Middle East situation, peace process – SecGen remarks at World Economic Forum press conference- Transcript (excerpts)

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Question: A Facebook user following the live stream writes in: According to experts at the Weitzman Institute in Israel, Jordan and to a lesser extent Syria, will run out of water within 5 years from now. Secretary-General, how do we ensure that the issue of water doesn’t become the next (inaudible) in a peaceful solution in the Levant and what is being done now to ensure these steps if anything?

Secretary-General: I think I have explained, answered some part of your question. This in a broader sense, Lebanon and elsewhere in the region, all the countries, they are very important countries in the region and the peace and stability in that region has implications, global implications for peace and security. Particularly, people in Lebanon, they have been suffering from political instability and war. That’s why United Nations is keeping UNIFIL, the United Nations peacekeeping operations are there. And there is a very serious issue of the accountability process and a very, very serious and important issue of political stability. I have been urging all political leaders, all the parties, [that] should first of all be united and engaged in political dialogue, engaged in reconciliation among the groups who may have a difference of their positions; this is their country. The United Nations has always been working very hard to help the Lebanese government and people. And the United Nations has always been working very hard to help this peace process in the Middle East to continue. And I’m going to participate in a Quartet meeting on February 5th in Munich and this is part of my broad mandate, broad responsibility to see peace and stability – at the same time as social and economic development, and protecting human rights and providing humanitarian assistance to many displaced persons and refugees. So this [is why] we need the full support of the international community. Again, thank you very much.

For use of the information media; not an official record

SG11/006E