GA President visit to UNIFIL

ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT PAYS TRIBUTE TO COMMITMENT, COURAGE, PROFESSIONALISM

OF UNIFIL MEMBERS DURING VISIT TO FORCE'S HEADQUARTERS

  Following  are remarks  made by  the  President  of the  General Assembly,

Hennadiy  Udovenko (Ukraine), during  his visit  to the  headquarters of the

United  Nations Interim  Force in  Lebanon  (UNIFIL), in  Naqoura,  Lebanon,

today:

  I  am very pleased  to have  this opportunity to visit  the United Nations

Interim  Force in Lebanon  (UNIFIL) and  meet personally with  the brave and

dedicated men  and women  who are  playing such a  vital role in  helping to

bring stability to a very volatile area.

   I  am  especially gratified  that  my visit  comes  only days  after  the

Security  Council decided  to  extend the  present mandate  of UNIFIL  for a

further  period of  six months.    Although UNIFIL  has been  prevented from

carrying out  its  mandate under  resolution  425  (1978), the  decision  to

extend its  mandate is another  strong reaffirmation  of the  fact that  the

Force  continues  to  contribute in  a  very  real  and  meaningful  way  to

stability and to the protection of the civilian population.

  UNIFIL's involvement in the  area has now spanned 20 years — two  decades

of noble work in trying to limit the conflict and shield the inhabitants  of

the area  from the  worst effects  of the  violence.   Doing your utmost  to

prevent the area of operation from being used for hostile activities and  to

defuse situations that  could escalate out  of control, you provide  a vivid

example of United Nations peacekeeping at its best.

  No less  important are your  efforts to  provide humanitarian  aid to  the

civilian population.   From medical care  to harvest  patrols, from casualty

evacuation to distribution of educational material  and equipment to  poorer

schools, you have extended  a helping hand  to those who desperately  needed

support and assistance.

  We  should not  forget, however,  that those  two decades  have been  also

marked by peril and tragedy.  In his latest report to the Security  Council,

the Secretary-General  cited chilling statistics:   since the  establishment

of  UNIFIL, 76  of its  members have  been killed  and  over 300  wounded by

firing, or by mine  or bomb  explosions.  I am  deeply troubled by the  high

level of

casualties suffered by UNIFIL  and I would like  to take this opportunity to

pay tribute  to all those who  sacrificed their lives  while serving in  the

Force.

    Today's visit  here  is certain  to become  one  of  the most  memorable

moments  of my  diplomatic and  political  career.   Far from  the  somewhat

rarefied atmosphere  of Headquarters conference rooms, it offered a sobering

look at  the real-life conditions where  UNIFIL is  performing its difficult

and dangerous task.

     Once again, I would  like to pay tribute to the commitment, courage and

professionalism of UNIFIL  members whose selfless work, under the leadership

of Major General Jioji Konouse Konrote,  deserves wide recognition and  deep

gratitude of all those who cherish the ideals of justice and peace.

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