Assistance for the reconstruction & development of Lebanon – GA debate – Press release (excerpts)

AID SOUGHT FOR LEBANON, THREE AFRICAN NATIONS,

COUNTRIES HARMED BY COUNCIL SANCTIONS ON

FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA

Assembly Adopts Five Texts; President, in Statement, Urges Procedures

to Allow Current Session to Complete Work on Schedule

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Adopting a resolution on the rehabilitation of Lebanon, the Assembly appealed to Member States and the United Nations to intensify support for the reconstruction and development of that country. Specifically, the Assembly requested that the United Nations support the Lebanese Government in capacity- building and institutional renewal, and in implementing field-based programmes for the rehabilitation and reintegration of displaced persons, and to reconstruct areas such as southern Lebanon.

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Assembly Work Programme

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The draft resolution on assistance to Lebanon (A/51/L.25/Rev.1) would have the Assembly appeal to Member States and United Nations organizations to intensify their support for the reconstruction and development of Lebanon. In particular, donor countries would be asked to play a full part in the forthcoming consultative group on the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Lebanon. The Assembly would also call upon the United Nations to support governmental requirements for national capacity-building and institutional renewal, and for implementing priority field-based programmes in the rehabilitation and reintegration of displaced persons and for reconstruction, including in the south Lebanon region.

That draft is sponsored by Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, China, Egypt, France, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Paraguay, Poland, Romania, Syria, Tunisia and the United States.

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Humanitarian Assistance

HICHAM HAMDAN (Lebanon) introduced the revised draft resolution on assistance to Lebanon. He said the displacement of thousands of persons and the destruction of villages, particularly in the south, remained among the many problems to be addressed. The need for international assistance to address those and other consequences of the civil war remained enormous. His Government hoped the draft would be adopted by consensus.

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