative of Lebanon, upon whom I now call.

22. Mr. TUENI (Lebanon): It is no longer the hour for speeches, Mr. President, and I simply take the floor to say how much my country and Government appreciate the initiative of France and its President, Mr. Mitterrand. We know that no resolution can be perfect. The draft before the Council is not something we can discuss-we are not members of the Council. We can only express our regret at the fact that it was not adopted.

The meeting rose at 3.05 a.m.

* *** *